How do you want to age? It’s a simple question, but an important one. Everyone who is lucky enough to live a long life will interact with old age, and preparing for that reality can make the aging process easier.
By 2030, all baby boomers will be 65 or older. As the largest population of seniors in U.S. history, baby boomers will encounter increasing competition for senior resources. If you’re part of this aging generation, it is essential to start planning your future now.
For seniors who need a little extra help with daily activities, assisted living communities offer a wonderful opportunity to age with dignity. If you’re looking for the best assisted living Jackson, MI, has to offer, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading to learn about different types of assisted living and to choose the best option for you.
Everyone deserves to age with dignity in a supportive environment. That’s exactly what John Ganton’s Countryside is all about — creating a community for seniors, by seniors, that prioritizes quality of life. Contact us online or call Margaret Nagel at (517) 206-5000 or download our brochure to learn about our care levels, cost, and amenities.
Assisted Living Communities in Jackson, MI
In addition to being a wonderful place to raise a family, Jackson, MI, is an ideal place to embrace senior life. The Jackson area is home to many high-quality assisted living communities that help seniors embrace their golden years and age in place.
1. John Ganton’s Countryside Retirement Community
John Ganton’s Countryside is far and away the best retirement community in Jackson, MI. Whether you’re looking for independent living, assisted living, nursing care, memory care or rehabilitation, Ganton’s has it. Each type of living occupies a different area of one large, gorgeous campus. Seniors of all abilities and backgrounds find peers, friends and individualized support when they join the Ganton’s community. Learn more here.
2. Pharoah’s Rest Haven
Pharoah’s Rest Haven is an adult foster community that provides 24-hour assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs). Unlike larger assisted living arrangements, Pharoah’s Rest Haven provides care to six or fewer residents in a home-like setting. This structure encourages independent living in a safe, clean and respectful environment.
3. Pleasant Manor
Pleasant Manor is a senior living provider in Jackson, MI, with multiple locations. Each manor is designed to host six seniors at a time to encourage a family-like environment. Within this group home setting, caregivers provide personal care assistance, meals and snacks, transportation and help with ADLs. Some residences also provide memory care.
4. Bethany Care Home
An adult foster home with multiple care options, Bethany Care Home offers three levels of assisted living to seniors. They care for residents who need minimal, substantial and total assistance with ADLs and have a 1:3 staff-resident ratio. In addition to assisted living, nursing and memory care, the Bethany campus includes a hospice wing.
5. Mission Point Health Campus of Jackson
Mission Point is a full-service healthcare services and management company with locations all over the state of Michigan. With a focus on long-term nursing care and assisted living, Mission Point offers services ranging from rehabilitation to respite care. Some Mission Point facilities include cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation.
6. Vista Grande Villa
This retirement community has been around for more than 45 years, and offers a range of services and care options. Residents can choose between independent living, assisted living, memory support and rehabilitation arrangements.
7. Highland Assisted Living and Memory Care
In addition to assisted living and memory care, Highland arranges overnight respite care and adult day care services. They provide assistance with ADLs, individualized plans of care, daily social activities, 24-hour aides, prepared meals and many other services for their live-in residents.
8. Katie’s Place
A quaint board and care home, Katie’s Place offers a comfortable environment and a high staff-to-resident ratio to its seniors. Residents can expect assistance with ADLs, plenty of small, organized group activities, attentive staff and professional caregivers.
9. Jackson Friendly Home
The Jackson Friendly Home is an assisted living community for women. In addition to fully furnished private rooms, residents receive housekeeping, meal services, assistance with ADLs, 24-hour support staff and plenty of social opportunities. The Jackson Friendly Home also offers financial planning support, visiting exercise therapists and onsite beauty shop, podiatrist and lab testing.
10. The John George Home
The John George Home is an independent and assisted living community for men. Like the Jackson Friendly Home, the John George Home provides fully furnished private rooms, a dining facility and recreation spaces. This community also includes several onsite amenities, including podiatry and dental services, lab testing, access to physicians and psychiatrists and free barber service.
Types of Assisted Living
Assisted living communities foster safe, engaging environments for seniors who need additional support, specifically with ADLs. However, the best assisted living Jackson, MI, can offer will depend on the resident’s individual needs, including the level of care they require.
