Decision Guide

Assisted Living

Independent Living is considered the first progression step of several in Retirement Living. Independent Living does not mean that individuals want to do everything by themselves or want to live in isolation. In Retirement Living, they can make choices about the level of services they choose, including having three meals a day provided for them. Depending on if the community offers multiple levels of care, the community’s services can adapt to their own progression of aging.

Services

Services include:

Lunch or dinner daily in our professionally managed dining room.
Weekly housekeeping is sometimes an option.
Transportation can be scheduled for shopping, medical and dental appointments, banking, etc.
Many times access to a wide variety of classes, trips, and fitness opportunities can be arranged.
24 hour staffing and a security and emergency response system.

Pets are sometimes welcomed as most Independent Retirement Communities. Weight limit and residents will need to provide for their own pet needs in designated areas of our grounds. There is a one-time fee collected.

Some Independent Retirement Communities maintains guest apartments for friends and family. There is a reasonable charge for the accommodations.

Specialization

There are several factors that should go into the decision-making process of the right assisted living community for your loved one. You should have a clear understanding in the long term of your their needs and financial capacity to finance. This includes:

Preparation

If you are seeking out Independent Retirement Living for your senior loved one you are best suited to finding a community where they will not have to move, should they need a higher elevation of service. These communities are often called Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CRCCs) Other considerations in choosing the right place for your senior loved one should be accessibility to the right medical center if your parent has a choice. Be prepared to have the following information available upon move-in:

Name of medical doctor and preferred hospital in case of emergencies
Copy of a Durable Power of Attorney and Healthcare Directive- should situations arise that these need to be activated
If you’re planning on having them provide laundry service make sure you label all clothes
If your parent has a pet, be prepared to provide a pet deposit

Evaluation

Are you a CRCC? If not, what levels of care do you provide?
What qualifications do your staff members have? Are they background-checked?
How are you equipped to handle medical emergencies?
How do you handle the emotional needs of your residents?
Other than housing, what services do you offer? How are these priced?
After visiting, did residents appear to be taken care of? Did they look happy?
Was the space clean, pleasant smelling, and cheerful?
How did the staff members interact with the residents?
What kinds of activities do they offer the residents?
How often will my loved one be evaluated?
How often will you schedule care conferences with the family?
What is your method and policy of communicating with immediate family?
What medical facilities do you serve to? Is your elder loved one within range of their primary physician?

Assisted Living Articles

How to Assess the Best Living Solution for a Senior - Hello Everyone! It is my pleasure to share information with you about care and housing options outside of the home for an elder. After 18 years of helping families discern what the best form of care, and in what environment, is best for their loved one, I have witnessed one… …Read More

Assisted Living Radio Show Segments

Era Living: Resident & Family Supportive Services
Mallory Mixdorf, MA, LICSW, the Resident & Family Supportive Programs Director for Era Living, joins Suzanne at their Aljoya Mercer Island senior living community. Mallory is a licensed social worker.

Mallory says, “We provide mental health and support services to all of our residents as well as their families, as much as needed. As residents transition into our communities, or even if they’ve been there for a long time and are facing other life transitions, all of our communities have a licensed mental health professional to help that resident or their families navigate those changes, which is something that’s really unique to Era Living. Our counselors will make an effort to meet with the residents pretty shortly after they move in and learn about what makes them tick, and validate their concerns. A lot of times, maybe it wasn’t their first choice to move. On the other end of the spectrum, there’s residents who come in really ready to go. They’re so excited about this change. They’re ready to let go of the responsibilities. They’re ready to fill their day with enriching activities, have someone cook for them, meet folks that are just down the hall, are ready for these wrap-around services.”

Couples may have challenges as well. Mallory says, “Couples are a family unit, but they’re two individuals, and they may have very different approaches and perspectives on what’s going on. And so that’s another great thing that the counselors can do is, again, provide that space to listen, and provide space for the the residents to receive counseling as a family if necessary to help navigate those changes, or the rifts that maybe are growing in the different perspectives can cause some strain in a relationship. So the counselors are really there to help navigate and mitigate.”

Mallory adds, “Something that’s really special about our counselors is that we provide support groups for residents, and their families are welcome to attend the support groups, but really, the focus is on the residents. One of our support groups is actually a caregiver support group. So for a lot of those couples that come in, oftentimes one of the pair is the caregiver. So they can take the space away from the one that they care for. Sit with like minded folks and peers who are in a similar situation. They can learn from each other, they can talk, they can share stories in a space that feels safe.

