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As the first wave of baby boomers cruise into their golden years and enter retirement, the generation behind them is faced with several issues – not the least of which is where we are going to house all these old people. The American culture is about to be rocked by a cultural shift almost as epic as the one we experienced when these folks first came on the scene. Even as I am writing this, we are experiencing a huge shift towards needing to give attention to the needs of seniors as a cohort of seventy-eight million people become senior citizens all at one. The boomers changed the face of American culture, as well as the look of the political landscape. Going into retirement, it’s not hard to believe that these people will bring changes with them to this phase as well. After all, there are SO MANY of them. Taking that into account, it’s not at all unreasonable to believe that the boomers will demand alternatives to traditional senior living: nursing homes, assistant living facilities, et cetera. What living options will the boomers have as they shift into their post-work years?

One popular option for seniors is traditional home care. This option is popular because it allows seniors to stay in their homes. For that reason, this is almost always the most sought after choice especially if the services from a home health care agency can be utilized. A lot of seniors desire the freedom and comforts of living at home, but they are ill equipped to actually live at home independently. That’s where home care assistance comes in as a balance between their desire for freedom and their actual ability to take care of themselves. A licensed and certified home health care agency can perform a home visit on a potential new intake client and identify his immediate and long-term needs. Some of the services include housekeeping, bathing, errand running or respite care for another caregiver. Care may be provided daily, weekly or monthly, depending on need and financial ability. The great thing about this option is the tremendous flexibility it affords to those using it, to be as dependent or independent as they want and need to. On the down side, homecare can be vey expensive.

Assisted living is another stepping stone between total independent life and being taken care of for older people. To wit, this refers to the type of home or apartment where the older person is able to take advantage of help with his or her day-to-day needs but still remain independent, such as daily meals, visiting nurse care, bathing assistance, shopping and errand assistance and also beauty care. Most facilities have private rooms, baths and kitchenettes for their residents. Most assisted living facilities try to remain as reasonably priced as possible and some may be able to bill Medicare or the patient’s insurance provider for part of the care and costs. Again, this can get expensive. The degree to which assisted living is affordable depends largely on location, with more desirable communities demanding more money of course.

On the more flexible end of the spectrum is an independent living facility, also known as a senior living community. This type of arrangement encompasses “55+” communities of condos, trailers, or townhomes. These units tend to be close together and all located in the same neighborhood, giving seniors a community of people like them. Age limitations are in place for people to be able to either purchase or lease within the community, but there are advantages that make resident life easier. For example, shuttles, golf, sports, games, outdoor recreation and mini-trips may be included in the purchase price.

Then, there are of course nursing homes. While there is normally a bad sort of connotation to this type of living, it’s a fact that nursing homes exist for a reason, and that’s because seniors in some situations need the proper care and oversight that nursing homes provide. Nursing homes have to follow strict guidelines to meet the needs of patients to facilitate proper care. While there is a stereotype of nursing homes being shabby or run down, this is usually not the reality. In fact, the great majority of seniors do very well in nursing homes, owing to the fact that most nursing homes residents also have complex medical needs that need to be met and often a facility is the best option. Around the clock medical care and assistance are available for those who fit the criteria established by their physicians and nursing home medical directors. Nursing homes are often associated with end of life care, but they can also serve as places of rehabilitation and recovery for those facing major surgery or illness.

One more, less known option is what is called “family care,” although it does not as the name suggests refer to elderly living with a family member. The reality is that this type of housing is generally found in a group home setting with a variety of seniors with different medical and physical needs living under one roof. Often, it is a large home that is converted into a handicap-accessible area for seniors. Nurses, home health aides and other medical staff or assistants stay with each senior around the clock to assure proper care and assistance in a healthy living environment. It’s like the staff of these places become a surrogate family for residents, hence the name.

Another option is one that is on the cutting edge of the senior living revolution. I actually read about something called continuing-care retirement communities (CCRCs) recently. Per my research, these types of living communities have been at the forefront of the retirement revolution as the most up-and-coming of the new options for seniors looking to live somewhere comfortable and realistic in their twilight years. On the downside, these communities do not make up nearly enough of the landscape to realistically be able to handle the influx of elderly that will come along with the boomers’ retirement. There are some nineteen hundred CCRCs in America right now. New options are erupting all over, however: what the experts call “new twists on old options” that will fit the needs of this dynamic population. To wit: opportunities for continuing education, easy access to quality care, and great independence.

Towards that end, a ground-breaking four “senior co-housing communities” have already been built in the country in the last few years, with two more in development. Imagine a co-op building, similar to those in New York City, with senior living residences instead of apartments. Per Craig Ragland, the executive director of the Cohousing Association of the United States, between forty-five and fifty university-based retirement communities (which are continued-care facilities linked to college campuses, and usually within close proximity of such) have been planned in the last few years, joining the twenty-five that already exist. George Mason University is one such campus offering a program. Clearly, this is the most up and coming option for seniors.

The right living arrangement for a senior is a matter of consideration for the elderly person and their family together, and it depends on a great number of factors. Many times, families can make a joint decision about when it is time to consider moving into a senior living care setting. This type of decision-making allows for some research and time to explore the very real concerns of the senior and leads to greater satisfaction with the choices made. The prospect of moving is unsettling, requiring a move from a known and seemingly secure situation to an unknown situation where seniors may worry about loss of control and independence. On the other hand, for a vibrant and lively senior, living in close proximity to potential new friends can actually make a difficult transition into an easier one, giving them a community and a place in which to feel comfortable and accepted.

It’s of course preferable that older family members be included in the decision as to where they will live out their golden years. Unfortunately, there are cases – such as when a patient has Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, that the children or other family members really have to step up and make a decision, and the burden of responsibility can seem crushing. There are many resources out there to assist those family members seeking the best option in care for helping care for and make decisions for a loved one with these conditions.

The only good news about the difficult process of finding the right living arrangement for seniors is that, once the initially-difficult period of upheaval is done and they are settled into their new living arrangement, most are quite satisfied and comfortable. This is especially true if they have come from a wholly independent environment where they were left to deal alone with the daily stresses of finances, care and maintenance of a home, shopping for and making their own meals, and finding transportation to their own medical appointments. In a safer, more helpful environment, a lot of seniors actually attain and better quality of life and a more satisfied outlook on their situation.