Independent 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?

Independent 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

Independent Living Radio Show Segments

Senior Living Residents: A Day in the Life
This segment delves into the day in the life of a senior living resident, having a sense of purpose every day so they can feel like they’re a vibrant member of a community that is supporting them. It looks at how Chateau Retirement Communities integrates and sustains care to make sure that residents’ quality of life is as great as possible. Nicole Bosancu and Amanda Krueger join Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders podcast, recorded onsite at Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Washington. Nicole is Heath Services Director at the Chateau at Valley Center community in Renton, Washington. Amanda is Vice President of Health Services.

Nicole explains, “We really rely on our housekeeping and culinary staff, because it really takes a team. We might have a resident who’s a little more independent, so housekeeping will come and say, ‘Hey, Nicole, this person didn’t come down, we haven’t seen them in a couple of days either in the dining room, or I went in their apartment and it seems like they need a little bit more help.’ So that we can go in and then either have a care conference or talk with them and [ask] what do you need from us to make sure you’re taking care of.”

Nicole says, “If they fall, they can push their call button and the staff can come. But we also have a new AUGi system that is like a motion detector. So somebody falls, it sends us an alert that we can go in and right away.

Amanda adds, “One of our mottos is happier, healthier, longer. And so with this new AUGi technology, it’s very proactive and that it can hopefully give motion alerts to the team before that resident even has a fall. So that way we’re hoping to prevent a fall that could potentially be detrimental if it turns into an injury fall. So it’s an amazing technology and we’re excited to have it in our communities.”

Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington’s Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit them online at https://www.chateauretirement.com or call 800.960.1944.

Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks.
Culture and Care Model for Senior Living
This segment discussed senior care options, and the different ways that loved ones join a senior living community like Chateau Retirement Communities. Laura Smith and Amanda Krueger join Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders podcast talk about the Chateau Retirement care model. Laura is Health Services Director at Chateau Pacific. Amanda is Vice President of Health Services. This show was recorded onsite at Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Washington.

Laura says, “We are very fortunate to have the number of nurses that we have in our buildings… The benefit that I see from having so many nurses is that we get to know our residents on a more individualized basis, and then we get to know little details about their lives that guide the way we care for them.

Amanda adds, “Really getting to know our residents is very important. In fact, one of the stories that we have recently is that we learned from a family member, or [possibly] a staff member, that a resident was having a hard time showering, getting into the shower and agreeing to that. And they found that offering her a banana before the shower allowed her to forget about the process. And [then] she was able to take the shower without any any behaviors, and never refused to shower after that point. And, making sure that gets to the service plan, so all the staff then learn of that.”

Laura says, “We have families that don’t see necessarily what we see, because their loved one may act differently when they’re around, or they’ve maybe had some walls up that they let down and they have a little bit of dementia or whatnot. So we do see things that the families don’t see, so we do have to sit down and and have those conversations, this is what Mom’s doing lately. Her mom’s not wanting to necessarily go out to activities. Let’s figure this out. So we do like to have families come in and talk about these things. We want people to be able to live their best lives that they possibly can here, and have that quality.”

Suzanne noticed a vibrancy about the culture at Chateau Pacific that has a lot to do with the overall view of how they treat people. Laura says, “Our philosophy here is that we are privileged to work in their home. This is their home, and we get the privilege to work here. So we’re serving them. They’re not here for us, we’re here for them.”

Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington’s Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit them online at https://www.chateauretirement.com or call 800.960.1944.

Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks.
Criteria for Excellent Senior Living
Amanda Krueger joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders podcast to talk about senior living, recorded on site at Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Washington. Amanda is Vice President of Health Services, and oversees the health and care provided at Chateau Retirement Communities.

Amanda says, “We are a family owned small business. And it’s very much our philosophy that’s carried on then within our our communities. We believe in letting residents live life on their terms. We treat them with dignity, respect, compassion – when we do need to come into their home and assist them in their daily living. And then we also believe in treating the staff the best we can because it’s going to trickle down that if we take care of our staff, they’ll take care of our residents. And so those two platforms are something we really strongly believe in, and it’s just carried forward for over 25 years now.”

“Maybe dad has Alzheimer’s and mom doesn’t. Well, they can both live here. We have that quite often, where one spouse is living independently or even with assisted living, and then their spouse is safely in memory care. And [there’s] peace of mind knowing they’re okay and they’re not going to wander off, or anything like that, and being with them during the day to connect with them in that way.”

“Our assessment is based on an individual service plan. So we meet the needs, we assess the resident, each individually at various times in the year, if there’s a change of condition or annually at minimum, and then whatever that resident needs, we are able to provide. And so from there we have levels, but each person’s level and what they do could be different because of what that need is for the resident. It makes the care plan sometimes different for the staff to learn. But we’re making sure that that is exactly what the resident needs, and that’s what’s really important.”

Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington’s Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit them online at https://www.chateauretirement.com or call 800.960.1944.

Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks.
All About Life Plan Communities
Joan Rettmann from Transforming Age joins Suzanne to talk about life plan communities and what they offer residents. Joan says, “A lot of different terms are used in the industry, and this is a classic example of where things get confusing. A life plan community is really an umbrella term that covers independent communities that have additional care levels available, such as assisted living, memory support, and normally skilled nursing as well.

“That term ‘life plan’ is actually replacing, if you will, the term CCRC, or continuing care retirement communities. So they can really be used interchangeably now. Within that umbrella of life plan or CCRCs, there are various models that differ from one another — different contracts such as a type A life care, a type B modified, or a type C fee for service.”

Transforming Age is a nonprofit organization committed to improving the lives of older adults by integrating housing, community services, technology, philanthropy, and partnerships. The Transforming Age network of affiliates offers high quality housing communities in great locations including Continuing Care Retirement Communities, Active Adult, Affordable Housing, Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Support and Skilled Nursing.

* Transforming Age website
* Hear more podcasts about discovering senior living

Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network. Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks.
Benefits of Moving to Independent Living Communities
Somebody comes into independent living in a retirement community. What does it offer? Generally it takes care of housekeeping, provides meals, and lots of social activities. Joan Rettmann from Transforming Age joins Suzanne to summarize the various offerings.

Joan says, “One of the things that a lot of people appreciate most is a release from some of the domestic responsibilities, like housekeeping for instance. Not having to do that is quite appealing to a lot of folks. There’s always a meal plan. So it’s not surprising that food is oftentimes towards the top of the list. Various meal plans are offered; sometimes it might be one meal a day included, or potentially up to three. The third key area would be in terms of the activities that are offered, or lifestyle events that are offered in a community. So that might be lectures, seminars, fitness classes, those kinds of things.

“If it’s one that’s just independent living, and there aren’t additional care levels available, it’s usually on the lighter side with meal services. So it might be one meal a day that’s included. Housekeeping may not be as frequent as, say, in communities that offer additional levels of care. There might be a great activities calendar, but it might not be quite as robust as the other models. Regardless of what option you’re looking for, it’s good to compare to make sure those differences become very clear.”

* Transforming Age website
* Hear more podcasts about discovering senior living

Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network. Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks.
55+ Retirement Living Options
The term ‘retirement community’ covers a lot of different types of options, some with care, some without care. Joan Rettmann from Transforming Age joins Suzanne to talk about what they all mean.

Joan says, “There are a lot of terms that are used out there in the industry. The first step may potentially be one that falls in the category of 55 plus, starting with a younger age group. A lot of times those communities can be designed in an apartment-like complex. They can be more of a campus-like setting or a town home. Some folks choose that option if they’re ready to have a little bit of a lower maintenance lifestyle, but still have it feel most similar to the situation that they had been living in. They typically come with some sort of a community space too. Maybe it’s a specific building designed for that, or there are common areas, central areas for people to come together and enjoy that social experience without necessarily all of the maintenance responsibilities of their former home.”

If you’re looking to retire or downsize, ask yourself some key questions. Joan says, “Regardless of age, sometimes a lot of folks assume that, they have to wait till a certain age to consider it. Or that’s a goal that they have in mind. Rather than looking at a number, look at other things. Ask yourself some other important questions. First of all, ‘Do I have any health diagnosis that might I might need care within the next year or two?’ Then that might tell you, maybe I’ll focus on communities that have care services built in as part of it, instead of ones that are independent only.

“Next would be: ‘What are my goals? What do I want? What would be my expectations when looking at a community?’ For some people, the socialization piece is top on their list. Maybe where they’re living right now, that piece is missing. So they want that piece, which is really common in retirement communities. Other people are more private by nature, so what’s more important to them would be the types of care available. If something changes in the future, maybe they’re more focused on certain amenities. A big reader will want to make sure they have a great library. Or a pool, or other things that I want to do more independently. So the amenities can be part of it. But definitely think about what’s important to you in the long term as well. If something changes down the road, how comfortable am I with the the plan for the services that may or may not?”

* Transforming Age website
* Hear more podcasts about discovering senior living

Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network. Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks.
Low-Maintenance Lifestyles in Independent Living
Joan Rettmann from Transforming Age joins Suzanne to talk about various independent living retirement options. People are starting to explore senior living options at an earlier age. We’re seeing a shift to people in their 60s and early 70s, people looking to improve their quality of life. What seems like a forever home could get in the way of other priorities. Retirement communities can provide low-maintenance lifestyles with more social opportunities.