“If families are looking for extra support, we do have a program called Almost like Family. it is an ancillary service, a case management program. There’s two prongs really to the program. One is companionship visits fFor residents who need that extra support to prevent isolation, which is, I’m sure you’ve heard is an epidemic in the the senior population. We have staff who are dedicated solely to this role, to come in and spend time with residents and just engage them in things that bring those residents joy, whether it’s talking about their past, going on walks, joining the life enrichment activities together, kind of calling them, pulling them out of their apartments, getting them more engaged in the community. That’s the companionship aspect.

“The other aspect is the medical escorts. For residents who may need help getting to and from doctors appointments, don’t always know how to navigate the medical system, or for times when they, God forbid, have to go to the emergency department, we have someone on call 24/7 to help get them to their medical appointments, meet them at the hospital should they have a fall, or some other medical emergency, especially in those times when families aren’t available at the drop of a hat to drive an hour or two to the hospital.”

Aljoya Mercer Island has 114 apartments ranging from 700 to 2,000 square feet and is located at 2430 76th Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA 98040-2807. Learn more about Aljoya Mercer Island, and learn all about Era Living at Answers for Elders or at their website.

Transcript

Suzanne: And welcome everyone to Answers for Elders Radio Network. And we are back again with Mallory Mixdorf, who is the Era Living Resident & Family Supportive Programs Director. That’s a big title, girlfriend.

Mallory Mixdorf: It is, it’s a mouthful.

Suzanne: You have a master’s degree in licensed social work, and having your role is a big part of what makes Era Living who they are. You guys spend a lot of time in wellness, and making sure people have a good foundational sense of well-being. And I think that’s the important thing. Tell us a little bit, when you say resident and family support programs, what does that mean?

Mallory Mixdorf: Yeah, it’s basically what it sounds like. We provide mental health and support services to all of our residents as well as their families, as much as needed. As residents transition into our communities, or even if they’ve been there for a long time and are facing other life transitions, all of our communities have a licensed mental health professional to help that resident or their families navigate those changes, which is something that’s really unique to Era Living.

Suzanne: It is, because I remember when my mom moved into senior living, her first experience, she was angry with me, the daughter, that’s very common, right? It’s before she really got acclimated and I always am grateful because we were able to get with the counselor, but it was not part of the community. But it helped us and really what was coming from her is she didn’t want to burden me and she didn’t want to be you know, and I was going, why are you so cranky and angry with me? I’m trying to do the right thing. And in actuality, that wasn’t a burden at all, and we had to really talk it through. I mean, I’m sure we’re pretty much common that goes on a lot. Does it not?

Mallory Mixdorf: It does. There’s a lot of feelings that happen when families move on the resident side. The one who’s actually moving in, on the family side maybe it’s siblings or their kids and their adult kids that are facilitating the transition for them, and maybe it’s before the resident feels ready, or is willing to admit that maybe they need a change. And anger is usually one of the first emotions that bubbles up, family being betrayed too.

Suzanne: And it’s a cover for fear. I remember my mom did not want to burden me and she realized that now she was “stuck” with this situation. That was how she viewed it. And I was going, “Mom for the first time in my life. I get to have you all to myself. I mean, this is a big deal for me. This is a gift to me,” and she kind of looked at me like, really? So it was interesting that I had to learn to work with her in another way. And I think the other thing is, families don’t necessarily know how to work in the best way to be supportive of their loved ones through this time. And I’m sure you’re finding that, with like you talked about with siblings. So tell us a little bit about how that works with a living and how you work through that process.

Mallory Mixdorf: Absolutely. So, once the resident goes through their intake with our community relations team and our wellness team, and they’re ready to move in, our counselors will make an effort to meet with the residents pretty shortly after they move in. So whether it’s a formal meeting or informal — it depends on the counselor’s approach and the community’s culture. But we really try to sit down with those residents and learn about what makes them tick and validate their concerns. A lot of times, maybe it wasn’t their first choice to move. And so listening to them and, just again, validating that experience. On the other end of the spectrum, there’s residents who come in really ready to go. They’re so excited about this change. They’re ready to let go of the responsibilities. They’re ready to fill their day with enriching activities, have someone cook for them, meet folks that are just down the hall, are ready for these wrap-around services, and counselors. And those aspects can kind of help introduce them to more of the programming, the liaison for the community.

Suzanne: If couples come in, sometimes one couple is gung ho, and the other one’s kind of like, I’m not so sure about this, but that happens a lot, too. Does it not?

