We had another "Ask a Nurse" segment Friday morning with Rochelle Allen from AccentCare in Fall River, and she told us about National Assisted Living Week.

"Assisted living" means living in a community with various levels of medical and personal care. Residents may have a room, an apartment, or a shared space. Most of these assisted living communities provide meals, housekeeping, personal care, social programs, monitored medication, 24-hour emergency care, and some medical services.

Friday wrapped up this year's 25th National Assisted Living Week. It's been a year that has challenged those in the industry like no other. The week is dedicated to recognizing the role assisted living communities play in caring for America’s seniors and other individuals with disabilities. I think it goes without saying that there is certainly a special calling of those who serve their assisted living residents.

We asked Allen how a home health and hospice company such as AccentCare serves assisted living communities?

"While most assisted living communities do a great job with overall care of their residents, their roles do not include expectation for the type of clinical home health or hospice care that AccentCare might provide," Allen said.

She told us it was common for a resident’s primary care physician to order home health that AccentCare can deliver right in the resident’s quarters. Skilled nursing for many conditions including congestive heart failure, COPD, or diabetes. Therapies can be for joint rehabilitation after a knee or hip replacement, palliative care for pain management or behavioral health nursing for dementia or late-life depression. For those in need of advance care planning, AccentCare's Hospice team serves the residents who become their patients as well as their families.

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