Choosing senior housing and residential care is a difficult and important process. Every human being, in old age, comes full cycle to needing others to help them with their personal needs. Some seniors have few such needs; others have many physical, mental, and emotional needs. Seniors may need help with:

• cooking
• eating
• bathing
• using the toilet
• finding companionship
• participating in recreation
• mobility in the living space
• transportation around the community
• medical care on a daily basis

The senior and their caregivers or advocates must match the senior's needs to the available senior housing and residential care facilities. In addition, the senior and their caregivers need to consider carefully the financial capabilities of the senior and their family for covering the costs of a chosen facility.

First, assess the needs of your senior. Senior residences and senior care facilities offer different composites of care. Choose a facility based on the kind of care required by the senior.

Consider the following needs:

• 24-hour medical care
• Intermittent medical care
• Reminders about or administration of medications
• Supervision of or reminders about daily activities
• Transportation
• Shopping
• Help with exercising
• Social, religious, or educational activities

Help with one or more of the following Activities of Daily Living:

• Bathing
• Dressing
• Grooming
• Cooking
• Eating
• Using the toilet
• Moving around a room
• Help with special needs:
• Alzheimer's
• Parkinson's
• Respite Care (relief for caregivers who need some time away from the needy senior)
• Short-term medical care (after a stay in a hospital for an illness or procedure)

After you familiarize yourself with the primary types of senior housing and residential care, you can consider which is best for fulfilling your senior's needs. A number of reputable organizations offer help in choosing the best housing and care combination. Some organizations provide checklists for comparing facilities, once you have chosen a type of housing and care.

The main factors to keep in mind are:

• Cost
• Privacy
• Independence
• Medical care
• Custodial care
• Care for special needs