Mallory Mixdorf: Yeah, I mean the couples are a family unit, but they’re two individuals, and they may have very different approaches and perspectives on what’s going on. And so that’s another great thing that the counselors can do is, again, provide that space to listen, and provide space for the the residents to receive counseling as a family if necessary to help navigate those changes, or the rifts that maybe are growing in the different perspectives can cause some strain in a relationship. So the counselors are really there to help navigate and mitigate.

Suzanne: That’s awesome. So when a family meets with the counselor, what happens in that process?

Mallory Mixdorf: Lots of different things. I mean, really, a lot of times as the family is wrapping their head around the fact that this person is available to them. Like you said, in your experience, that wasn’t an option, you had to go outside. And so I think families are just learning about what the counselors do, what their role is, and how they can help, and what resources they can provide. So a lot of times it’s just a learning process for the families, to help support their loved ones best. And then a lot of times encouraging their loved ones to use the services of the counselor.

Suzanne: I can only think about a caregiver, family caregiver, how overwhelmed they may have felt before this time. And now they’re trying to — I remember them telling me when it was time for my mom, they said I don’t want you to come back for a week. Your mom needs to adjust the community, and it was hard for me to let go. I mean, that is very common as well. Is it not?

Mallory Mixdorf: It is. It is. And something that’s really special about our counselors is that we provide support groups for residents, and their families are welcome to attend the support groups, but really, the focus is on the residents. One of our support groups is actually a caregiver support group. So for a lot of those couples that come in, oftentimes one of the pair is the caregiver. So they can take the space away from the one that they care for. Sit with like minded folks and peers who are in a similar situation. They can learn from each other, they can talk, they can share stories in a space that feels safe.

Suzanne: And being able to know that you have a voice, it’s everything. It’s like when you guys talk a lot about your life enrichment programs, you meet with the residents and you ask them what they want to experience. They have a voice. And I think this is really amazing and that’s part of the ability that you have because you are locally owned and you’re managed and you have this footprint of — although you serve King County very well, you’re able to do these things because you have the ability to mobilize. And I think that’s one of the things that really makes you unique. It’s that intimate experience of knowing that wherever I am, I’m heard. And that’s, that’s an emotional need that’s so valuable. So how tell us a little bit, Mallory, about when you meet with the family, they can access your service any time pretty much?

Mallory Mixdorf: Yeah. So the counselors are available during business hours at our communities. But if families are looking for more of like a wrap around service that can provide extra support, we do have a program called Almost like Family.

Suzanne: That’s what I was gonna ask you.

Mallory Mixdorf: I’m happy to talk all about it, I love this. So it is an ancillary service that we do offer residents and families who are interested in something like this. It’s a case management program where residents or families can sign up and receive — There’s two prongs really to the program. One is companionship visits. So for residents who maybe their families, there’s a number of reasons why they may need companionship visits, maybe their families live far away, they’re busy, you know, our culture is very go go go. We don’t always have time for our families the way maybe we did decades ago. And so for residents who need that extra support to prevent isolation, which is, I’m sure you’ve heard is an epidemic in the the senior population. So to provide the service where we have staff, who are dedicated solely to this role, come in and spend time with residents and just engage them in things that bring those residents joy, whether it’s talking about their past, going on walks, joining the life enrichment activities together, kind of calling them, pulling them out of their apartments, getting them more engaged in the community. That’s the companionship aspect.

The other aspect is the medical escorts. So for residents who may need help getting to and from doctors appointments, don’t always know how to navigate the medical system, or for times when they, God forbid, have to go to the emergency department, we have someone on call 24/7 to help get them to their medical appointments, meet them at the hospital should they have a fall, or some other medical emergency, especially in those times when families aren’t available at the drop of a hat to drive an hour or two to the hospital.

Suzanne: And really, having somebody that can help ask the questions, or help facilitate things like that — also when I would leave a doctor’s appointment, my mom would say the doctor said this, I don’t understand what that meant. Having someone to be there with you through that process means everything. And it also helps in the care overall, the well-being physically as well.

Mallory Mixdorf: Absolutely. Yes. There have been studies that have shown that there’s significant improvements in the residents’ quality of life if they are engaged in programs like this, like you said, where they do have a better understanding of what actually happened in that doctor’s appointment. Follow up, helping them schedule for follow up, helping them understand, take notes for them, communicate to the family. So the families are in the loop, and just making sure they get to and from — a lot of times residents don’t have cars, they don’t know how to use Uber. And so we’re there to help them get to and from, so they don’t have to worry about that aspect.

