Spitex and assisted living

What is the difference between Spitex and assisted living?

How exactly assisted living is to be defined as a third form of long-term care is still unclear. There are currently no legal regulations to ensure uniformity. As a result, there are major regional differences, which further complicate the discussion.

Basically, assisted living is a middle ground between Spitex and a retirement home. Clients leave their own home in the same way as when they move into a retirement home.

Nevertheless, they retain a very high degree of privacy and independence. This is possible thanks to their own rooms, some of which have several rooms, their own kitchen and bathroom. Depending on their needs, they receive a certain amount of support in everyday life - as with Spitex.

All of this makes assisted living an intermediate form between outpatient and residential care. It is also often seen as a modern alternative to retirement homes.

Assisted living in figures:

It is not known exactly how many Swiss people currently make use of assisted living services. The reason for the lack of exact figures is the absence of legal regulations. It is estimated that around 16,000 people currently live in around 840 retirement apartments. However, these apartments are not always associated with the concept of assisted living. They are also frequently used:

• Living with services
• Living with services
• Housing plus

The extent to which these are synonyms or whether the services offered need to be differentiated still needs to be clarified.

But not only a definition of the term is urgently needed. Financial regulations also need to be found. Part of this discussion should include agreements on how much assisted living may cost depending on individual needs and care level. It also needs to be clarified whether and to what extent social insurance companies make a financial contribution.

Measured against the current costs of assisted living, these cannot be covered by supplementary benefits in most cantons. However, a change in the law is planned. Ideally, the following points will also be discussed:

• Billing for specific services
• Creation of access criteria for financially weaker clients
• Measures to avoid incentives for early entry into assisted living
  

In principle, Spitex and assisted living should guarantee four points:

• Support in everyday life
• Maintaining a safe environment
• Maintaining autonomy for as long as possible
• customized care

The extent to which these points can be realized is decided on a case-by-case basis. Depending on the client's individual condition, the Spitex specialists regularly make adjustments to the care plan. First of all, they check which everyday tasks the clients can still manage themselves.

Which situations can they easily master on their own? In which areas do they need some support? And which things can they no longer do on their own? Spitex employees analyze exactly how much support is needed in which areas of everyday life.

In this way, they ensure that the client's autonomy is maintained for as long as possible. The aim of the Spitex and assisted living specialists is by no means to relieve your relative of as many tasks as possible.

Rather, the staff encourage them to keep as much control as possible over their daily lives. They will show them ways of coping with everyday life despite certain restrictions.

Maintaining a safe environment also plays an important role here. Only if this is provided can clients act as independently as possible. At no time should they have to fear that their autonomous actions could be associated with risks.

Spitex specialists therefore ensure that the client's environment is always optimally adapted to their needs. Fear should never be an obstacle to maintaining independence.

Assisted living as a four-stage model

Assisted living offers an individual mix of services. A total of four levels can be completed, which build on each other: D to A. Level D is the first level and includes basic services.

Among other things, the staff take care of household tasks such as doing the laundry. They also support clients in doing their shopping and provide them with meals. To this end, they offer a helping hand with cooking, for example, or organize a meal service.

Not to be forgotten are measures to prevent loneliness. This is particularly important for clients who have few relatives. Loneliness in old age is a widespread problem that needs to be counteracted.

According to surveys conducted in 2022, 160,000 Swiss people over the age of 62 feel lonely. This can have negative consequences not only for mental health, but also for physical health. Older people who feel lonely have a demonstrably lower life expectancy.

One of the reasons for this is that they often move less and suffer from increased stress. The consequences can be high blood pressure, but also dementia and Alzheimer's disease. To counteract this, the assisted living specialists motivate clients to participate more in social life again. For example, they enable them to take part in leisure activities and thus build up and maintain social contacts.

The benefits of the advanced levels

Level D is followed by level C. It supplements the basic services by focusing more intensively on nutrition, among other things. The specialists pay particular attention to ensuring that the clients not only consume sufficient food. They also make sure that the diet meets their needs and contains the nutrients they require.

Personal hygiene also plays an important role. The staff ensure that this is not neglected despite restrictions and provide support. The same applies to dressing. This ensures a well-groomed appearance at all times and clients can feel comfortable in their own skin.

Level C also includes therapies and preventative measures.

Level B, which follows on from this, primarily covers points relating to safety. The specialists carry out regular checks to ensure that the clients are not lacking anything at any time. In addition, a specialist is always on hand to provide support if required.

The fourth and final level, Level A, offers additional specialized services. These are particularly individually adapted to the client's specific clinical picture. This level is chosen, for example, if a person suffers from dementia, is receiving palliative care or is experiencing mental suffering.

Find the right Spitex for your relative with OPAN®

At OPAN®, we can help you find the best Spitex organization for your relative. All you have to do is enter the zip code of the desired location in the search field. Any facilities in the vicinity of your relative will then appear.

You now have a free choice and can take a closer look at all the results at your leisure. Once you have made a decision, enter your relative's personal details. A representative of the chosen Spitex will contact you quickly to discuss everything else.

We will be happy to answer all your questions and support you in using our platform. Get in touch with us!