Massachusetts has more than 200 assisted-living residences as of 2010. The Massachusetts Assisted Living Facilities Association states that the facilities "serve the fastest growing segment of our population -- people aged 85 years and older." Such residences offer assistance with day-to-day activities of living, such as bathing, eating, medication, cleaning, basic nursing and transportation. Whereas nursing homes can seem institutional, many people chose assisted-living residences for the independent, home-like atmospheres they retain.
Types
Massachusetts has different types of assisted-living programs; for instance, some programs offer specialized support to dementia and Alzheimer's patients, such as the Compass on the Bay Memory Support Assisted Living, which has facilities in South Boston, West Concord, Methuen, Hopkinton and Dorchester. Other programs, such as Plymouth Crossings, offer a range of on-site social and cultural activities. Some facilities, such as Beaumont Rehab and Skilled Nursing in Natick, offer short-term rehabilitative stays. When choosing a program, seniors and their loved ones should consider their specific physical mental, and social needs.
Cost
Costs vary by location and program, but the Executive Office of Elder Affairs estimates that the average cost of assisted living was over $3,000 a month as of 2010. Most residents pay privately. Medicaid does fund a program called Group Adult Foster Care, which covers the cost of activities-of-daily-living services such as cooking, transportation and cleaning. A senior eligible for Medicaid may also qualify for an additional $1,000 per month Social Security rent subsidy. Not all assisted-living residences accept these funds, however. Some assisted-living residences, such as those in the elderCHOICE program, reserve a portion of apartments for low-income individuals.
Regulations
The National Center for Assisted Living's 2010 Assisted Living State Regulatory Review states that, in Massachusetts, "an assisted living residence is any entity that provides room and board and personal care services for three or more adults and collects payments from or on behalf of residents for the provision of assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs)."
The report goes on to detail major requirements of Massachusetts assisted-living residences. At least one employee must be present 24 hours a day, and personal care attendants must be registered nurses, certified home health aides or complete 54 hours of training. A unit may contain a maximum of two residents, and facilities must provide at least one regularly scheduled meal per day. Also, a residence must fully disclose its policies, rules, terms, staff roles and patient rights to potential residents and their representatives before any exchange of money.
Complaint Procedure
The Assisted Living Ombudsman Program, run by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs, offers mediator services to anyone wishing to bring a complaint against an assisted-living residence. Complaints -- filed by an individual resident, a group of residents or anybody concerned on their behalf -- may cover anything from simple violations to serious human rights concerns.
Resources
In Massachusetts, individuals searching for an assisted-living facility can contact the Executive Office of Elder Affairs or the nonprofit Massachusetts Assisted Living Facilities Association (Mass-ALFA), which dedicates itself to the assisted-living needs of elders. Every year, Mass-ALFA publishes a free consumer resource guide for Massachusetts assisted-living programs, and its website offers an easy-to-search residence directory.
References
- Mass-ALFA: What is Assisted Living?
- National Center for Assisted Living: Assisted Living State Regulatory Review 2010
- Executive Office of Elder Affairs: Assisted Living Program Overview
- Executive Office of Elder Affairs: Cost for the Assisted Living Program
- Executive Office of Elder Affairs: Assisted Living Ombudsman