Suzanne: And that’s so important, and I know that we may think as family members, we don’t even realize that the staff is here for us as well. And I think that’s the thing that is so important, that you guys are here to support the entire well-being of the family, and that’s something that’s really amazing. So how do we reach Era Living?

Mallory Mixdorf: Great question. There are a number of ways, but I would say the easiest two are to visit us at our website, which is www dot era living dot com, or you can follow us on Facebook.

Suzanne: Well, I’m very excited to have you, Mallory. And Era Living, everyone, has eight communities in Greater King County, most of them are just really close to — if you live in King County, you have a place to go. And these podcasts are for you, if you’ve ever wondered anything about senior living, this is going to be an amazing process as we explore different aspects behind the scenes and also coming forward of what to expect. And so we’re very excited to have you, Mallory, to explain a lot more about the process. Thank you so much for being on the show.
Health and Wellness at Era Living, Part 2
Sarah Chimbanga, Regional Director of Health and Wellness at Era Living, joins Suzanne. She’s based at their University House Wallingford community.

The number one question a family faces during a transition is whether they can trust the senior living community with the care of their loved one. The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services conducts DSHS Surveys to make sure the facilities are keeping the resident at the center, are following regulations that residents are well cared for. It lets them go through staff, records, and make sure they’re following the regulations. A team from DSHS comes through for three days. It’s a great resource for families, to look through these audits and see what are the findings. Era Living takes pride in their Survey results.

If a resident has been in independent living and they need to go into assisted living, Sarah talks about that situation. “We call it the transition. When a resident moves in independent, we talk about in the future, should you need assistance, the same care team that you see in the community will be ideally the same one that’s helping facilitate that transition. So any time a resident has a change in condition, and they are coming to us and saying I’m gonna need some assistance with, let’s say dressing, we sit down with the resident, we sit down with their family if they have family involved, or we sit down with your representative if they have a representative, we say what are some of the issues? What have been the changes? We also reach out to their provider to say, what are some of the changes? What are some of the health conditions that we can help manage? Using all of that information, we then put together a plan of care that best meets the needs of the resident at the time of the transition. And again, going back to our model for licensing, which is flexible licensing, most of the time it does not warrant a need for the resident to move out of their apartment. They have moved in independent, they’re now needing assistance, we’re able to bring that assistance to their current apartment.

“We really want to make sure that whenever safe and possible that we’re able to let our residents age in place. Sometimes just depending on the community and depending on the residents needs, we may be able to bring in additional resources that would help facilitate them. We know moving in is a big deal, and it’s a big stressor. So is the other flip side, needing to move out and find a new home, get used to a new care team. So we try to work with residents and families as much as we can while keeping the resident’s safety as primary. If we can bring in additional resources, then we’re willing to stretch and make sure that whatever we can do in-house, we do that.”

Transcript

Suzanne: And welcome back everyone to Answer for Elders Radio Network with Era Living. And I am having the wonderful privilege of talking to Sarah Chimbanga, who is the regional Director of Health and Wellness. Era Living has eight communities around King County of Greater Seattle. And we’re excited to have you guys being involved. And one of the things I think that families are always thinking about is there’s all kinds of places all over the place that you could potentially have your loved one be cared for. And I always say, Sarah, that the number one question in the back of everybody’s mind if they’re talking to a provider for a vulnerable loved one is, can I trust you? It’s that level of trust that knows that, when I walk out that door and go home to my life, is my loved one going to be well taken care of? And one of the ways in which I know, there’s an organization, the Washington State DSHS, Department of Social and Health Services, they provide what’s called surveys, state surveys to communities. We in the industry know all about them, but it isn’t necessarily something that the general public gets a chance to look at. And so, Sarah, I’m really glad you’re back, because I wanna talk about this topic. DSHS surveys, tell me a little bit about what goes on with those. I’m sure if they’re very involved, are they not?

Sarah Chimbanga: Only a little bit. (laughs)

Suzanne: Only a little bit. (laughs)

Sarah Chimbanga: Washington has about 170 regulations around assisted living. Like you mentioned, they also want to make sure that all the facilities in the state of Washington are actually keeping the resident in the center, and are actually providing the care as outlined, and also are following regulations to make sure that the residents that we’re serving are well cared for. So the DSHS survey is a way for DSHS to come into every single facility that they have given a license to, and go through all of our records, all of our staff, all of our resident care material, and compare that with 170+ regulations to make sure that we’re following each one of those. And doing that survey, they talk to residents, they talk to family, they talk to staff, they want to make sure that what we’re saying we’re doing, we’re actually doing. So I think it’s a really great resource for families, for residents that are looking to make the move to look at those surveys to say, of all the different audits that DSHS has conducted in the communities, what have been some of the findings, what have been some of the areas that community needs to work on.

