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Health & Fitness

Are You a Senior Wanting Independent Living?

Independence is possible. Home Community Based Services, a federal program, can help.

 

Do you want to be a part of the trend toward independent living? Senior independent living has steadily become safer and more easily available. Your concerns about senior independent living has been addressed by in-home care agencies, national programs and other approaches to the levels of care you and many other seniors and aging elders require.

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Trends for Expanding Senior Independent Living

Independent senior life skills based on independent health initiatives have lead to extending the life expectancy of seniors. This trend has lead to the need for senior independent living arrangements that support you with dignity and respect in the least invasive and the most affordable ways possible.

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Many senior support experts have been advocating for much needed support programs to keep seniors living independently as long as possible. We know that independent living promotes a profound amount of comfort to seniors suffering from dementia and other memory-focused difficulties. Living at home provides the senior with familiar surroundings and encourages visits by family and long-time friends.

In home caregiver agencies have made use of available federal programs to help support, foster independence and provide social activities to their clients who are living independently. One such program created by the Department of Health and Human Services -- the Home and Community-Based Supportive Services -- was started in 1973. Did you know about it? The program was designed to provide grants to states and territories utilizing formulas based first and foremost on each state's share of the national senior population aged 60 and over.

Federal Grants Created for Senior Independent Living

These grants fund a huge spectrum of senior services that make it possible for seniors living independently in their homes for as long as possible. These critical services include - but aren't limited to:

  • Access services involving transportation, information, case management and assistance
  • In-home senior services including personal care, homemaking support, and general maintenance chores
  • Community supplied senior services such as legal, mental health and adult day care

State by State Senior Independent Living Services

The program also finances a plethora of multi-purpose senior centers. These senior centers coordinate and integrate services for older adults like congregate meals, health screening, general community education, exercise/health promotion programs as well as transportation. If you aren't taking the time to seek sociability at some of these senior centers, you most certainly want to check them out.

Every state uses an intrastate funding formula. This was designed to help allocate funds into specific areas and agencies related to aging. Area agencies dealing with aging have the flexibility to use these funds to provide supportive senior independent living resources and services that best meet the needs of seniors for every aspect of their planning and service areas. So what have these funds provided seniors?

Data Highlights Extensive Services Provided to Seniors

Services provided to independent living for seniors by the Home Community Based Services federally sponsored program in 2012 included:

  • Transportation Services—delivered to nearly 25 million seniors needing rides to doctor’s offices, pharmacies, senior centers, grocery stores, meal sites, and other function-critical daily needs.
  • Personal Care, Chore and Homemaker Services—delivered over 27 million hours of assistance. They went to seniors unable to engage in independent daily activities like eating, bathing or dressing and other significantly instrumental activities for daily living like shopping and light housework
  • Adult Day Care/Day Health Services—delivered well over 8 million hours of care. This went to dependent senior adults in supervised or otherwise protective group settings within some part of a twenty-four hour day.
  • Case Management Services—delivered more than 3.6 million hours of support for assessing needs, arranging for services, developing independent care plans for older people or connected caregivers.

Even more senior service data is publicly available at the Aging Network’s State Program Reports at:

http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/Program_Results/SPR/Index.aspx

Independent Living at Home for Seniors

Concern for independent living for seniors, has been addressed by how simple it is today to access services and care.  You can connect with federal independent living resources by following this link. You can also get more great information from your local in home care agency or Sequoia Senior Solutions.

If you are a senior or know a senior who prefers independent living, it has never been easier to get needed support. Keeping you or your loved one living independently, remaining as independent as possible for as long as possible, is always the most dignified and respectful approach to supporting senior independence and health.

For more great information, please come visit the blog at our Sequoia Senior Solutions website. 

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