Mississippi Senior Living

Jewish assisted living in Mississippi can be challenging to find. In fact, back in 2019, Akiva Hall, a Rabbi who grew on the gulf coast, returned as the only Rabbi in the region, on a mission to build a Jewish community where there was none. Together with his wife, Hannah, that is a continuing effort that speaks volumes about what seniors in this region can expect.

There are some senior living care companies that are typically supportive of religious activity, without being focused on any one. Brookdale Senior Living is one of these and they offer 4 well rated care centers in Clinton, Meridian, Biloxi and Hattiesburg, MS.

Elmcroft is one of the senior care centers managed by Eclipse Senior Living. This is the only one they have available in Mississippi. They are located on Oxford, MS, and offer a non-denominational living community.

Cost of Jewish Assisted Living in Mississippi

So, the first thing to consider may be the average cost of Jewish assisted living facilities across Mississippi. For a benchmark, compare rate in Mississippi with the national average of $4,000 per month. The local average is $3,500 so without looking any further, seniors can expect savings of about $500. Both Hattiesburg and Gulf Port come in right around this state average. Jackson, MS. Is not the most budget-friendly city in the state but even their average rates aren’t wildly out of like. Compared to the national average, Christian assisted living center here will add about $163 to the monthly bill for assisted living care. You can find even less expensive option in the northern end of the state, in cities like Lewisburg, where averages drop to $3,000 or so per month.

Jewish Assisted Living Communities in Mississippi - Amenities

It will be touch to live life as a Jew with so few resources available to support that effort. It will become a challenge that seniors will have to meet, by looking at alternative resources, like those that can be found online. It will not be easy but it is far from impossible with the right level of commitment.

It may also be that some of these assisted living centers in Mississippi may have other Jewish seniors in residence. It is okay to ask and if there are any, that community of other parishioners could make this a whole lot easier.

Jewish Retirement Communities in Mississippi - Religious Amenities

The first difficulty will be finding a Rabbi to help lead service and provide both teaching and counseling. MyJewishLearning.com is a really good place to start, with Shabbat services that are live-streamed. All seniors need is a smart phone and an internet connection to be able to join the services.

You can enjoy the support of a Rabbi online as well by visiting Chabad.org. They have a well-supported section called Ask a Rabbi, that is just about always available.

Atonement, that combines confession with restitution and sacrifice are also important facets of Jewish life and here again, there are online resources that help with prayer and other creative ways to give to the community. Once again, Chabad.org is a good place to start on the path to atonement.

The most challenge facing Jewish seniors that cannot find a Jewish assisted living facility will be their ability to adhere to kosher eating requirements. There will be no kosher kitchens and local kosher catering they can fall back on. Their best option will likely be to prepare their own meals, at least on the most important day on the Jewish calendar. A good resource to help with this can be found at kosher.com, with full menus and recipes. Seniors will still have to find kosher ingredients and may need some help shopping but it should be possible to meet this challenge too.

Jewish Assisted Living in Mississippi - Amenities

Getting older is one thing. Getting old is something entirely different. We all get older. It’s just a fact of life from the moment we’re conceived until that moment when we let go of our last breadth. We can slow the process, and we can do things that make getting older less challenging, but aging is inevitable.

Getting old isn’t inevitable. Everyone has the ability to live actively, no matter how challenged they are, if they simply refuse to surrender to the roadblocks and speedbumps aging throws in front of us. You know seniors that have conquered this way of living. They are the folks that always have a smile on their faces and a kind word on the tip of their tongue. They laugh, they sing, they dance and they put a smile on the faces of everyone they meet. They are positively infectious and even if you are not one of these seniors, you need to be in the company of one. It will be good for your long-term health.

If you are that kind of senior or want to be, find a care center that does a really good job with ADL tasks, (Assisted Daily Living), and you will enjoy some key services that help make life easy in the face of aging challenges. For example, seniors get direct assistance with personal hygiene, including bathing, grooming and dressing. They are given direct assistance moving from place to place throughout the day so no one becomes sedentary. They enjoy medication management so treatments are more effective and they have someone keeping an eye on their health so emerging problem are caught and treated early.

For those with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, there is Memory Care, that goes above and beyond ADL’s. Here seniors enjoy a safer and more secure space where they get involved with sensory and tactile therapies that help them recover lost memories and experience new and memorable events. They are also helped so they can avoid the debilitating effects of anxiety, frustration, confusion and depression, which often lead to potentially dangerous outbursts.

Meals are served 3 times a day, in fine dining rooms that are perfect for sharing great meals and enjoying the company of friends. The menus are a diverse mix of traditional favorites and new dining experience that often become favorites. Meals are nutritionally balanced, they are kosher and they are prepared by true professionals.

The best days in life have a mix of laughter and learning. These two elements, along with faith, enrich lives and make each new day something to look forward to with excitement. That is where daily activities come into play. There are artisan programs that stimulate the imagination and help maintain fine motor skills. There are fitness programs that help improve stamina, coordination and balance. There are educational programs that help learn more about what we love and pursue new things we hoped to learn and never found time for. Seniors will also find a great mix of games, outings and entertainment, just because they are fun ways to stay active.

Privacy is available with individual apartments. Seniors will have to determine how much space they need and then select a studio unit, one-bedroom apartment and companion suite with two bedrooms. Monthly rates will be set based on the size of the selected apartment.

So, in Mississippi seniors will essentially find little or no support as they strive to live a life that remain faithful to their Jewish faith. There are no Jewish assisted living centers available. They will just have to look beyond these borders and make their own way to a personal relationship with God.