It’s a really involved process, usually about three days that we have a team from DSHS coming in and reviewing records, talking to staff, talking to residents, talking to families. But it’s a great resource for us as well, because the care team, they get to find out, are we doing right by our residents? Are we following the regulations? So it’s pretty rare, considering the sheer number of regulations for us to have no findings. So that’s been one of the privileges of working for Era Living, is that we take a lot of pride in our communities, in our residents, and especially in the care that we provide, because any time the survey happens, we’re not needing to scramble, especially from day to day, making sure that we’re doing the right thing.

Suzanne: I think it’s also just making sure when you’re engaging in this process, it’s like what Stephen Coffey Covey talks about, sharpen the saw, it’s always making sure that your standards are as high as they possibly can be. And I think that’s something that either people can welcome the surveys and talk about them or they can work against the situation. And that is kind of an indicator to me, and it’s interesting because those of us in the industry, we know the communities that have high state surveys. I think it starts from just basically that attention to detail. It’s that attention to making sure that every single situation is well thought through, and that you’re mindful of everything. And I think that’s something that you guys do so well.

Now, obviously, when resident needs to move, let’s say, for example, they’ve been in independent living and they need to go into assisted living. What is that called? And how does they make that transition?

Sarah Chimbanga: So we actually call it what you just said, the transition. Usually if a resident is already a resident in our community as an independent living resident, a lot of the times we’ve already built rapport with the resident, we’ve created that relationship of trust which starts at the beginning, at the assessment, to say even when a resident moves in independent, we talk about in the future, should you need assistance, the same care team that you see in the community will be ideally the same one that’s helping facilitate that transition. So any time a resident has a change in condition, and they are coming to us and saying I’m gonna need some assistance with, let’s say dressing, we sit down with the resident, we sit down with their family if they have family involved, or we sit down with your representative if they have a representative, we say what are some of the issues? What have been the changes? We also reach out to their provider to say, what are some of the changes? What are some of the health conditions that we can help manage? Using all of that information, we then put together a plan of care that best meets the needs of the resident at the time of the transition. And again, going back to our model for licensing, which is flexible licensing, most of the time it does not warrant a need for the resident to move out of their apartment. They have moved in independent, they’re now needing assistance, we’re able to bring that assistance to their current apartment.

Suzanne: And that’s so valuable. If somebody’s entering assisted living, do you do the assessment two weeks after they move in as well? Just to make sure, or do you already know that, because they’re an existing resident?

Sarah Chimbanga: We do the two-week assessment. It’s kind of similar to the new move-in process. We may put together a really good plan of what we think work the best. And then once we actually start to provide that assistance, the resident or we may say, hey, we had talked about maybe doing dressing at eight o’clock. The resident may say, well, actually, I want to stay up later by dressing at nine o’clock. So we go back in two weeks later, see how have we been doing, has it been working for us to, let’s say, bring the medications to you, or has it been working for us to provide shower assistance in the afternoon? We don’t need to wait six months to make a change if we can do it in a week to week’s end.

Suzanne: Sure. And that’s a process that you’re dealing with everyone. Now, I’m gonna throw something at you. What if someone is living in one of your communities, and they have dementia, and you don’t have that category of care at that community. Are they able to go transition over to an other community providing there’s space available?

Sarah Chimbanga: One of the beautiful things about having eight communities, two of which have memory care, is we’re able to refer in-house. Once a month, sometimes even more than that, we get together across all eight communities and get to talk about each other and the services that we can and cannot provide. And so that’s a good opportunity for residents whose needs may have exceeded assisted living but needing memory care. So we’re able to say we use the same forms. I think it’s comforting for residents and families to say you’re gonna be within the same organization, the same process, the same level of care that they may have become accustomed to being provided, even as they make this move to memory care.

Suzanne: What happens when someone exceeds assisted living? Is it usually that if they have to be lifted out, they can’t transfer themselves. Is that what an indicator is? I’m trying to remember some of the indicators.

