does arise, trained caregivers are available to assist 24/7. “If you remember ‘The Golden Girls’ from the 1980s, and you think of nursing homes with doctors, nurses and gurneys, we’re right in between (the two),” Guarino said. THE FUTURE OFTHE SENIOR HOUSINGMARKET No real estate venture is 100 per- cent risk-free, but residential assist- ed living might be the closest thing to it. People will continue to age, and many will require assistance on a daily basis, meaning there will be a growing and ongoing need for RAL Academy’s services.
small pods of 16 so they can isolate them if needed. It’s become clear- er by the day that we’re in the right place at the right time.” The caregiver-to-resident ratio is one of the biggest differences between the RAL Academy model and traditional, “big box” senior care facil- ities. The larger facilities might have one caregiver for every 15 to 20 resi- dents, whereas a RAL home will typi - cally have one caregiver per five or six residents. Another major difference is RAL homes are just that—a home, not a hotel, according to Guarino. “(A large facility) is eye candy for you and me; we’re brothers, we love Mom and want to bring her some- place, so we’re going to put her there
because we think she wants the movie theater, bowling alley and the gardens,” he said. “What she really wants is to be safe and comfortable, loved and taken care of. She also wants (to be with) a group of peers her own age—eight or 10 people she can get along with, not 200 people, because that’s not how she was brought up. She was brought up in a home not a hotel.” Residential Assisted Living homes do not provide medical care. That lack of “nursing” also separates them from the standard nursing home. They are truly residences; a place for seniors who can’t be home alone or take care of themselves completely anymore. If an incident
20 | think realty magazine :: september 2021
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