When space is available, Kensington-Evergreen communities offer respite stays. A respite stay is a short-term (non-permanent) stay that could range from a few days to a few weeks to a few months!

People choose this option for several reasons. First, it’s great following a medical procedure before a transition back home. Second, it’s great for seniors whose family members may be providing close care, but need to work, travel or take a break from providing care. It’s also a wonderful way to try senior living on for size! A short stay allows you to try out living as a resident of our community before you commit to a long-term decision.

All short term guests benefit from our homelike communities and get personalized attention from our caring staff. The price of a respite stay can vary based on community, but generally averages around $250 per 24-hour period. The cost includes home cooked meals, snacks, life-enriching activities and outings. If enhanced care (such as one-one-one care) or transportation to appointments is needed, additional costs may apply. For short stays, a furnished apartment can be provided. For longer stays, our community may be able to move your own bedroom furniture for free! Respite stays in a Kensington-Evergreen community are based on space and availability.

Considering a respite stay? Contact us to learn more.

Unlike many health conditions, which tend to develop or at least come to light all at once, dementia comes on gradually, and the signs can be confusing and easy to miss. The dementia symptoms that most people find familiar – memory loss, confusion and disorientation – are not the only signs that someone may be developing Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia. 

Dementia symptoms can also include delusions, agitation, sleeplessness, and extreme personality changes that can profoundly affect what your family member needs from their living situation. Whether your loved one is living independently, in assisted living, or with you, you may begin to feel that they have specialized needs that aren’t being met. If this sounds like what you’re feeling, it may be time to investigate whether your loved one could benefit from a community that offers memory care. Often, experienced staff who are well trained to provide care for patients with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia is a good solution for many families. The Kensington in Hastings, Nebraska, and The Kensington in Fort Madison, Iowa, both provide in-house memory care in addition to assisted living services. But regardless of whether our communities offer memory care in-house, our Directors and Senior Living Consultants can help point you in the right direction, so you can find the best fit for your loved one.

Here are a few early warning signs it’s time to consider moving your loved one to memory care.

You worry about them constantly.

People with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and memory loss may become confused, wander and/or become agitated very easily. This can put them into all sorts of situations that could endanger their health and safety. When evaluating your loved one’s safety, look inward and reflect. How often each day do you worry about them, check on them, or make a call regarding their safety or whereabouts? If it’s a lot, you may have some decisions to make. 

Their personal hygiene is suffering.

It’s not easy to talk about body odor, but it can provide one of the top clues that your loved one is losing the ability to care for themself. Look for other changes in appearance as well, such as unwashed or wrinkled clothes, or putting clothes on backwards or inside out. You may notice that grooming practices that were once important to them are no longer happening. If your father, formerly clean-shaven, starts looking stubbly, he may be forgetting to shave or even how to shave. If your formerly well-coiffed mother begins to look shaggy, she may be missing or forgetting to make her hair appointments. Granted, changes to businesses that are open to COVID-19 has caused many folks to neglect regular hair appointments, but if this is something that has always been important to them, they will likely express frustration that they no longer have these resources. If they don’t seem to care about their appearance any longer, there may be an issue.

They are not properly taking care of their health.

When someone has memory loss, one of the first of their care needs to take a nose-dive is medication management. Failing to take prescribed medications on schedule – or taking too much  or too little – can lead to serious health problems. Chronic conditions can worsen rapidly if Alzheimer’s interferes with your loved one’s ability to manage treatment. They may miss regular appointments with their physician or dentist. Dementia may also affect your loved one’s ability to prepare and eat a nutritious diet. You may notice food on the counter that should have been refrigerated, or that that the food in their fridge has expired or gone bad – and they’re still eating it. They may even be skipping meals altogether. 

You notice unexplained physical changes.

Weight changes, frailty, hunched posture, and moving with difficulty can all indicate that one’s ability to navigate the world is declining. Your loved one may be losing weight because they forget to eat, or they may be gaining weight because they forget they’ve already eaten and then eat again. Hunched posture and moving slowly can be signs of being unsure – do they know where they are going?

Their living conditions have become unusual.

Whether your loved one lives independently or in senior living, check their physical environment whenever you can. If you notice burn or scorch marks, mold or water damage, it may provide important clues to their mental state. Memory loss makes it much more likely that someone will leave the oven on or drop a dishtowel on top of a burner and not notice the smoke. Or leave the bathtub water running and cause a flood. Even spills that haven’t been wiped up suggest loss of attention. 

If you’re concerned about your loved one and think it may be time to explore memory care, reach out to a Kensington-Evergreen community. Our team is ready to answer your questions and help you make the right decision for your loved one. Contact us today.