Sarah Chimbanga: Yeah, it varies. We really want to make sure that whenever safe and possible that we’re able to let our residents age in place. Sometimes just depending on the community and depending on the residents needs, we may be able to bring in additional resources that would help facilitate them. We know moving in is a big deal, and it’s a big stressor. So is the other flip side, needing to move out and find a new home, get used to a new care team. So we try to work with residents and families as much as we can while keeping the resident’s safety as primary. If we can bring in additional resources, then we’re willing to stretch and make sure that whatever we can do in-house, we do that before moving somebody out.

Suzanne: You’re so right on the stress factor of moving. It’s overwhelming, and certainly it goes to allowing husbands and wives to stay together. If someone’s needs are that far out, it’s nice to be able to bring things in from inside, you know, outside, so that you can remain together, intact, as a couple. And I think that’s life, that’s the most, the quality of life is definitely in focus of that. So Sarah, this is really interesting. So as far as the family involvement, when you’re assessing and making these assessments, you have the care team that’s usually working with the person that is the health care power of attorney, but usually can be with authority from the resident to work with, a son or daughter or a family friend or something like that. How do you determine who you work with?

Sarah Chimbanga: Yeah. So at the beginning, especially during the move-in assessment, we have forms that the resident fills out, and they can indicate if they do have a durable power of attorney. We want to make sure that as we’re moving them in, we also get copies of that, so that we make sure we’re protecting the residents information, and that we’re only involving the people that the resident has identified as a power of attorney, or as a resource for the care team. So any time a resident is moving in and it has a durable power of attorney or an advanced directive, we want to make sure we go through that. We want to make sure that even on our emergency forms, that every resident has, to say who are the people that you want us to connect with? Who are the people that you want us to include in those care conferences? Who are the people you want us to call when you have an emergency? So it’s really important from the get go, for the resident to identify here are the people that I want included in my care. And sometimes you may have maybe one family member designated as a durable power of attorney for health care, and another one might be designated for finances, and oftentimes because care translates to finances, we then have a conversation to say, can we include everyone when we have care conferences to make sure that we’re communicating appropriately.

Suzanne: Fabulous. Well, Sarah, it has been such an honor to have you with us this afternoon and discussing these important things. For each and every one of you who have been listening, I invite you to visit Era Living dot com. And we certainly would love to hear your feedback, and have you go take a tour of their communities, and listen to their podcasts, go to your favorite podcast channel and type in Answers for Elders and Era Living, it’ll be right there. Thank you again, Sarah for being with us today.

Sarah Chimbanga: Thank you for having me.
MorningStar at Laurelhurst in Portland, Part 2
Tiana Jackson and Kelaiah Erickson join Suzanne to talk more about MorningStar at Laurelhurst in Portland, Oregon, a brand new senior living and memory care community opening in spring 2023. This segment focuses on assisted living. Tiana and Kelaiah describe what a typical day is like for residents, services available, and the types of daily activities that are available through their comprehensive life enrichment program.

MorningStar at Laurelhurst is located at 3140 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97232. To learn more, visit the community’s website at or call (971) 248-7720. You can also hear more podcasts about MorningStar’s Oregon communities.
Supporting Families at Encore Communities at Laurel Cove
Pauline Smith, executive director of Encore Communities at Laurel Cove in Shoreline, Washington joins Suzanne to talk about how the community supports families of senior loved ones.

Encore Communities at Laurel Cove is located at 17201 15th Ave NE, Shoreline, WA 98155. Learn more at their website or call 206-364-9336.
Memory Care at Encore Communities at Laurel Cove
With high rates of Alzheimer’s in the state of Washington, Suzanne talks about memory care at Encore Communities at Laurel Cove in Shoreline, Washington with executive director Pauline Smith. She talks about memory care and the services provided for those with Alzheimer’s.

Encore Communities at Laurel Cove is located at 17201 15th Ave NE, Shoreline, WA 98155. Learn more at their website or call 206-364-9336.
Downsizing Help at Encore Communities at Laurel Cove
Working with seniors in their 70s or 80s who are considering downsizing to senior living. The thought of moving is unpleasant, especially for people who have lived in their home for a generation or move. Pauline Smith, executive director of Encore Communities at Laurel Cove in Shoreline, Washington joins Suzanne to talk about how Laurel Cove helps. With the senior, they help brainstorm through the process, they have community partners who help with downsizing, estate sales, packing, and moving, which helps a lot. Respite stays are available so all people have to do is pack a suitcase.

