Iowa Senior Living

Jewish assisted living centers in Iowa may be challenging to find. Despite a number of very healthy Jewish communities In Iowa, especially around all of the major city centers, including Des Moines, Iowa City and Council Bluffs it may not be easy to find Jewish retirement communities in Iowa. Some seniors hoping to find a Jewish assisted living facility may have to settle for a secular center that is in easy reach of a Jewish community and its synagogue.

Cost of Jewish Assisted Living in Iowa

All assisted living facilities in Iowa, whether Jewish or secular, are pretty much equal, compared to the national average of $4,000 per month. The difference is only about $50 per month and there is a lot of variation in prices as seniors look from city to city, across the state. For example, Ames, IA, is the least expensive, with an average monthly rate of $3,610. Waterloo is at the opposite end of the scale. The monthly rates there top $4,600 per month. The greatest concentration of Christian assisted living homes in in Des Moines where average rates hover between $4,300 and $4,400 per month.

Jewish Assisted Living Communities in Iowa - Amenities

The Jewish faith is an active faith. It is a never-ending quest to find and nurture an engaging and personal relationship with God. That takes work and an active commitment to living a life that is guided by the Jewish teaching God set down. The difficulty comes in when the living environment is ignorant of this need to stay the faithful course. It becomes more difficult when there is no Rabbi to call one for guidance and for a push in the right direction when a member of the faith loses their way. This is why finding a good alternative to a Jewish assisted living center is so important and why finding an assisted living center that is close to a Jewish community can be so helpful.

Jewish Assisted Living in Iowa - Religious Amenities

If the synagogue is the cornerstone of a Jewish community, then the Rabbi is its cornerstone. This is the person that defines the strength of the community and who helps hold that community together as one. They will be called upon for far more than just offering services on the Sabbath. They are teachers and counselors. Find a community where the Rabbi play a strong role and then find an assisted living facility in that community so you can have the faithful support you need.

The next key requirement is to have the support needed to reach out and do good for others. Jews know they are not and never will be perfect. They fight to stay on the right path but we all falter sometimes. When a Jew falters they can find their way back into God’s good graces through atonement. This is a faithful desire to do good for others in ways that might help offset our own failings. Again, being part of a Jewish community can help in this effort to reach out and do good.

Not living in a Jewish assisted living facility will most often means Jews will not have easy access to kosher foods. This adds to their challenge of living faithfully but in assisted living, there are options. First, seniors can reach out to the local Jewish community for advice on where to find quality kosher food they can prepare themselves. They can also other kosher establishments in the community that will no doubt exist to serve the local Jewish population. It will still be possible to stay kosher, but it will require a bit of extra effort.

Jewish Retirement Communities in Iowa - Amenities

The mind is a powerful thing. It can turn things completely upside down. Whether that is a good or bad thing isn’t a given either. It can be either depending on attitude. When it’s positive, even the most challenging life events can be overcome. When it’s negative, even the simplest pf problems can be devastating. This is equally true when it comes to aging. No one needs to get old if they are able to maintain a positive outlook and find joy in what can be done, rather than focusing on what can not longer be accomplished. This is where assisted living facilities make a real difference.

Assisted living facilities provide ADL’s, which translates into Assisted Daily Living tasks. These include helping seniors with basic daily routines surrounding personal hygiene, while also helping them stay mobile without the risk of dangerous falls. It is a helping hand when unsteady hands make eating difficult. It’s a care team that is helping to manage medications while monitoring health. And, it is a team of housekeeping and maintenance pros that make sure seniors don’t have to worry about cleaning or fixing the things around the house. All they need to do is focus on living a full and active life.

On top of ADL’s is something commonly known as Memory Care. This is designed for seniors suffering with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, where the most cherished memories and relationships are lost in a cloud of confusion. This care starts by providing a more secure living space. It provides greater supervision too. Then, it delivers a set of therapies that are helpful in recovering lost memories while helping to reconnect seniors to the loved ones they lost.

Dining is more than just filling bellies with something nutritional. It is an opportunity to share a great meal with good friends. In an assisted living facility, these opportunities are presented three times a day, every day, with dishes that are prepared by skilled chefs and served in fine dining rooms. These become moments to be savored and not just endured.

Activities, matched with lots of choices and the independence to choose what will and will not fill a senior’s day are a hall mark of good assisted living facilities. Active seniors are always going to be happier and healthier so assisted living teams work hard to design programs that encourage active participation. The programs will always include a mix of fitness, fine crafts, and education. They’ll also include fun with games and entertainment, especially the kind that creates laughter because that is therapeutic. Seniors never need to get bored. All they need to do is make some really fun choices.

Apartments in assisted living centers provide seniors with personal space where they can enjoy their privacy. This comes in the form of one- and two-bedroom suites and efficiency units. These will become their personal home within the assisted living homes.

Jewish living facilities in Iowa aren’t easy to find but that doesn’t mean faithful Jews will be left out in the cold. Give us a call to learn about Jewish senior living options in Iowa.