If you just Google retirement communities near me, you’re bound to come across a ton of search results. However, what makes assisted living promising? In this post, we look at some of the best long-standing facilities that have managed to offer exceptional assisted living services for seniors year after year.
But, let’s look at what exactly is an assisted living facility. It’s where a senior receives help with activities such as housekeeping, medication, meals, dressing up, etc. A typical community can be both small and large, standalone, corporate, or privately-owned.
However, all of them offer some level of assistance to aging seniors who find it hard to manage things like bathing, cooking, and toileting.
With that said, here are some of the best assisted living facilities in the US -
Parsons House Preston Hollow
Situated in Dallas, Texas, Parsons House is a family-owned and operated senior living. It offers varying levels of assistance to seniors. This includes respite care, assisted living, and independent living. The facility is ideal for people who currently do not need a lot of help but might as they age and would need better access to more resources.
Parsons House currently operates 5 different buildings across Texas. All of these units are pet-friendly; all equipped with assisted living arrangements.
Below are some of the amenities you can expect here -
● Fitness center
● Housekeeping services
● A dedicated park for dogs
● Fitness classes
● Restaurant-style dining
● Walking paths
● Etc.
The assisted living center also organizes planned activities. For outings that are often organized, there’s transportation available. To keep the residents occupied, there are a ton of activities to partake in. For medical care, many hospitals are available nearby.
The average cost of living at Parsons House is close to $3,628. This is much lower than what it costs, on average, to live in Dallas. This cost may increase as the level of care required increases.
According to online reviews, the staff is inviting and caring. The property is well-maintained and the grounds are beautiful. What’s more, Texas is one of the best places to retire due to the availability of high-quality healthcare, income tax benefits, additional tax exemptions for seniors, and availability of medicare physicians.
Pacifica Senior Living Escondido
Situated in sunny California, Pacifica Senior Living in Escondido is a modernized assisted living facility. This boutique-style senior care offers a combination of memory care as well as assisted living. In terms of living situation, there are one-bedroom and studio apartments available.
The facility is spread across 4 acres of groups which means there’s plenty of room to walk around and relax in an outdoorsy setting.
The list of services provided at Pacifica Senior Living are following -
● Weekly housekeeping
● Movie theatre
● Hair salon
● Library
● Huge dining rooms
● Tons of weekly social activities
On the downside, however, there is no fitness center or swimming pool which most senior living facilities have. Staff is available round-the-clock to help with medication, daily tasks, mobility, and activities of daily living (ADLs).
One of the best things about living in this Escondido-based facility is that it is eligible for California Assisted Living Waiver. The facility is also RCFE-approved.
That means, residents can use Medi-Cal funds to pay partially for the nursing care they receive. However, they must be eligible to require home-level nursing care; otherwise, this facility is not guaranteed.
According to online reviews, the buildings are clean, well-maintained, and the staff seems caring/attentive.
Pacifica Senior Living is also the winner of the 2021 ‘Best of Senior Living’ award.
Brookdale Spruce Wood, New Hampshire
Situated in Durham, New Hampshire, Brookdale Spruce Wood is a senior living facility ideal for those who need access to varying levels of care that keeps changing with advancing age. There are a decent number of amenities available.
It’s a cross between skilled care nursing, memory care, and assisted living services. That means, with changing situations, you can also change your living situation. On top of that, residents also get to pick from hospice and home healthcare services.
Here are the amenities you can expect -
● Library
● Courtyard and a garden
● Guest suites
● Barbershop
● Game room
● Etc.
Brookdale Spruce Wood regularly conducts several activities to encourage friendship and socialization among all the residents. What’s more, all the residents get supplies like toiletry items and goods of everyday needs delivered right at the doorsteps so that residents don’t have to go shopping anywhere else.
Therefore, the level of personal care is excellent.
However, if you like going out and about, you can always hit the town which is located only a few miles from Durham. The monthly cost of living at Brookdale Spruce Wood could be anywhere between $800 - $7,725 if you choose to live in an apartment.
Online reviews for the facility sound promising. The majority of them talk highly about the quality of care provided.
Chevy Chase House
Specializing in assisted living communities, Chevy Chase House is an upscale residential neighborhood situated in North West, Washington. This is a highly popular hospitality-driven facility that is also a hub of cultural and social events that residents can enjoy. If you could slam urban attributes with the feel of a small town, Chevy Chase House would be the result.
The community was recently renovated and houses full-sized apartments for residents to enjoy. The lifestyle is maintenance-free which is ideal for those who want to enjoy an upscale, comfortable living environment.
Moving on to the floor plan, you can expect a studio layout with one-bedroom schemes to pick from.
In terms of dining services, Chevy Chase House offers the finest dining experience you will ever get; particularly in Washington, D.C senior living. The facility is designed in such a way that residents get the freedom to pursue and engage in their own passions. Other highlights include historic museums and the National Mall all minutes away from the facility.
Holiday Retirement
Holiday Retirement is one of the oldest senior living companies which was founded by William E. Colson in 1971 with his father. It’s also one of the few luxury assisted living communities in the US. Initially, it was a holiday management company that later transitioned into senior living. As of right now, it manages over 240 retirement communities.
More than 25,000 senior residents are living with Holiday Retirement all across the US. With such promise, it’s clear that the facility is one of the largest independent senior living communities in the country.
In terms of living arrangements, the facility offers both cottages and private apartments. Also, this is not so much an assisted living or nursing home community, as it's an independent retirement living facility.
Therefore, you should not expect things like help with eating, dressing, medication, bathing, or help with ADLs. However, Holiday Retirement does offer health care services from its collaboration with other hospitals to meet medical care needs.
The residents of Holiday Retirement support a ton of fundraiser and local drives such as -
● Buddy Bear Program
● Toys for Tots
● American Red Cross
● Local food banks
● Police
● Fire
● Veteran causes
● Senior centers
● The Humane Society
● etc.
Many of the war veterans are residents at Holiday Retirement. The facility happens to be a founding partner of the Library of Congress for Veteran History Projects that collects personal war accounts of veterans and preserves them.
Owing to the stellar performance of the company, Holiday Retirement was awarded in 2007 by ICAA (International Council on Active Aging).
Bottom Line
Hopefully, after reading this post you will get an inkling of what to expect from a quality assisted living facility. You should also now have an easier time choosing the right one.