Encore Communities at Laurel Cove is located at 17201 15th Ave NE, Shoreline, WA 98155. Learn more at their website or call 206-364-9336.
Introducing Encore Communities at Laurel Cove
Pauline Smith, executive director of Encore Communities at Laurel Cove in Shoreline, Washington joins Suzanne to talk about Laurel Cove, an independent assisted living and memory care residence in one community. Starting out in skilled nursing as a caregiver, Pauline progressed to resident care coordinator and eventually executive director. They also talk about seniors in their 70s or 80s who are considering making a shift to senior living and reasons why they might make a move.

Encore Communities at Laurel Cove is located at 17201 15th Ave NE, Shoreline, WA 98155. Learn more at their website or call 206-364-9336.
Introducing Cadence Living, part 4
Tracey Harvey from Cadence Living joins Suzanne Newman to talk about a dynamic, new senior living community soon to open in Kent, Washington. Tracey is Regional Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Planning, Northwest for Cadence at Kent-Meridian. Think about all of the things you do in a day, whether it’s cleaning the house, cooking, driving to the store, shopping, planning paying bills. How many hours does that take each week? If you didn’t have to do those things, how would it improve the quality of your life?

If you were to move into a senior living community, how would your life change? The goal would be to tap into your passions, things you aspire to do, so that you can live your life in a meaningful way as you get older. For some, it’s being more active. For others, it’s having more friendships, or tapping into crafts not done in 20 years, or solitude, or gardening, or having someone else remember what medications their spouse/partner needs, or being able to go on outings with friends, or travel more often without having to drive, or having peace of mind. Don’t discount the benefits of security either, a consideration as we get older. Having a better quality of life is priceless.

A move-in special, a founder’s club membership, gives residents their birthday month free for two years, pet fees are waived, and the second person occupancy fee is waived the first year. Studio pricing starts at $3,150/month. Cadence at Kent-Meridian is located at 25035 104th Ave SE, Kent, WA 98030. Learn more at (253) 549-9300 or at their website.
Introducing Cadence Living, part 3
Tracey Harvey from Cadence Living joins Suzanne Newman to talk about a dynamic, new senior living community soon to open in Kent, Washington. Tracey is Regional Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Planning, Northwest for Cadence at Kent-Meridian. Tracy provides some considerations to keep in mind for seniors considering downsizing. It helps to actually visit a community, seeing all the departments and teams of people that help make it a value for your money, where you can have food prepared, housekeeping once a week, and transportation if you need it. Alumni of Kent-Meridian High School will like the dugout and outdoor patio overlooking their baseball field. Some balconies have a view of Mount Rainier.

Cadence also supports loved ones’ hobbies, ones that are important to mom or dad, and a calendar of events that they want to participate in. Adult children may think a view is important, or having fewer steps, but your loved ones might think an apartment layout is equally important, or they want it to be further down the hall to get in all their steps per day.

A move-in special, a founder’s club membership, gives residents their birthday month free for two years, pet fees are waived, and the second person occupancy fee is waived the first year. Studio pricing starts at $3,150/month. Cadence at Kent-Meridian is located at 25035 104th Ave SE, Kent, WA 98030. Learn more at (253) 549-9300 or at their website.
Introducing Cadence Living, part 2
Tracey Harvey from Cadence Living joins Suzanne Newman to talk about a dynamic, new senior living community soon to open in Kent, Washington. Tracey is Regional Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Planning, Northwest for Cadence at Kent-Meridian.

Cadence is geared for Kent, a middle class area. Cadence offers a great value in communities along with offering the services you’re looking for: 128 apartments, three levels, offering both independent living and assisted living, that allows people to age in place in the apartment they choose. Cadence has studios, one bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, all with high ceilings (12 feet on the first level, 10 feet on the second), full kitchens, a balcony with a view, and washer/dryer. Anytime-dining at a bistro offers a variety of foods. Senior wellness programs will be designed based on the interests of the residents, like in-tune fitness.

A move-in special, a founder’s club membership, gives residents their birthday month free for two years, pet fees are waived, and the second person occupancy fee is waived the first year. Studio pricing starts at $3,150/month. Cadence at Kent-Meridian is located at 25035 104th Ave SE, Kent, WA 98030. Learn more at (253) 549-9300 or at their website.
Introducing Cadence Living, part 1
Tracey Harvey from Cadence Living joins Suzanne Newman to talk about a new senior living community soon to open in Kent, Washington. Tracey is Regional Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Planning, Northwest for Cadence at Kent-Meridian.

