Types of Rooms in Assisted Living Communities

Independent but supported living

As we age and health concerns increase, we often need some help with formerly easy tasks like shopping or bathing. Many families turn to assisted living facilities to receive support and care for older adults. "An assisted living community is housing for seniors that provides long-term senior care, including daily support around personal care services like meals, medication management, bathing, dressing and transportation," says Sue Johansen, vice president of partner services with A Place for Mom, a senior referral service based in Seattle. These communities also offer a wide range of activities to help seniors live vibrant and enjoyable lives.

If you or a loved one is looking to move into an assisted living community, there are a lot of factors to consider in choosing the right one. Among these decisions is the type of room you'll move into. Here are six of the most common options available to seniors moving into an assisted living facility.

Private apartments

In many assisted living facilities throughout the country "residents live in their own units, which may include a living quarter, private bathroom and sometimes a small cooking or food storage area," says Dr. Susan Leonard, a geriatric medicine specialist at the UCLA Medical Center. "Many have different setups and living designs or layouts and can be furnished or unfurnished." There may be many units in the same building (50 to 100 units is common), but other communities are much smaller.

These private apartments typically cater to "seniors who want and are able to live independently but may require some assistance," Johansen says, and they may be studios or one-bedroom, or have multiple bedrooms. The level of assistance needed can be tailored to the individual resident. In most cases, assistance with bathing and toileting, meals and medication management are standard.

Brian Geyser, chief clinical officer, at Insp?r, a senior living facility in Manhattan, says that typically, the square footage on an apartment ranges between 350 to 1,000 or more depending on the number of rooms the unit contains. "Studios usually have kitchenettes, a refrigerator and sometimes a microwave. A one- or two-bedroom might come with a full kitchen," he says.

Leonard emphasizes that "these are non-medical facilities, so they're different than skilled nursing facilities or nursing homes."

Condos

Some communities now offer high-end options, which can be quite comfortable and feel more like a luxury condominium than a bare-bones apartment, Johansen says. These condo-like settings allow residents a little more privacy when it comes to receiving care, which can be delivered on a schedule the resident prefers by a consistent staff. A condo-style option may be a little larger and include fancier furnishings, appointments and activities than a less-expensive apartment-style dwelling.

A luxury, condo-style residence arrangement might be more expensive but can sometimes offer more independence and privacy than other options.

Private rooms

Some communities offer rooms rather than entire apartments. In these communities, seniors may have a private bedroom, which may or may not include a private bathroom. "The option of a private room caters to the senior for whom privacy is important," Johansen says. Any other living spaces, such as a sitting room or kitchen, would be shared with other residents.

A private room is typically more expensive than a shared room, so this option caters to the senior who is willing and able to spend more money in exchange for more privacy. But this option is usually less expensive than having an entire apartment. However, cost of senior care living depends on several factors, including location in the country and services being rendered. Rooms may be furnished or unfurnished depending on the community.

Shared rooms

Some assisted living communities also offer shared rooms -- two or more seniors to a single bedroom in a dorm-style setup -- as an option. This arrangement means "sharing a room with a roommate who is also from the community," Johansen says.

"This option is the most affordable living space," and it's probably best suited for seniors who "need a more affordable living option and where saving money could be a key priority," Geyser says. "Sharing a living space can dramatically extend your resources, so for some people, it's their best option."

In addition, a shared room "can provide more of a social aspect or even a companion to the senior," so may be a good way to combat loneliness, notes Johansen. The negative health impacts of loneliness are a growing concern among many experts in the senior care industry.

Some communities have different sizes of shared rooms available at different price points, which offers even more options for a senior. If you opt for a shared room, "it's important to work with the community at the assisted living community to make sure to find someone compatible in lifestyle and preferences" to share that space, Johansen says. It's also critical to talk through "the level of privacy that the senior may need to be comfortable and then find an option that meets those needs." Seniors typically have some say in who they will share a space with, but as with so many other aspects of long-term care, specifics may vary depending on the individual community.

High-tech rooms

Now that we're in the age of internet-connected everything, some assisted living communities are leveraging technology to make senior living safer, more efficient and less disruptive to residents. Geyser says sensors and monitors in the apartment itself can help staff monitor a resident's well-being from afar. For example, high-tech devices in some of these so-called "wired rooms" can monitor movement, and if it seems that a resident is less active than normal, the apartment can alert staff to go check on the resident. Others offer voice-activated technology to assist with daily activities.

These rooms may be very expensive depending on location and the specific technology involved, but they may offer better remote monitoring of seniors who need a little more oversight but want to maintain as much privacy and independence as possible.

Memory care rooms

Across the spectrum of senior care, "the apartment or room is often geared towards the care level needed," Geyser says. For example, memory care rooms may contain (or lack) certain kinds of equipment. "For people who have Alzheimer's or later-stage dementia, they might be in a studio without a microwave, just for safety," Geyser says. Their living space might also be a little smaller than a standard assisted living room because "a person with dementia usually does better in smaller spaces with less stuff and clutter," he adds.

People with dementia may also benefit more than a resident without dementia from having a roommate and the social contact that cohabitation can offer. Again, because a shared room is often significantly less expensive and a person with Alzheimer's may need care for many years, this option may be preferable to families on a strict budget.

Other considerations

All of these various types of rooms or apartments may be found in a large high-rise building or a smaller structure -- each community is a unique entity. Some have rules that prohibit residents from bringing pets or their own furnishings, while others encourage people to make the space completely their own. Finding out the rules of the community and what they permit before you move in is a critical piece of figuring out which community is right for you.

Price is also a concern for most families. A 2018 survey conducted by Genworth Financial found that the median monthly cost for an assisted living community is $4,000 -- totaling $48,000 annually. But that's just a middle-of-the-road figure. If you opt for a luxury community in an expensive city, expect to pay a lot more. A shared room in a community in a less affluent part of the country will likely cost significantly less. This is why doing your homework is critical in finding the right fit.

Johansen says that the style and quality of the options available "can depend significantly on the community. It is important for a senior who is making the transition from living on his or her own to living in an assisted living community to make sure to find the optimal living option that meets his or her needs."

In the end, it's important for families to do their due diligence when selecting the right living arrangement for a loved one. Services like A Place for Mom and Ro & Steve, which is an online review site of assisted living facilities around the country, and many other consultancies or online sites may be helpful in making these important decisions because they provide additional information and insight about what each community is like and what options are available.

Leonard adds that assisted living facilities are subject to state regulations and that it's important for families to check that facilities and rooms are "geriatric safe and not a fall risk or hazardous to the elderly. Most doors have locks on the inside. However, some may allow for non-locking doors or allow outside staff to open the door if the resident's safety could be of concern." And it's important to find out how the facility manages safety, so that you know what to expect once your loved one moves in. "The facility is responsible for balancing the privacy but also safety of residents," Leonard adds.

To recap, here are the six most common types of room options for assisted living:

-- Private apartments.

-- Condos.

-- Private rooms.

-- Shared rooms.

-- High-tech rooms.

-- Memory care rooms.