“How much does does it cost?” is usually the first question people ask about assisted living, and it’s an important one, to be sure. But getting a simple answer is, well, not so simple.

Senior assisted living costs depend on several factors:

• The choices you make regarding services, amenities and type or size of apartment.
• Health care needs and how they will be met.
• The type of pricing structure offered by the provider.

That third factor can make it difficult to compare senior living providers. While some charge a flat rate that includes everything, even when health care needs change, most charge a monthly base rate plus extra fees for various services.

Then there are three main ways to assess those extra fees: 1) Unbundling and charging for each individual service rendered, or “a la carte”; 2) assigning a point value for individual services, then grouping the point totals into different price levels, or “levels of care”; or 3) charging for a set list of services, then adding more bundled services as needed for incremental or “tiered” rates.

How do you compare options?

If you’re looking at more than one senior living option – and you should – be sure to ask a lot of questions. Visit several communities and pay attention to how they make you feel. In addition to gathering information about pricing, amenities and service options at different facilities, compare them to what the same level of care or service would cost if it were provided in your current, at-home situation.

A Senior Living Consultant or Director at each Kensington-Evergreen community can help you understand the community’s pricing structure and answer all questions you have.

Who pays?

Assisted living licensure is regulated on the state level, and regulations vary from state to state. The only government subsidy available for assisted living is through the Medicaid Waiver program, which is also determined by each state; the subsidy amount and how it’s administered varies, as well. Many providers choose not to participate in the Medicaid Waiver program, especially if the reimbursement rate from the state does not cover the cost to provide services. For this reason, assisted living is primarily a private pay industry.

However, some of our Kensington-Evergreen residences do accept residents who qualify for a Medicaid Waiver-funded program. To what extent depends on the state, so be sure to ask the Director or Senior Living Consultant.

Are there financial assistance options?

Most folks pay for senior living through a combination of fixed income, savings and home equity, with fixed income typically the smallest piece of the pie. According to the American Seniors Housing Association and the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry, families often help pay for the cost of housing and care for a loved one.

We understand that each and every person has unique financial circumstances. Our Senior Living Consultants are knowledgeable about the resources that may be available to you. The following options could help reduce or pay for some portion of your senior housing and health care costs.

Long-term care insurance helps provide funds for long-term care when other insurance doesn’t provide coverage or isn’t available. Eligibility and premiums are generally based on the age and health of the insured.

Programs that sell or convert life insurance policies, such as Life Care Funding, can be applied to senior living costs.

Savings and investments offer a financial resource that may also generate income in the form of interest, capital gains or dividends.

Personal loans may be used as a line of credit and drawn upon to fund move-in deposits, community fees or monthly fees.

Real estate may also offer a source of funding, whether through the sale of a home or a home equity loan.

Tax deductions: Seniors or their adult children may be eligible to deduct all or part of their assisted living costs as a medical expense on their federal income taxes. Please consult your own personal tax advisor to learn more.

The Veterans Aid and Attendance Program can help defray the cost of assisted living, in-home health care or other non-reimbursed medical care for those who served during wartime – and their surviving spouses and dependents. Eligibility requirements are related to past military service and the level of care required.

Companion living – choosing to share an apartment – enables two people with common interests to enjoy the comforts of friendship while sharing the financial responsibility. Residents who live together receive all the benefits of our services and amenities, with significantly lower housing expenses.

Navigating through unfamiliar territory

Choosing an assisted living community is a brand-new experience for most people. A rainbow of choices is one of the things that makes assisted living great – but overwhelming or confusing at the same time.

We’re committed to helping families find ways to make senior living more affordable and to find the place that best fits their needs. What’s most important is for each one to feel at home, whether that’s in one of our communities or another provider’s. For that reason, our Senior Living Consultants will be happy to guide you through the process of determining whether one of our communities are right for you.

Take advantage of the knowledge and experience we’ve accumulated over many years. We promise to give you straight answers.

Many people lump senior housing options into one category, often using the term “nursing home” as a blanket term to cover all types of care available. Although it’s true that senior housing options used to be much more limited, more options have emerged to serve seniors based on their wants and needs. Although the goal of both types of residences is to provide help and care for seniors, it’s important to understand the innate differences between nursing homes (may also be called skilled nursing, rest homes or care homes) and assisted living.

Who They Serve

Typically, nursing homes are typically a better fit for individuals who require medical care due to more complex health ailments. Those ailments could be physical or psychological and have left them unable to care for themselves. Nursing homes typically offer a higher level of care. This could cover anything from assistance bathing, dressing or using the restroom.