Cadence brings a philosophy of vitality, fitness, and wellness, a resort-style living to seniors. Their innovative thinking attracted Tracey to the company. Active seniors looking for senior living. Socialization means more than we used to think – there’s a recognition that community is important. Vitality is actively aging and retaining mobility regardless of our ability, ways to maintain stamina and wellness, not just physical, also intellectual, vocational, occupational. It’s important we continue to crave that curiosity in life and don’t stop meaning. Cadence is now offering tours. Even if mom or dad isn’t ready yet, it’s a good idea to go and take a tour to see what could be, down the road. The most respectful thing you can do for your loved one is to include them in early planning. When or if, doesn’t mean it will happen, but at least you have a plan moving forward.

A move-in special, a founder’s club membership, gives residents their birthday month free for two years, pet fees are waived, and the second person occupancy fee is waived the first year. Studio pricing starts at $3,150/month. Cadence at Kent-Meridian is located at 25035 104th Ave SE, Kent, WA 98030. Learn more at (253) 549-9300 or at their website.
Dispelling myths about senior living, part 4
Whether regarding skilled care, skilled nursing, or memory care, especially during the pandemic myths have persisted about senior living.

This hour, Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living talked about the myths and realities of senior living. This segment focuses on family members who care for a senior loved one. It’s important to understand your role to make sure they have the best quality of life possible. Learn more about CarePartners Senior Living.
Dispelling myths about senior living, part 3
Whether regarding skilled care, skilled nursing, or memory care, especially during the pandemic myths have persisted about senior living.

In this segment Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living focuses on quality of life: what to expect in a senior living or assisted living community. It’s not what you might think, and there are a lot of preconceived ideas about skilled care. Nothing’s perfect, but if you’re a caregiver and it’s affecting you to where you can’t do it any more, or you’re in a situation where their needs are over your head, you’re not serving them by keeping them at home. They see people get better in assisted living, because they’re getting three home-cooked meals a day, getting their medications on time, there are people around – just having human contact adds to quality of life, rather than being isolated and just seeing your kids now and then. Getting them involved with a community their own age, where there are things happening and things to look forward to, improves their quality of life. Learn more about CarePartners Senior Living.
Dispelling myths about senior living, part 2
Whether regarding skilled care, skilled nursing, or memory care, especially during the pandemic myths have persisted about senior living.

In this segment Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living explains that the general public’s impression of senior living is based on folklore. People think their mom will move in and be isolated, as when you changed schools as a kid. But that’s not giving the communities enough credit. A lot of communities have ambassadors that introduce your mom to new people. That’s why you fill out a social assessment – for instance if she’s from Norway they might sit her with someone from Norway. A lot of communities put their residents first, with activities, and have a way of making sure the residents are entertained throughout the day. There’s something for everyone. Learn more about CarePartners Senior Living.
Dispelling myths about senior living, part 1
Whether regarding skilled care, skilled nursing, or memory care, especially during the pandemic myths have persisted about senior living.

In this hour, Suzanne Newman talks with Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living about myths heard all the time about senior care. We remember great-grandma or great-grandpa being in nursing homes, which weren’t pleasant places. They don’t exist any more — skilled nursing has taken over, and it doesn’t look the same as it did even five or ten years ago. If you don’t know anybody in assisted living, if you’ve never been to an assisted living facility, you don’t know what actually happens. Skilled nursing now is more like a rehab center that need 24-hour care not appropriate for a hospital setting. People don’t realize that things like therapy dog visits and music therapy are available, providing a quality of life — they don’t even know that it exists. Learn more about CarePartners Senior Living.
Alzheimer’s Disease and CarePartners Cottages, with Jill Martinez
Jill Martinez, director of community relations for CarePartners Living, discusses Alzheimer’s disease and CarePartners cottages.
North End senior communities with Jill Martinez
Jill Martinez, director of community relations for CarePartners, discusses their Seattle-area North End communities.
More About Koelsch Senior Living Communities
Cheryl Guenther and Terri Wilson at Koelsch Senior Living Communities talk more about their organization.
Koelsch Senior Living Communities and the 2020 Discovery Conference
Cheryl Guenther and Terri Wilson talk about Koelsch Senior Living Communities, the presenting sponsor for Discovery 2020 in the Linwood Convention Center on April 1. They will introduce Benjamin Surmi, a fantastic speaker.
Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care, with Kelley Smith
Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living discusses Alzheimer’s and Dementia care in Washington state. They provide support groups for family caregivers, a safe place where they can talk about caregiving. We also do family nights and respites, even for early onset seniors. If we do an assessment and they’re not a good fit for us, we’ll refer them to the right service.