The Qualifications that Matter When Planning for Senior Housing

Assisted Living

You always knew that stepping into your senior years would mean entering a new chapter in your life, one that’s different from what you’ve been through before because of some changes that you may need to go through that may entail moving into a senior housing facility.

 

 

Now that you’re already in this phase, one of the things that you’ve been thinking about is how you’d want to live in an apartment community where you can mingle with other seniors. This led you to do some research about senior housing.

 

 

 

What exactly is Senior Housing?

 

Senior housing is a type of housing that caters to individuals that meet the requirements codified by the Fair Housing Act and the Housing for Older Persons Act. All occupants in this community must be 62 years or older but one individual who is 55 years old or older should be in at least 80% of the occupied units. A senior housing facility is also designed for elderly individuals under a local, federal or state government program.

 

 

 

What is the Difference between Senior Housing and Assisted Living?

 

You may be torn between choosing to go to senior housing or an assisted living community, but it all depends on your needs. An assisted living community may qualify as a senior housing facility, but a senior housing community doesn’t need to provide the special services that assisted living offers for residents with physical disabilities. So, if you’re choosing between these two options, think about what your needs are first to help you make the right decision.

 

 

 

What are the Qualifications for Senior Housing?

 

In general, senior housing looks at your age, but you also need to qualify for the following:

 

 

  • 55 is the youngest age for exemption in senior housing, but you can be younger than 55 as long as your spouse or another family member belongs to that age. You may also qualify to live in the 20% part of the senior housing community where there are no age restrictions. You can then move to the 80% when you or a member of your household turns 55.

 

 

  • If you are applying for the 62 and older area of the senior housing community, you and every other member of your household except for your nurse, attendant or other healthcare providers should be at least 62 years old. You won’t qualify to live in these buildings even if only one member of the family is below 62.

 

 

  • Once you’ve decided to apply for senior housing, you will be asked to show proof of your age. This includes your birth certificate, passport, driver’s license, military identification, immigration card or other legally accepted documentation. An application affidavit asserting that at least one occupant in your apartment is 55 years old may also be accepted if you can’t provide a valid verification document, according to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

 

 

 

 

Making the decision to live in a senior housing facility is a huge step towards ensuring that you enjoy the best years of your life. At the end of the day, you have the options. You only have to make the right choices.

 

 

 

Providence Place of Fremont is proud to offer its Assisted Living Services to Fremont NE and its Surrounding areas and Cities: Inglewood, Cedar Bluffs, Ames, Leshara, Arlington, Fontanelle, Nickerson, Telbasta, and North Bend