A wide variety of senior living options exist to meet the diverse needs of today’s senior citizen population. There are more options now than there have ever been for seniors to age with dignity.
When it is time to start searching for senior living facilities for you or a loved one, it can be difficult to figure out which type of housing solution is best. A good senior living facility will meet the resident’s physical, mental and social health needs. In addition, the high cost of many senior living communities plays a big part in choosing a new home.
It can be difficult to find low income senior housing, but it is not impossible. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides different types of housing subsidies to help seniors relocate to senior apartment communities. HUD also plays a role in providing homeless senior housing solutions to elderly people who have lost their homes due to poverty.
Assisted living facilities are some of the most commonly-known types of senior housing. Candidates for senior assisted living are older adults who need some help with activities of daily living, such as bathing, eating and using the bathroom. However, applicants for this senior living option are mostly able to live independently and want to retain as much self-sufficiency as they can, for as long as they are able.
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Assisted living facilities provide residents with their own apartment or housing unit, which is connected to common areas where meals are eaten and social activities happen. Assisted living facilities provide a higher level of care than retirement communities, but much less care than is available at a skilled nursing facility.
Skilled nursing facilities are living options that meet the needs of senior citizens with significant health concerns. Sometimes referred to as nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities provide comprehensive nursing care 24 hours a day. Residents of skilled nursing facilities usually need a good deal of help to complete daily living activities, such as getting in and out of bed, bathing and eating.
Benefits of skilled nursing facilities include the fact that patients can stay there on a short-term or long-term basis. Many residents of skilled nursing facilities are there for a period of time following an injury, serious illness or invasive surgery. These facilities also provide the wound care and rehabilitation services needed after these health crises.
Senior living options include several types of retirement communities. Nearly all senior retirement communities have strict age limits, with some allowing residents as young as 55 years of age and others requiring residents to be 62 years of age or older. Senior retirement communities include the following:
If you need low income senior housing, begin your search by contacting HUD and finding out if you or your loved one qualifies for any of the subsidies HUD provides to seniors. Certain communities and cities also offer help through the local public housing authority. Public housing can be a good resource to help find low income housing for senior citizens in your neighborhood. Other low income senior housing solutions can be found when friends or relatives rent a senior apartment together to help save money on rent.
There is a need for homeless senior housing in many areas of the country. Many seniors rely on Social Security retirement or Social Security disability benefit payments as their sole source of income, but these are not enough to keep up with the cost of living. When a financial crisis strikes, many homeless elderly individuals never recover and end up losing their homes.
High health care costs play a huge part in the rising rates of homeless seniors in many communities. In addition, the financial stress that leads to homelessness ages older adults faster than usual, making serious health problems appear sooner. HUD offers the Section 202 supportive housing subsidy as help for homeless seniors and other types of housing assistance. Connecting elderly homeless people to such services plays a large role in getting them back into a livable home.
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