Customer Reviews

Assisted Living: Needs, Practices, and Policies in Residential Care for the Elderly

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This thoroughly researched, scholarly book is just as valuable to the consumer seeking to learn more about assisted living, as it is to healthcare professionals, students of gerontology, and policymakers. The authors have amassed a wealth of information concerning key issues in assisted living, including the evolution and future direction of long term care in the U.S., as well as policy and regulations across states.

Each chapter is written by professionals who are experts in their field. I highly recommend Part II of the book, which focuses on assisted living in four specific states, illustrating the diverse nature of long-term care facilities. Topics such as physical environment, characteristics of residents, types of care provided, special concerns related to dementia, and financial issues are all explored in depth.

As an eldercare executive who works with assisted living facilities across the country, I believe it is crucial for all of us to have a thorough knowledge base in order to make informed decisions about care for our loved ones.

As a lay person anticipating residence in Assisted Living before all is said and done, I wanted to find out just what it is, how to evaluate it, and what pitfalls and protections await the residents. I had read Internet articles suggesting that there are problems with defining Assisted Living, that protection for residents varies from state to state, and that variations are great, even within states. Mr. Lawton's work, combined with B. Schwarz's Aging, Autonomy, and Architecture: Advances in Assisted Living, managed to provide me either with the answers or with an explanation of why there are still so many unanswered questions. Lawton's Needs, Practices and Policies in Residential Care for the Elderly presents the results of studies and investigations in a number of states, one a potential retirement destination of mine. Both volumes deal with the issue of "aging in place," which turns out to be an urgently important concept to those whose needs might be better served by skilled care (nursing) but an often unwelcome practice to those residents not wishing to be surrounded by the very frail. What happens to those wishing to age in place but who are unable to do so without risk to themselves? What are the issues of liability, as regards the institution? Marketing departments promote the concept of living in a "homelike" atmosphere, but architectural design has traditionally been dictated, and often still is, by practical needs and has been patterned after a "medical" (hospital-like) model, as is the typical nursing home. In the nursing model, the lack of independence and the hospital-like appearance of the establishment apparently contribute to the depression and despair of many residents. What kinds of building styles lend themselves better to the creation of a more homelike atmosphere? Mr. Lawton's studies deal with most of these issues, and his conclusions tend to confirm the information of the other text. The difference? Mr. Lawton's work, as suggested, is based upon studies executed in several states. Mr. Schwarz has compiled a text containing a variety of articles by respected experts in the field from around the country. Both books are valuable because they arrive at many similar conclusions, using different approaches. Mr. Lawton's is a hardback text, perhaps one that more easily fits the bookshelf. But both are excellent, and both enabled me to have a well-informed interview with an assisted living administrator. The lay reader can appreciate these texts by reading attentively, and the elder care administrator will undoubtedly find well-documented discussion and many names familiar to those in the field -- features that would make this a worthwhile text in the office.