As you get older, you may find it difficult to maintain your home and handle some of your personal care needs. Assisted living appeals to those who do not need 24-hour nursing care, but need some help with daily activities. Assisted living communities help seniors see to some of these everyday needs while allowing them a measure of independence not possible in a nursing home. They also encourage health and wellness, keeping seniors active and alert. If you are in the Woodinville, Washington area, you have your choice of these types of facilities.
Facilities
Fairwinds-Brittany Park and The Creekside are retirement communities offering assisted living services in Woodinville. Both facilities offer a trained staff to see to residents' needs. These facilities provide private apartment-style living for couples or singles. Typically, assisted living facilities come unfurnished and are in two- to three-story buildings, similar to many apartment complexes.
Services
Typical assisted living services include bathing and toilet assistance, grooming, dressing and medication management. For some seniors, these tasks become difficult to manage on their own. The assisted living programs in Woodinville offer trained workers to help accomplish these tasks, while maintaining as much of residents' independence as possible.
Amenities
Assisted living facilities vary from one to another as to what amenities they offer. The Creekside provides a washer, dryer, cable and full kitchen in every apartment. It allows up to two pets to live with their owners for an additional fee. Both The Creekside and Fairwinds provide housekeeping and laundry services and a restaurant-style dining room for meals. Fairwinds even offers a concierge service to arrange appointments and reservations for residents.
Activities
Assisted living facilities provide plenty of activities to keep residents active and engaged. The Creekside provides a library and meeting room for residents. It also schedules throughout the week, such as bingo, Mah Jongg, movie nights and Wii games. Fairwinds offers escorted group travel services for its residents. It also offers learning programs such as Seniors Making Art, where residents learn to paint, draw and sculpt.
Wellness
The main focus of assisted living is keeping residents well so that they can live life to its fullest. Both Fairwinds and The Creekside offer programs to keep seniors fit and healthy. The PrimeFit program at Fairwinds combines activities such as sports, low impact exercise and aquatics to help seniors stay strong. The Creekside's Active Living encourages members to get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day.
Cost
According to Met Life's Mature Market study in 2008, the average monthly cost of nursing home and assisted care living was $2,799. The individual costs vary per facility and usually require a direct inquiry to get specifics. However, it is important to keep in mind the services included in the monthly price of your assisted living apartment. The Creekside even provides a cost comparison sheet so that you can tally your current expenses in comparison to The Creekside's fee. For example, the monthly fee to stay at The Creekside may be higher than your mortgage, but you do not have to pay for property taxes, utilities, food and maintenance. For many, assisted living works out to be comparable to what they already pay for these expenses and may even save some seniors money.
