Assisted Living : A guide to Elderly Care

This is also known as ‘close care’, extra care housing or very sheltered housing.

It is very similar to sheltered housing in that you have your own accommodation in the form of a bungalow or apartment. But the main difference is that you have extra services and/or nursing care.

This type of accommodation is often situated within the grounds of a care home.

You retain your independence but with additional support such as meals, laundry, housework and nursing care.

This differs from sheltered accommodation which also allows independent living but with no nursing care or support. Sheltered accommodation has a resident manager (warden) but he/she is there to keep an eye on things and not to do any shopping, cleaning or other similar tasks.

It offers a combination of accommodation, lifestyle and services which enable residents to remain active and independent but with support for their needs.

If you require complex nursing care then a care home may be a better option.

Every room in this accommodation will have a 24 hour emergency call system for peace of mind and reassurance.

An advantage of this is if your needs change and you require specialist, 24 hour care then you have the option of moving into the care home itself. You will be familiar with the residents, staff and surroundings so it will be a less stressful move.