Michigan Assisted Living Facilities

In Michigan, there are many assisted living facilities, as well as some very interesting seniors’ communities where a mix of independent living, assisted living, and nursing care, all share a faithful life in true community fashion. It makes this state a really great place to live for those seniors that feel the need to stay close to their faith, while at various stages of life and an aging adult. A great example of this is the Beaconhill at Eastgate community where seniors find faithful comfort in the community’s Christian church.

Seniors will also find more traditional Christian assisted living facilities like those offered by Edison Christian Life Services, that is specifically designed to care for seniors needing intermediate care. These homes will have inhouse facilities that are designed to meet the spiritual needs of seniors in their care.

Cost of Christian Assisted Living in Michigan

The average cost for assisted living centers nationally, is $4,000 per month. That is also the average for Christian assisted living in Michigan. So, seniors can start their search knowing prices will not be the least bit out of line. It also means there will be some very budget-friendly options as well. For example, average monthly rates in Kalamazoo drop to $3,600, while Muskegon rates drop even lower into the $3,300 range, and Jackson, MI comes down even further to $3,000.

Christian Assisted Living Communities in Michigan - Amenities

A Christian assisted living facility offers seniors an unparalleled level of support in their spiritual lives, that secular centers have a very hard time matching.  A Christian assisted living also helps seniors find greater focus as they work to build an enriching personal relationship with God. This combination is what makes these centers of faith and service so important for seniors that have come to that stage in life where independent living is no longer a good option.

Christian Retirement Communities in Michigan - Religious Amenities

There are four pillars in Christian assisted living community that are clearly valuable and unique amenities, and it all starts with the pastor that supports and guides these flocks. These shepherds set the tone for their faithful communities, and provide the guidance that seniors need most as they strive to know God in ever more personal ways.  

Caregivers form the second pillar in Christian assisted living centers. This is especially true when their efforts are guided by their faith. The care in assisted living centers can be highly personal and tough to get comfortable with. When the care team allows their faith to influence their efforts, compassion, patience and discretion are the result, and with those qualities, even the most personal of care is far easier to accept.

A Christian life is a life guided by faith and a continuing need to learn more and become closer to God. Being closer means building an ever-stronger personal relationship with God. Part of the way that happens is through study and prayer, and activities in the Christian assisted living centers support that through planned activities. For this reason, these activities and many other related programs form the third pillar of amenities in these care centers.

The fourth pillar is the chapel. As in any Christian community, where the church is at the center of faith, the chapel in a Christian assisted living facility provides this center. It is home to all religious service, a space where prayer meetings are held, the space folks gather for bible study and bible reading, and the space residents can flock to whenever they are in need of some counseling or just a quite conversation with God. While this amenity is last on our list, it is at least of equal importance among the four pillars and maybe even the most important in the life of any faithful Christian.

Christian Assisted Living in Michigan - Amenities

Generally speaking, there are three stages most of us will go through as we age. In the first stage, we are well and living independently. Age may be throwing some challenges our way but they are easily managed. In the second stage, the challenges of aging become just a bit too tough to deal with without some assistance. We don’t need much, but what we do need is important in helping our daily lives remain comfortably active. The third stage, and the one we all hope to avoid, is where aging has taken such a toll that we need constant nursing care.

Assisted living facilities exist to meet the needs of those seniors that are at that intermediate stage. This is daily assistance that is designed to help each senior accomplish the basics of daily life so they can remain focused on the fun things each new day has to offer. They also work to help seniors remain health so they can avoid the need for more intense care.

Daily care is covered under an umbrella of care known as Assisted Daily Living or ADL’s. It includes help with personal hygiene tasks like bathing and using the toilet. It provides help with dressing and grooming as well. If needed, there will be help with eating and assistance moving around the center safely. Not every senior will need all of these services but they are all there to help free them from the most basic challenges of aging.

Seniors are also freed from the daily drudgery called housekeeping and maintenance. In assisted living facilities, there are teams that do this for them and that includes doing personal laundry, and cleaning their personal apartments. If they want to pick up a dust cloth or do some washing up, they can, but they no longer have to.

Apartments provide private living spaces of the residents in an assisted living facility and they come in three or four configurations. The most common include semi-private rooms share by up to 4 seniors, studio suites with efficiency kitchens, and one-bedroom apartments with a living room and dinette and kitchenette. The fourth space is a 2-bedroom apartment where family members of companions can share a common living room and kitchen, while still having a private bedroom suite of their own. Not all assisted living facilities offer these larger apartments.

There is an old line that says “the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”. The fact is, food plays an important part in everyone’s life and it isn’t just sustenance. Food, like music, marks moments in our lives. Meals provide the opportunity to bond with others. A shared meal, shared with good friends, is even medicinal, with benefits that impact both physical and emotional health. For these reasons, assisted living facilities pay very special attention to the three meals they serve each day.

They are drawn from menu replete with great comfort foods, varied flavors, and mouth-watering smells. They are designed to be nutritionally balanced as well, but great quality is always the first concern for the culinary team. They are served in fine dining rooms, where good friends, both old and new, can join together to make each meal a good bit of fun.

For seniors that are pet lovers, there are some assisted living facilities that are pet-friendly. This means seniors that have a loving pet companion will have the option to bring them along. This is also important for those seniors that have service animal they depend on. Again, those companions will be able to move in as well.

Finally, for seniors that are affected by dementias like Alzheimer’s, there is memory care. This is a combination of special therapies, delivered in areas where this is enhanced security. The additional security features are designed to keep seniors from wandering off and getting into trouble, while being prepared to deal quickly with emotional outbursts that tend to impact behavior. Therapies are designed to help senior recover memories and reconnect with family while helping them create new and meaningful memories. The combination of these also help keep negative emotions, like anxiety, confusion, frustration and depression in check.

Michigan offers a good mix of Christian assisted living facilities and seniors living communities, and with prices that are fairly reasonable, it’s well worth exploring for those seniors looking for a touch of personal care.