Date of Award

1997

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Art

Department

Gerontology

First Advisor

Marilyn Patterson

Second Advisor

Betty LeMasters

Third Advisor

Emily LaBarge

Abstract

Long-term care is one of the greatest threats to the financial security of older Americans and their families. People are living longer and because of this many are becoming frail, developing functional impairments and suffering from chronic illnesses. In the past, elderly people did not have many options when health problems made running a household too difficult to manage. It then became necessary to explore other housing alternatives. Previously, nursing homes were the traditional solution for individuals without the family resources to help them stay at home.

Today, new housing options are emerging. These housing options are gaining considerable attention. It is important to consider an alternative housing arrangement for a person who becomes forgetful, incontinent and shows signs of impaired mobility and decreased ability to perform activities of daily living. One housing arrangement that is gaining considerable attention is that of assisted living. Of particular interest is the viability of a single family home for providing quality assisted living services.

The purpose of this project is to explore assisted living as a viable housing arrangement for promoting optimal health and independence. A discussion on assisted living, regulations and what comprises a good assisted living facility are addressed. In addition, a checklist has been developed and used to study three single family homes that provide assisted living services. Recommendations for establishing a good facility are proposed. Finally, a list of resources is provided for gathering information regarding assisted living.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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