What You Need To Know About Moving Into Assisted Living Facilities In Maine

By Kendra Hood


If you are a senior citizen who wants to reside in a facility that can provide you with minor medical monitoring and medical care, you can opt for assisted living. Assisted living facilities in Maine are state regulated and they offer many services. They are a unique place for people with mild health problems to reside in. These facilities are also referred to as adult foster homes, adult care homes, resident care homes and congregate care communities.

Adult foster homes are of different sizes. Some are small residential homes while others are large facilities that cater for needs of hundreds of residents. In large communities, residents have private apartments. Residential care communities do not have the specialized medical equipment available in nursing homes but they employ qualified staff to help residents perform various tasks. These staff members are available at any time of the day or night.

As a resident of a congregate care home, you will be required to pay monthly fees for accommodation and services. These homes provide services like bathing assistance, meals, laundry, insulin injections by a registered nurse and escorts to activities among others. Some of them have various amenities like swimming pools, gyms and beauty parlors on site. Most congregate care homes have a central dining and kitchen area and a common area where social activities take place.

The typical residents of an assisted living facility are senior citizens who have suffered a mild decline in their overall health. This may be caused by an illness, injury or aging. They may face challenges when performing various activities including, bathing, dressing or walking or may not be mentally sharp as they were in their youth. They need the comfort associated with living in such a facility as well as the availability of medical attention.

Even though most assisted living communities concentrate on serving seniors, some of them also serve younger people. This applies especially to people who have impaired cognitive function. Most people move into such homes with the intention of residing in them for many years even though these communities also offer short term care.

People who have undergone medical procedures that affect their ability to be independent can also move to a residential care home. A doctor may request his or her patient to move to such a facility to receive care before he or she recovers. The patient then returns to his or her private residence after getting well.

When moving to a residential care facility, you may feel stressed due to the major changes you have to make in your lifestyle. You may feel anxious about making the move since you may worry about whether you will lose your freedom, if your family members will visit you often or if you will be able to adapt to residing in such a facility. However, if you plan early and prepare yourself mentally, this process will be less stressful.

Seniors can overcome their fear or anxiety of moving to a new place by familiarizing themselves with the facility, the staff, residents and adapting to a new lifestyle. After adapting to their new daily living routine, residents of such a facility will no longer feel anxious. People who want to move into a residential care home should gather as much information as possible about the home and its atmosphere so that they can have a smooth transition.




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