Village Concept
For the past two decades, the village movement has been gaining momentum in communities across the country. The concept behind the village movement is essentially neighbors helping neighbors, and it has grown to include hundreds of community-based, nonprofit, grassroots organizations that seek to change what it means to grow old in our society.
Villages are volunteer-run, membership-driven and self-governing organizations that pool community resources to pay for essential services. They coordinate access to affordable transportation, health and wellness programs, technology support, home repairs, social and educational activities for seniors in the community.
Pros of the village concept:
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- Affordability. The annual fees for village members range by location but are generally only a few hundred dollars.
- Aging in place. The village concept is built around the idea that with community support, most seniors can remain in their homes.
- Self-governance. As self-governing communities, it’s much easier for members to make the changes that benefit them.
Cons of the village concept:
- Location-dependent. Not everywhere has a village community, and not everyone has the ability to start their own.
- Lack of comprehensive care. Some seniors need around-the-clock care from licensed medical professionals. Unfortunately, that means they may need to leave their homes for an environment that’s more conducive to meeting their health needs.
Independent Living
Independent living is essentially a retirement community. The goal of independent living is to create an environment that lets older adults live independently for longer. These communities generally provide housing in the form of single family homes or private apartments, which residents are not responsible for maintaining.
Independent living is ideal for seniors who need little to no assistance with ADLs but are ready to live in a more comfortable, senior-friendly environment with fewer responsibilities. Most independent living communities include some amenities, like housekeeping and laundry services, as well as recreation spaces, club houses and dining venues.
Pros of Independent Living:
- Private housing. Fully capable seniors will enjoy the freedom and privacy that comes with independent living. Seniors in these communities generally have the option to rent or purchase their own home.
- Opportunities to socialize. When you live in an independent living community, your neighbors are your peers — vibrant, active seniors.
- Independence. Although homes in these communities are generally smaller and easier to navigate, they’re similar to any other home. Seniors can come and go as they please, enjoying an autonomous yet secure lifestyle.
Cons of Independent Living:
- Limited assistance. For seniors who require assistance with ADLs, independent living communities are generally too independent, as they offer few daily care services.
- Lack of diversity. If you’re a person who enjoys interacting with people from different age groups, independent living may not be sufficiently stimulating.
Nursing Homes
While some people remain in good health during their senior years, others require comprehensive medical care. For seniors who struggle with memory loss, serious mobility issues or significant health problems, nursing care homes generally provide the best level of care. Nursing care homes are staffed with the licensed medical professionals and trained caregivers needed to provide quality, around-the-clock care.
Pros of nursing homes:
- Comprehensive care. Nursing homes provide around-the-clock care for residents and can assist with all ADLs. Most nursing homes are staffed with dieticians and nutritionists who design individualized meal plans.
- Medical services. In addition to highly trained and skilled staff, nursing homes provide patients with access to specialized therapies and other medical services.
- Sense of community. For seniors with health problems and mobility issues, it can be difficult to socialize. Nursing homes schedule social events for residents based on their abilities and preferences.
Cons of nursing homes:
- Isolation. Depending on an individual’s condition, nursing home living can increase isolation and loneliness, especially in patients with dementia.
- Cost. Around-the-clock care doesn’t come cheap, which is why nursing homes are among the most expensive senior living options.
Senior Apartments
Senior apartments are the most autonomous type of assisted living. In fact, they’re similar to regular apartments; the biggest difference is that senior apartments have age requirements, generally 55 and older or 62 and older. The other main difference is that senior apartment complexes generally have fewer stairs and more safety features like grab bars.
Like independent living arrangements, senior apartments are ideal for older folks who prefer to live autonomously around their peers. Unlike independent living situations, senior apartments don’t generally include meal services and housekeeping, but do include some amenities.
Pros of senior apartments:
- Recreational spaces. Many senior apartment complexes include recreational facilities like pools, fitness centers, barbeque areas and ball courts.
- Low maintenance. Residents in senior apartments don’t need to worry about maintenance and upgrades; the complex handles all of that.
- Cost savings. Senior apartments are generally less expensive than other types of senior living because they offer fewer amenities.
Cons of senior apartments:
- No in-home care. As highly independent living situations, senior apartments don’t include access to in-home assistance with tasks and ADLs.
- Limited space. For residents moving from houses or larger apartments, senior apartments may seem small and require them to downsize their belongings.
