       Continued independent living, even into very old age, is the ideal situation for most residents. Support services may include housekeeping, meal services, transportation, an emergency call system, and on-site retail services. Access to these services allow the disabled, frail, and very elderly to continue living in an independent living environment rather having to move to a nursing care facility. |
Residential communities for older residents recognize the need for additional support and health services as the resident population ages. Ideally, a residential community for seniors can provide a continuum of care in order that the residents can age in place, with no need to move to an alternate location to obtain services. Continued independent living, even into very old age, is the ideal situation for most residents.
Careful consideration must be given to both the present and future health service needs of the residents during the design stage. In many cases, where the residents are in their 50s and 60s, the present health service needs of the residents are minimal. However, the needs of these same residents in ten years will be fundamentally different in that there will be an increasing demand for health services.
Some Life Lease Communities plan for vacant space in their building for future support and health services, that can be further developed at a later date when the demand for these services becomes evident.
Other Life Lease Communities plan for a phased approach to development. The first phase of development provides for no support or health services. Phase 2 would add sufficient residents to make it economical to provide basic support and health services, while Phase 3 might allow more intensive and expensive health services.
Still other Life Lease Communities, particularly those for residents in their 70s and 80s, plan for the ability to provide all level of services from the start, and build the cost for these services into the Monthly Occupancy Fee. In some cases, special arrangements and contracts are made with private health service providers, such as nursing homes, to provide these services on site.
The first type of services provided to aging residents are services that are supportive of independent living. Although not technically health services, support services certainly contribute to the continuing health of the residents.
Support services may include housekeeping, meal services, transportation, an emergency call system, and on-site retail services.
Housekeeping, transportation, and on-site services can often be arranged at relatively little additional cost to the resident either through an outside contract service, or through volunteers. An emergency call system call be installed for relatively little cost during construction and can be provided during operation at little cost, as long as their is already a service provider on site 24 hours a day. Regular meal services, on the other hand, can be very expensive to provide, unless a large number of residents need meals on a regular basis which brings down the per meal cost.
Basic, occasional health services can be provided at relatively little cost by arrangement with local health service providers. These services may include a once a week clinic by a physician or nurse, a foot care clinic provided by the Health Unit, or delivery of prescriptions by a pharmacy.
Attendant Care Services are services that assist residents with regular health care functions such as bathing, toileting, and medication. Access to these services allow the disabled, frail, and very elderly to continue living in an independent living environment rather having to move to a nursing care facility.
Attendant Care Services, while expensive to provide, are generally less costly than nursing care. In general, a minimum of 10 to 15 residents, must require attendant care, before it becomes cost effective.
Some residents may qualify for government funded attendant care services at no cost to the resident, in which case local service providers will provide care on site. If a significant number of their clients are in one location it is sometimes possible to arrange for 24 hour a day on-site attendant care at no cost to the residents.
Residents with high health care needs do not have the ability to live independently, even with regular attendant care. Life Lease Communities have to make special arrangements for these resident if they wish to assist these residents to continue to live in the Community.
Health services to residents that require regular or constant attention from a health practitioner are similar to those that are provided in a nursing home. In fact, often the best way to provide these services is through an arrangement with a nearby nursing home or nursing service who already have the facilities and staffing available.
The management and service cost to provide nursing care services is substantial, and Life Lease Communities must carefully evaluate the economics of providing, or arranging for, nursing care before expanding to this level of service provision.
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