Maine Assisted Living Facilities

Maine is a tough one to explain. In a state with dozens of Catholic assisted living facilities, it may be challenging to locate a Christian living facility here. It’s also a bit tough to reconcile with the fact that there are dozens, if not hundreds of Christian churches throughout the state that include Methodist, Presbyterian and Baptist houses of worship. The likely answer is that there are many that are non-denominational and for that reason, they are not easily identified. As we search what is available, there are many assisted living centers that don’t appear to be Christian but do have a chapel and do offer regular non-denominations services for the faithful, so there is plenty of room for God and the faithful in these residences.

Cost of Christian Assisted Living in Maine

All assisted living facilities, including Christian assisted living facilities in Maine, are expensive. While the national average for monthly rates in these care centers is $4,000, in Maine the average rate tops $5,100. In fact, it comes pretty close to hitting $5,200 and even the least expensive city in this state will still set seniors back by an average of $4,700 per month. This will make it a bit tougher for seniors to cover, especially those working with a limited budget and a fixed income.

Christian Assisted Living Communities in Maine - Amenities

In an odd sort of way, faithful seniors settling into an assisted living facility in Manie may find their faith strengthen as they are forced to find their own path into God’s good graces. In a proper Christian assisted living facility, there would be a dedicated pastor that would help light this path and would make it potentially easier for seniors to build a personal relationship with God. In non-denominational homes, seniors will have to becomes their own guide, and maybe help their fellow seniors do the same, as these communities of the faithful journey together.

Christian Retirement Communities in Maine - Religious Amenities

The pastor in a Christian assisted living facility is the shepherd. In a non-denominational center, it will be a chaplain instead, and while they can do the same job, seniors may not find some measure of guidance and comfort from these minsters. The good news though is this. When these homes include a dedicated chapel, seniors can take it upon themselves to create opportunities for worship. They can work together with fellow seniors and the management team to define activities built around worship that will add spiritual care, in ways that help every senior find what they need in their search for God.

The difficult with these chapels is that they may not always be dedicated spaces, for the purpose of worship, as they would be in a Christian assisted living facility. In these cases, it will fall upon seniors to once again, find creative ways to define spaces that will meet their spiritual needs, and management can, once again, play an important supporting role in this process. Just because the center isn’t Christian and the chapel isn’t dedicated, doesn’t mean seniors can’t find spiritual fulfillment. It will just take a great level of commitment.

In a Christian assisted living facility, seniors could expect the caregivers to share in their faith and to be guided by that faith. In non-denominational or secular assisted living facilities that may not be the case, but it doesn’t change the fact that the nature of the care they provide is very personal. It requires a team that can bring love, compassion and patience to their efforts and faith often help them accomplish that. So, in these cases it would be best of seniors take time to get to know the staff and talk to some of the residents before settling on a new place to call home. If seniors are comfortable with the people they meet and are getting consistently good reports from other residents, the is good reason to expect great care. If the reviews are anything less than sterling, it may be best to move on to the next assisted living facility on the list of potential places to call home.

While at it, seniors should look at what faith programs are already included in the regular activity schedule, and ask both management and residents, to what extent seniors can bring about additions to those schedules. Even if they don’t already exist, it doesn’t mean they can be added when there are other seniors that share the same interest and the management team is truly dedicated to serving their community.

Christian Assisted Living in Maine - Amenities

When is it a good time for a senior to consider an assisted living facility? When is it time to accept the reality that independent living has become too difficult and risky? What are those telltale signs that tell seniors it’s time to consider a better way, that will help them continue to live actively while getting the exact kinds of help they need most?

The answer is rather simple. When it becomes too challenging to do those basic things that we all need to accomplish basic personal care each day, it is time to seek some help. When those senior moments, where memory fails, and medications get missed, become to frequent, it’s time to have someone at the ready to keep things on track. When getting up and down, and walking from place to place becomes a risky proposition, where dangerous falls are always just one misstep away, it is time for a helping hand.

This is what assisted living facilities are designed to address, while they allow seniors the freedom to live an otherwise independent life. This service is commonly known as ADL’s or Assisted Daily Living services, and they are just right for those seniors that need a bit of help getting through the day, but not the kind of fulltime nursing care that are offered by nursing homes.

These assisted living residences also relieve seniors of the need to deal with daily housekeeping and maintenance chores. Laundry, including personal laundry, is done for them. Linens are changed regularly. Maintenance is handled too. Basically, all seniors need to worry about is faith and fun.

For privacy, seniors have 3, possibly 4, options. They can choose a semi-private room where they will share with up to 3 other seniors or they can choose a totally private studio or one-bedroom apartment that will be uniquely theirs. The 4^th option isn’t always available, but where it is, it is a two-bedroom apartment that is designed to be shared with a family member of close companion, where both share some space while enjoying a private bedroom.

Meals in the assisted living facilities are a thing of joy. They are more like a fun trip to a great restaurant, with good friends, then a basic meal of boring nourishment. Professional culinary teams work hard to create interesting menus, that are full of great comfort foods, while providing all of the nutrition seniors need to stay in tip top shape. Plus, there are all-day snacks in between that help keep everything in balance.

No assisted living facility would be worth a thing if they didn’t provide great opportunities for seniors to find enriching ways to spend their days. This is where the activities director comes into play, and they are at their best when they create a wide variety of things their residents will love jumping into. A lot of these activities will be focused on learning opportunities, like fitness classes, Tai Chi, Yoga, cooking and backing, crafts, arts and photography, games, entertainment and many other social opportunities. In short, seniors have the opportunity to be as active as they wish, when they have so many things they enjoy, available to them pretty much every day of the week.

Maine doesn’t make it easy for Christians to find a Christian assisted living facility but it does offer many great alternatives that will welcome the faithful and support their efforts to build a personal relationship with God.