Assisted Living Communities
Assisted living is ideal for seniors who are mostly independent but need a little extra help. These living arrangements provide private, hotel-style suites for their residents, as well as public dining halls and recreation areas. Twenty-four hour staff are available to provide some help with ADLs, and residents enjoy amenities like housekeeping, laundry service, prepared meals, scheduled activities and more.
Pros of assisted living:
- Opportunities to socialize. For adults who are mostly capable of taking care of themselves and love spending time with their peers, this living situation is the dream. Dining halls, recreation areas and scheduled group activities offer ample social time.
- Maintenance-free living. Assisted living residents don’t have to worry about maintenance, laundry or even housekeeping — it’s all provided.
- Flexible levels of care. Most assisted living communities have multiple tiers of care to accommodate residents with various needs.
Cons of assisted living:
- Adjusting to policies. For seniors who are used to fully autonomous living, adjusting to the rules and policies of assisted living communities may present some challenges.
- Insufficient for moderate dementia. Some seniors with moderate dementia fly under the radar, and assisted living arrangements don’t always have the necessary systems in place to provide adequate support.
Weighing Your Assisted Living Options
When it comes to assisted living, Jackson, MI, has numerous high-quality options. With so many communities to choose from, it can be difficult to know the right living style for you. Before committing to a particular arrangement, it’s important to consider a few key factors.
Level of Autonomy
One of the best ways to ensure a positive senior living experience is to find an arrangement that matches your level of autonomy. For example, if you require assistance with ADLs, independent living and senior apartments will probably be too independent for you. Similarly, if you don’t need any help with daily tasks, a nursing home in Jackson, MI, is unlikely to be a good fit.
Future Health Needs
In addition to your current health needs, you need to think about what your health needs might look like in the future. If you have a degenerative disease that will inevitably require more comprehensive care, it’s important to choose a community like John Ganton’s Countryside that will allow you to upgrade your care based on your changing health.
Importance of Community
If being able to socialize with other people your age is important to you, it’s essential to keep that in mind when searching for a senior community. The best assisted living Jackson, MI, can provide will be one that meets your socialization needs.
Resident Reviews
You never truly know what a senior community is like until you live there. That’s why it’s important to read reviews from current and past residents. At John Ganton’s Countryside, we’re proud to share our resident testimonials with you. We encourage you to read client reviews and testimonials for any senior community that you are considering.
Assisted Living FAQs
If you’re considering an assisted living arrangement, it’s normal to have a lot of questions. Assisted living arrangements vary widely and different communities have vastly different qualities of care. Keep reading to find answers to some of our most frequently asked assisted living questions.
Does Medicare cover assisted living?
No, Medicare does not cover assisted living or other long-term living arrangements. However, Medicare does cover certain short-term stays in rehabilitation centers and nursing homes.
Who regulates assisted living in Michigan?
The state of Michigan does not license independent living and assisted care communities. However, both types of senior living arrangement are regulated by the Michigan Department of Human Services.
When is it time for assisted living?
Several signs indicate that it’s time for assisted living, including physical, mental and behavior challenges. When seniors struggle with ADLs, personal care and things like medication management, it’s time to make a change.
Is independent living or assisted living better for me?
The answer to this question is largely dependent on the level of care you need. If you struggle to perform ADLs or personal care, assisted living is probably the better option for you.
What type of people live in assisted living?
All types of people live in assisted living communities! Although diverse, residents generally have a few things in common: they need a little extra help with daily activities, enjoy spending time with their peers and appreciate the convenience of maintenance-free living.
Looking for Assisted Living in Jackson, Michigan?
Whether you’re searching for independent living, assisted living, nursing home care or senior apartments, Jackson, MI, has a home for you. No matter what type of lifestyle you prefer, the large, multi-use campus at John Ganton’s Countryside can accommodate you.
At John Ganton’s Countryside, residents can enjoy senior living to the fullest, knowing that however their needs change, we’ll be there to support them with additional services and accomodations. Ganton’s large, multi-use campus contains every style of senior living this article has covered, as well as countless unmentioned amenities.
When you want the best assisted living Jackson, MI, can offer, you want Ganton’s. Ready to see the campus? Schedule a tour with us today. If you still have questions about assisted living, we’d love to hear from you! Contact us online or call Margaret Nagel at (517) 206-5000 or download our brochure to learn about our care levels, cost, and amenities.
