Residential care settings are specific housing settings that provide a wide range of long-term care services to individuals. Assisted living facilities (ALFs) are one of the categories or segments of long-term care settings. There is no specific definition of the term “assisted living” as every state in the U.S. has different terminologies, standards, as well as arrangements for local ALFs.
Background
The introduction of ALFs in the United States came in the 1970s when they were considered alternatives to nursing homes for individuals in need of personal care services. Pioneers of ALFs were Keren Brown Wilson and Paul Klaussen whose focus at the time was providing noninstitutional alternatives to nursing homes. In 2001, there was the development of consensus recommendations that were aimed at improving the quality of assisted living (McSweeney-Feld and Oetjen 80). Further developments came in 2003 with the presentation of various recommendations to the U.S. Senate on ALFs.
Services Offered
ALFs offer a number of services including offering support in activities of daily living such as toileting, eating, and other personal care services; organizing social activities for clients in controlled and safe environments; as well as the provision of healthcare services, transportation, and offering referrals to medical resources and health information (McSweeney-Feld and Oetjen 80).
Individuals Receiving Services
These facilities offer support to individuals with restricted functionalities most of which are attributed to disability, old age, or other factors (McSweeney-Feld and Oetjen 80). They mostly focus on wealthy persons with financial resources as well as low-income seniors with limited resources.
Reimbursement for Services
Reimbursement for services at these facilities are in the form of out-of-pocket payments, federal government medical programs with these offering subsidized monthly rates, as well as rental or unit purchase with monthly maintenance (McSweeney-Feld and Oetjen 82).
Overall, since their introduction in the 1970s, ALFs have played an integral role in the improvement of quality of life among individuals, especially the aged and disabled persons. The facilities work closely with other healthcare settings as highlighted by the fact that they offer referrals to medical resources and health information.
Work Cited
McSweeney-Feld, Mary H, and Reid M. Oetjen. Dimensions of Long-Term Care Management: An Introduction. Chicago, Ill: Health Administration Press, 2012.