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Assisted Living vs. Independent Living

by March 15, 2023

Over 800,000 people reside in assisted living facilities in the United States, a statistic that highlights the critical role they play for seniors in modern society. Yet when they investigate such housing options, seniors’ loved ones struggle to differentiate between assisted living from independent living. Each comes with distinct costs, medical support, family involvement, and other considerations. While both offer fantastic services for elders, you must determine the right option for your senior. So, investigate an assisted living community and determine whether or not it suits their needs.

Tysons Woods serves senior residents of Tysons, VA, with high-quality support care. We provide daily medical services based on each resident’s needs, gathered during a pre-admission assessment with loved ones and professionals. Our facilities are safe and supportive environments for all seniors thanks to staff onsite 24/7, a responsible leadership team, and a 1:4 staff-to-resident ratio. To learn more about our assisted living facilities, call (703) 846-0395.

Below, we detail the differences between assisted and independent living:

What Is Assisted Living?

Assisted living facilities support those who need support with daily activities—such as bathing, eating, and clothing themselves—to facilitate an independent lifestyle. Whether they require bathing assistance, incontinence care, or diet guardrails, the care team creates a plan specific to the resident to ensure personalized services.

Again, Tysons Woods offers a pre-admission assessment to gather information about your loved one and get a picture of their health to develop a specialized care plan. Choose the right assisted living community for your loved one with Tysons Woods.

What Is Independent Living?

Assisted Living Community Tysons VA

Independent living involves housing arrangements—from apartment-style to single-family detached homes—meant exclusively for adults 55 and older. It provides easy navigation for elders and demands no maintenance or yard work from them! 

While residents live in designated quarters, their surrounding community offers amenities, activities, holiday gatherings, movie nights, and more. The housing caters to those who require little to no assistance with daily activities, as most independent living facilities offer little to no medical care or nursing staff.

The Differences Between Assisted and Independent Living

  • The Cost Assisted living usually operates upon a rental model with monthly fees that include maintenance, housekeeping, security, nursing observation, and more. When researching assisted living costs, remember that 1-2 hours of daily personal care—bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and medication administration—are often included in monthly rent.

Independent living residents pay an entrance fee when they move in and an additional monthly fee to cover maintenance, housekeeping, security, some meal costs, and programming. 75-90% of the entrance fee is usually refundable upon leaving.

  • Medical Support and Care Independent living facilities are intended for residents who do not require much assistance or medical care, so most do not offer such services.

In assisted living communities, staff can help residents at all times. For instance, staff members and a registered nurse are always on call. Also, residents at Tysons Woods can receive all-inclusive daily care from our staff, including specialized treatment options like memory care, physical therapy, and Alzheimer’s and dementia care.

  • Community Design Assisted living facilities have a smaller footprint and greater self-containment than independent living communities. Most residents’ needs in the latter are met within the premises, so they need not travel long distances. Buildings’ design, too, includes enhanced lighting, color coding, visual cues, memory boxes, easy-to-navigate walking paths, and secure outdoor and indoor spaces to support memory treatment programs.

Independent living communities often include multiple buildings with a central gathering area for programming and meals. The distance between buildings varies, though traveling—by foot or car—from one to another is not demanding. The apartments and cottages are larger than housing options in assisted living communities.

  • Family Involvement – Families in independent living are encouraged to become immersed in the community. Elders benefit from the support of loved ones, especially quality time and participation in activities together. However, primary decision-making always lies in the hands of the resident.

Family members often take a more active role in their loved one’s care in assisted living communities, especially those with dementia. Designated family members are updated about their loved one’s status and are involved with care planning. 

  • Amenities and Programming Assisted living options offer more hours of structured programming per day, especially in memory programs. Their activities may be in small groups or tailored toward individuals with varying physical and cognitive abilities. Meals are all included, and residents are encouraged to eat in the dining room with their community.

Independent living communities may offer different options, from fine dining to casual take-out, or allow residents to cook meals in their housing accommodations.

Explore Assisted Living Options in Tysons, VA

Support and interaction are monumental aspects of everyone’s physical, mental, and emotional health. Therefore, the Tysons Woods team ensures families feel welcome within our assisted living community. We take great pride in including every aspect of our support in our all-inclusive pricing structure. Furthermore, we provide personalized senior care for Tysons, VA, residents to ensure your loved one has a smooth transition into our care. To schedule a pre-admission assessment and learn more, call (703) 846-0395 today.