Louisiana Senior Living

Louisiana features more than 2 dozen distinct Jewish communities. At the same time, it may be difficult to locate Jewish assisted living in this state. This remarkable gap in care for Jews will make finding a suitable assisted living community more challenging but the good news is, there are lots of alternative ways to get the care seniors need while still living a spiritual life in the Jewish faith. Seniors will just need to look at assisted living centers that are set in the same communities as any of the many synagogues that dot the state.

One of the best may be to find an assisted living center within each reach of a Jewish community and their synagogue. There are many like The Blake at Colonial Club that is highly rated and within easy reach of two synagogues. Seniors may even find that other seniors with a similar strategy have already found and settled into this assisted living center.

Amber Terrace in Baton Rouge is another good example of a well-regarded assisted living center, in easy reach of a local Jewish community. Again, it would not be surprising to find a community of other Jewish seniors who have already settled in here.

Cost of Jewish Assisted Living in Louisiana

Jewish assisted living facilities in Louisiana is first-off, relatively new. After Hurricane Katrina, many of the assisted living centers need to either be rebuilt or significantly repaired and upgraded. Still, the average monthly rate in these assisted living centers remains low compared to the national average of $4,000, by about $350 per month. This is true throughout most of the state, with Hammond, LA, just tipping the price scale at $3,000 per month. New Orleans drives the state’s average up significantly, with an average monthly rate of $4,700, but even this isn’t terribly out of line for those seniors that love the NOLA vibe.

Jewish Assisted Living Communities in Louisiana - Amenities

When there are no specifically Jewish assisted living facilities to settle into, the next best things is to fall back on Jewish communities and the assisted living centers that are close by. What happens quite often is that these homes attract a large enough community for seniors searching for their Jewish faith that the center will add amenities and reach out to the local Jewish community to meets these needs. It may not be as good as finding a proper Jewish assisted living center, but it could still be a really good option.

Jewish Retirement Communities in Louisiana - Religious Amenities

Check with each assisted living community and ask a couple of key questions. First, do they know how many seniors they have in residence that are Jewish, and are they already connected to the local Jewish community and their synagogue. If the answer is yes, seniors are likely to fit right in.

Do they have a relationship with a local Rabbi? Even an assisted living center that isn’t Jewish can reach out and invite a local Rabbi to attend to their faithful community. Again, this may not be optimal since there will be gaps in spiritual care, but it is a viable alternative in the absence of anything better.

Kosher dinging will also be a challenge. In a Jewish assisted living facility, seniors would rightfully expect to find a kosher kitchen and a culinary team that is experience in preparing kosher meals. In an ordinary assisted living facility this isn’t likely to be available. So, seniors will have to reach out to the local Jewish community for help or they’ll have to prepare their own meals in order to stay true to their faith.

Jewish Assisted Living in Louisiana - Amenities

Living an active life is a matter of maintaining a healthy attitude, and that isn’t dependent on age. It actually doesn’t matter how old someone is. Every has the innate ability to stay young right up to their last breadth as long as they stay focused on what they can do and remain unfazed by what they can no longer do. Accept the fact that things will change and go with the flow. Then seek the able assistance of an assisted living facility to help with those things that seniors can no longer do independently.

It starts with ADL’s. these are assisted daily living tasks centered around hygiene and mobility that are most common areas where senior begin to feel the effects of aging. This includes help bathing, grooming and dressing. It includes assistance getting around throughout the day so seniors never get the sense that they are trapped or limited in what they can enjoy. This care provides medication management so doses are never missed and resulting outcomes are improved. And, it includes health monitoring so brewing problems can be revealed and treated earlier and more effectively.

For those that need a higher level of care, like seniors suffering with Alzheimer’s and other form of dementia, there is memory care. This is a regime of therapies, closer supervision and greater security that help keep these seniors safe while helping them reengage the lost memories that has robbed them of a life full of precious moments.

Assisted living centers provide seniors with 3 meals a day that are far better than what many might expect. These are created by professional chefs that understand the need to balance nutrition and fresh food with great flavors and textures. This combination results in restaurant-quality meals that are served in fine dining rooms and in the company of good friends that can share a great time.

Next on the list are the activities that help fill each day with fun and excitement. There are fitness programs that help keep the body in tune and educational programs that help keep the mind in tune too. There are craft programs that exercise creative thinking skills, along with fine motor skills. And, there are a whole bunch of games and entertainment that keep the laughter going and ensure spirits remain high.

Privacy is another key amenity and this one is most often used to determine the monthly rates seniors will pay for assisted living. They come in the form of studio suites, one-bedroom apartments for singles or couples and two-bedroom apartments that are designed to be shared by close companions. The least expensive of these is often the studio units.

It will not be easy to find a Jewish assisted living solution in Louisiana but it certainly isn’t impossible to find a good alternative. It may just take a bit of detective work to uncover the right option.