In contrast, residents of assisted living are typically much more independent, but may need a little help with some facets of daily life. That help may be with an activity of daily living (ADL) such as bathing or dressing, or it could be as simple as needing more company, socialization opportunities or just a helpful and watchful eye making sure they’re ok. Assisted living residents may be capable of cooking, cleaning and doing laundry, but prefer for someone else to help with those things.

Length and Type of Stay

A move to assisted living usually involves more choice for the resident. They may want to stay at home but just need a bit more help to truly thrive. They’re searching for a place to call home a longer length of time. It’s not unusual for residents of Agemark Senior Livingcommunities to live with us for years!  

Nursing homes are often used to recover or rehabilitate from an injury. It’s even typical for someone go back and forth from AL following short stays in skilled nursing. Nursing homes are also typical in end-of-life situations, if an individual’s ailments or cares are too much for their AL to manage. Assisted living may be able to provide end of life care as well, sometimes with the assistance of a third-party such as a home-health care provider or hospice support.

Medical care

Assisted living is not a hospital, but care can be provided by trained staff members and on-site RN’s or LPN’s who are allowed to pass medications, take vital signs and more. Residents of assisted living typically keep their own doctors and use provided transportation or drive themselves to appointments. In some communities, on-site medical care or physical therapy may be offered.

Nursing homes offer the highest level of care outside of a hospital. Thus, they have more on-site medical care, equipment and staff to take care of all day-to-day health needs or even rehabilitation services.

Both nursing homes and assisted living communities offer safety options including emergency call buttons that can be worn (life alerts) or pull cords to call for quick help.

Look and Feel

Another major difference is the look and feel of the community. Because nursing homes are more like a hospital, they often feel that way. Beds may be similar to what you’d find in a hospital and staff member may wear scrubs, not unlike what you’d see in a medical environment. Individuals are much more likely to have a roommate.

In contrast, assisted living feels more home-like, similar to an upscale apartment complex, often with many different sized common spaces, perhaps an outdoor area and lots of opportunity for socialization between residents. Apartments in assisted living could be shared, but many of them are private. In fact, Kensington-Evergreen communities a variety of different floor plans for potential residents and their family members to consider – from studio options up to two bedrooms. Staff members typically do NOT wear scrubs or hospital attire, instead opting for everyday attire such as a uniform of pants and polo shirts. Residents of assisted living get much more control of their environment – they bring their own items from home such as furniture and decor to make their apartment familiar and home-like. They usually have regular beds – if they want one. We’ve seen some folks who choose to forego a bed entirely, opting instead to sleep in their favorite comfy recliner!

Life Enrichment

A huge perk of senior living is socialization and a sense of community, as far as life enrichment is concerned, there are common threads, but also some marked differences. Residents of a nursing time typically stay in the building; but do leave on occasion, mainly with members of their family. Activities are typically held on-site. It’s not unusual to have children pay a visit to perform songs for residents, experience regularly scheduled movie nights, activities related to crafts or art or holiday celebrations.

Assisted living communities get their fair share of visitors and regularly scheduled activities such as those mentioned above, but they also benefit from outings and activities held outside the community. It’s typical for residents of Agemark Senior Living Communities to take a trip to the local zoo, have lunch at a local café, visit a vineyard for a wine tasting or attend a baseball game. Many assisted living residents benefit from free transportation to run errands or make appointments, but also, many actually keep their own cars on-site, driving themselves when needed if they are able. Life Enrichment is a primary focus of all Agemark communities.

Other offerings: dining, pets and more!

Dining: In assisted living, the dining options are plentiful. Some resident rooms may even feature kitchenettes, which allows residents cook their own meals. They also have spacious dining rooms, with restaurant style service, featuring daily special offerings as well as a choice of regular menu items. And if you don’t like any of the options, many will make something special just for you. In contrast, nursing homes leave meal preparation exclusively to the dining staff, with communal dining or in-room service options.

Pets: Many assisted living communities allow pets, sometimes with limits on the size or type of animal. Skilled nursing typically does not allow pets.

State or Federal Aid: Most assisted living is private pay, although long term care plans and veteran’s benefits are often accepted. Skilled nursing usually accepts Medicare for at least some of a resident’s stay.

When it comes to senior living, there are differences between what is provided depending on which option you choose. Of course, no two communities are exactly alike, so if you’re considering skilled nursing and assisted living options, it’s important to dive in and research any option you’re considering and visit both to truly understand the difference. To learn more about if assisted living is right for you or your loved one, contact Kensington-Evergreen!