Residential Care Options for Seniors and Disabilities

Types of Residences

Depending on the needs of the users, three different types of residences can be served:

Homes for Seniors

These are an alternative for the elderly who are unable or unwilling to live with their families. They provide comprehensive and complete attention with the intention of enhancing or maintaining personal independence or preventing decline.

Care Homes Based on User Requirements

Traditionally, there were retirement homes for independent seniors or assisted living facilities; now, most homes are mixed, offering services for both types of situations.

New Models of Residence

• Psychogeriatric centers: Specialized in treating senile dementia and Alzheimer's patients.
• Health centers: For the sick, usually those with chronic conditions requiring more relevant health care.

Residential Ownership and Funding Models

Residences can be public, private, or subsidized. Accessing public or subsidized housing is typically done through a formal application process.

In the case of private residences, if the applicant does not have enough purchasing power, they may receive care and psychosocial support by capitalizing on their heritage to cover the cost of service in the residence while they are alive.

Homes for People with Disabilities

These facilities provide temporary or permanent residence for persons under sixty-five years of age with different levels of dependency. Care is integral to maintaining and enhancing personal autonomy, meeting health needs, and facilitating participation and social integration.

Residential Housing by Degree of Autonomy

• Homes for the severely affected: For people with physical, mental, or sensory impairments that cannot be met in a standard dwelling unit and who need general assistance to perform activities of daily living.
• Homes for people with serious and persistent behavioral disorders: These provide comprehensive temporary care for individuals with intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, or ongoing and severe behavioral disorders.
• Adult Homes: For persons with disabilities who possess some personal autonomy but face challenges regarding family and social integration.

Residential Homes for People with Mental Illness

These offer accommodation and full attention for individuals between eighteen and sixty-five years with mental health problems and low personal autonomy resulting from mental illness, requiring a level of continuity of care that their families cannot provide.