Joan says, “The use of technology has changed, become more and more important. You’ll see that play out in a lot of different ways in retirement communities. One that stands out to me that’s most fun is in one of our communities, Madison Park. They use innovation in the form of robots as dining servers, to provide more opportunity for the dining team to kind of be front and center and more personal with the residents. These adorable little robots named Salt and Pepper are running back and forth from the kitchen to deliver food. Residents love it. Residents were involved in naming the robots. They’re fun topics of conversation. When grandkids come in, they want to make sure they get to see the robots. So that’s a lot of fun, but also just in the design of building. Juanita Bay will be lead certified to become one of the greenest communities in the nation. So a lot of great changes and and a lot of great changes evolving with technology.”

Transforming Age is a nonprofit organization committed to improving the lives of older adults by integrating housing, community services, technology, philanthropy, and partnerships. The Transforming Age network of affiliates offers high quality housing communities in great locations including Continuing Care Retirement Communities, Active Adult, Affordable Housing, Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Support and Skilled Nursing.

* Transforming Age website
* Hear more podcasts about discovering senior living

Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network. Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks.
Community Commitment at Cadence Kent-Meridian
Suzanne talks with Tracey Harvey at at Cadence Kent-Meridian in Kent, Washington. Everything they do from a life engagement perspective, they have some wonderful signature programs. Life engagement team members customize a program to meet the needs of residents. Learn more about Cadence Kent-Meridian and Tracey Harvey.
Meet Chef Ray at Cadence Kent-Meridian
Suzanne talks with Tracey Harvey and Chef Ray Canos, Culinary Director at Cadence Kent-Meridian in Kent, Washington. Ray runs the dining program and provides an overview of meals at the community. For example, on the day the interview was recorded, breakfast was Eggs Benedict and the soup of the day was bean and bacon. Lunch was chicken quesadillas with homemade guacamole, homemade fresh corn salsa. Dinner was Chinese themed: grilled chicken teriyaki with jasmine rice, beef and broccoli with noodles, steamed bok choy and sauteed cabbage, with homemade lemon blueberry cake for dessert. Learn more about Cadence Kent-Meridian and Tracey Harvey.
Meet Resident Services Director Navdeep at Cadence Kent-Meridian
Suzanne talks with Tracey Harvey and Resident Services Director Navdeep K. at Cadence Kent-Meridian in Kent, Washington. Navdeep oversees the health and wellness and assisted living at the community. Learn more about Cadence Kent-Meridian and Tracey Harvey.
Senior Living in Your 60s: Cadence Kent-Meridian
From studios, to one bedrooms and two bedroom apartments, Cadence Kent-Meridian in Kent, Washington is now open for residents. Suzanne talks with Tracey Harvey, Regional Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Planning, Northwest, about this shift in senior living. People want to have control, pursue their passions, and if they can, downsizing and making retirement plans. Learn more about Cadence Kent-Meridian and Tracey Harvey.
How to Keep Active at Cadence Living
Tracey Harvey from Cadence Living in Kent, Washington joins Suzanne Newman to talk about transitions to maintain health and vitality for our senior loved ones. Making a transition now, before a crisis or illness, puts more power and control into their equation. Active aging with key amenities helps seniors warm to the idea. Quality of life, vibrancy, vitality, and fitness are key focuses now, to manage wellness over illness in a holistic way. Stepping through and learning more about living in a community like this helps us stay engaged.

Right now area seniors 60+ can join Cadence’s In-Tune Tuesdays fitness class. 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 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.
Types of Retirement Living with Lynn Creasy
Lynn Creasy at Foundation House at Northgate describes the types of retirement living. Some people can be well off in their own home if they’re social and healthy, but others may want to look at other options, if they’re lonely and their chores aren’t getting done. When it feels too much to mow the lawn and cook, it may be time to consider downsizing and settle affairs, and find a community that respects that. In the 5-10 years before people are ready to move, Foundation House acts as an information resource.
Overview of Foundation House at Northgate with Lynn Creasy
Lynn Creasy provides an overview of Foundation House at Northgate, a not-for-profit independent living and assisted living community with 104 units established 22 years ago.
Special Veterans Services with Ken Farmer
Ken Farmer at Careage leads talks about retired military veterans, veterans elder care, elder care, assisted living, independent living, memory care, and the military lifestyle.
Retirement Living with Kathleen Beers
As people are looking for a retirement community for their parents, find out the level of care they can provide. Every time a loved one moves, there is a decline in that person, so you want to find the right fit so they don’t have to move again. There are family dynamics, financial considerations, and dealing with the actual care plan. A conversation with Patriot’s Glen‘s Kathleen Beers at Careage about retirement living.