Washington Assisted Living

With more than 1,300 assisted living residences across Washington, finding a Catholic assisted living community may be a challenge.

Cost of Catholic Assisted Living in Washington

Catholic assisted living doesn’t show on the radar so the numbers we are reviewing are for all assisted living facilities, regardless of their connection to any faith. This isn’t a cheap destination. In fact, weighed against the nation average of $4,000 per month for assisted living, assisted living facilities in Washington will set seniors back that plus $1,500 ($5,500). Head to Seattle and seniors will have to add another $1,000 per month, on top of that, so count on $6,500 per month. It isn’t all bad new though. Head to Walla Walla or Spokane and seniors will find average rates that are exactly in line with National averages.

Catholic Assisted Living Communities in Washington - Amenities

If seniors were able to find true Catholic assisted living facilities in Washington, they would most likely find that they are run by the church or an affiliated association and they would be run as a non-profit. This would actually be true for almost any faith-based assisted living facility. In secular centers, many of the staff are likely to be faithful and that faith will likely influence the way they approach their work with seniors, but it will not be part of the fabric of the assisted living facility and that means some things will be lacking.

In fact, life in a secular center leaves much of the drive to remain faithful, solely in the hands of those faithful seniors who feel the need to remain close to God and Jesus Christ. This is necessarily a bad thing and it doesn’t mean a secular center will completely uninvolved, but it simply can’t be as soul nurturing as a Catholic assisted living facility would be. For seniors that have challenges with mobility and failing memory, this could prove to be a serious burden.

Catholic Retirement Communities in Washington - Religious Amenities

In a Catholic assisted living facility, the chapel is the heart and soul of the center. It is where all of the important parts of daily Catholic life is centered. In a secular facility, there may still be a chapel. Actually, almost every assisted living center will have one, but in secular centers these are more likely to be called meditation spaces that are devoid of any sign of faith, other than the fact that they offer peace and quiet. Still, for prayer, these chapels may be all a dedicated group of seniors will need to effective worship their Savior, Jesus Christ.

In a Catholic assisted living facility, the staff would be considered a critical amenity, given their shared values with those they care for. In a secular home, staff may still share these same values so even here, they are a critical asset / amenity in assisted living. They may simply lack some basic understanding when it comes to some of the daily routines devout Catholic will adhere to. For example, Catholics pause for a few minutes at 3:00 PM to pray for God’s Devine Mercy. If the staff is unaware of this and, for example, typically administers medications at that time, there could be a conflict. The good news is, these are likely to be minor issues that can be easily addressed with some minor adjustments.

The other amenity that will be missing when seniors settle into a center that isn’t a Catholic assisted living facility are the religious programs seniors would love to be involved in. For example, it would be great to have planned activities around bible studies and Gospel readings. A secular center is unlikely to have these built in so seniors will have to take the bull by the horn, and create their own groups and schedule of programs. It’s an added burden, but for faithful seniors, it won’t be all that difficult to make it happen.

Catholic Assisted Living Facilities in Washington - General Amenities

Many seniors simply refuse to give in to the old age but that isn’t always so easy. There are times when a helping hand would make the battle far easier to win, and that’s where assisted living facilities come into play.

Care givers in these assisted living facilities provide direct assistance with mobility, plus bathing, grooming, dressing and eating when needed. They help seniors eat well when weak and shaky limbs make that a bit too challenging. Then the housekeeping and maintenance staff’s step in to handle things like laundry, general housekeeping and building and exterior maintenance. Next, the kitchen staff steps up and provides all of the meals and snacks throughout the day. Altogether, seniors are left with nothing to worry about beyond finding their favorite ways to make each day fun and exciting.

Active seniors need a wide range of activities that help keep them active, both physically and mentally. No one does well sitting still all day long, and in a state of near constant boredom, so community activity coordinators get to know what gets each senior’s blood flowing, and they create activities that tap into those interests. That most often means having craft programs, cooking classes, woodworking shops, gardening time, game time, and educational seminars, that keep life constantly moving and constantly engaging.

We already mentioned meals but it is worth focusing on these a bit more. The best assisted living facilities take great pride in bringing culinary excellence into these assisted living residences, in the form of delicious meals, that are well balanced and varied. They are served in dining rooms that any restaurant would be proud to serve in and they are often shared with good friends, so every meal is like a nice little holiday outing, that seniors often look forward too.

Alzheimer’s care, otherwise known as memory care, is available in most assisted living homes, but this is typically handled in a more secure space, and covered by specially trained caregivers that understand how to deal with the unique challenges dementia creates, for both seniors and caregivers. For example, dementia patients will have emotional issues that are marked by anxiety, frustration, paranoia, and depression. Together, these can lead to an emotional outburst that can be dangerous for both the seniors and those around them. For caregivers, the order of each day is to help these seniors cope and find fun so the negative emotions can be kept in check.

Apartments provide private spaces for seniors to call their own and these are typically spacious and well-appointed spaces that each senior can add special touches to so they are truly theirs. They are normally configured as efficiency or one-bedroom apartments. For those that are happy to share, there are also semi-private rooms and two-bedroom apartments that are also known as companion suites. The biggest difference in these is who seniors will be sharing with. In semi-private rooms, the senior living facilities will decide who shares and the beds are all in one common space. In a companion apartment, the seniors will decide who they will share with and each will have a private bedroom, attached to a common space.

Washington may have a few Catholic assisted living centers but that doesn’t mean it can’t do a great job meeting the needs of most seniors, when it comes to assisted living facilities.