New Mexico Senior Living

New Mexico doesn’t have a lot of specifically Jewish assisted living facilities, or any other faith-based homes for that matter, but they do have some very interesting options. Senior living facilities in New Mexico revolve around the idea that residents are offered the freedom to decide what types of group activities are important to them, and then the assisted living facilities accommodates their interests and help with the organization of these groups. Jewish seniors will find support as they form a faith-based group, invite support from outside the home, have an option to define how their faith will be supported.

Palmira Senior Living is a good example of the type of assisted living facility where they listen to the needs of their residents and then work to support those needs. In fact, they encourage seniors to form their own groups as a way of ensuring that everyone remains actively engaged in the community.

Atria Senior Living is another consistently good example of a home where the community will influence what happens in the home and what services are delivered to the resident. If there are number of Jewish residents that are interested in actively following their faith, an Atria home will work to accommodate that group, even going as far as restructuring dining options to ensure there are good kosher choices always available.

For Jewish seniors hoping to find a Jewish assisted living facility in New Mexico, the options may be a bit unusual but still, they go a long way toward meeting their needs. Seniors will just need to look for a senior living center where there are other Jewish residents to join with.

Cost of Jewish Assisted Living in New Mexico

The cost for all assisted living facilities in NM, including Jewish assisted living facilities, average $4,100 per month. This is pretty much in line with the national average of $4,000 and there are some communities in the state that are less expensive than that. Albuquerque is a good example, where the average cost is $4,050 but there are a number of assisted living facilities that are closer to the $3,500 range. Farmington, NM is the most expensive destination in the state but even here, it’s just $4,600 per month, which isn’t wildly out of line with national averages.

Jewish Assisted Living Communities in New Mexico - Amenities

Being faithfully Jewish is an active commitment to living faithfully. It is a commitment to God and His teachings. It is taking time to pray, to give thanks and to repent. This is all in line with every Jew’s hope of building a personal relationship with God that will guide their lives and inform all of their choices. It certainly isn’t as simple as attending weekly services or observing a few key religious holidays. A Jewish assisted living center will understand and support this. For other assisted living centers, they will have to help seniors define the needs and then build programs around those needs.

Jewish Retirement Communities in New Mexico - Religious Amenities

The first thing assisted living centers can do is help find a Rabbi that can support the retirement community. They do not necessarily have to bring this person on staff, as would be the case in a Jewish assisted living facility, but they can reach out to the local Jewish community of regular and on-call support.

One of the most important elements of Jewish life is one of giving and atoning. We are imperfect beings and one of the ways that we are able earn God’s forgiveness is to commit to doing better and to then do for others in ways that hep to offset our own failures. Faithful Jews are also expected to do good without the expectation of anything in return, including redemption. Jews understand the value of community and the importance of being a positive force in that community, in whatever way they can. An assisted living center and the local community will have to join forces so seniors have the opportunity to make amends and give from the heart.

Jews are expected to adhere to certain dietary guidelines related to what they must avoid eating, and how the foods they do eat are prepared. This is all about eating kosher, and it is the most difficult thing for a non-Jewish assisted living facility to accommodate. It requires things like separate kitchens for meat and dairy prep, and only buying ingredients that are certified kosher. In the absence of this accommodation, seniors will have to reach out to the local Jewish community for support and consider preparing some of their own meals so they can stay faithful to kosher requirements.

Jewish Assisted Living in New Mexico - General Amenities

One of the ways seniors can effectively fight back against the challenges of aging is to seek some measure of help and assisted living facilities are designed to do just enough to allow seniors to live active and relatively independent lives. Jewish assisted living communities do this by providing direct assistance with basic tasks like bathing, dressing and grooming. They will help seniors eat and get up and around the center so they never miss out on all the great things that fill each day in these residences. They will help manage medications too so treatment outcomes can be improved, while they keep an eye out for emerging health issues that can be best countered with early medical intervention. These are all covered under the basic care known as Assisted Daily Living (ADL).

On top of these ADL tasks, there is special care for those with health issues brought on by Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. This is Memory Care and it provides a safer living environment, where unique treatments can be delivered. These therapies provide a mix of tactile and sensory stimulations that help rekindle lost memories, help loved ones reconnect and help these seniors find real enjoyment once again.

Eating in many assisted living facilities looks, feels and tastes like some of the best culinary creations seniors can get to enjoy in their favorite restaurants or around the family dinner table. These are certainly not hospital meals or basic all-you-can-eat buffets. And, meals are often shared with good friends and even families, making each meal more of a social event than just a way to satisfy hunger.

Activities help keep everyone actively engaged, rather than reclusive and withdrawn. In fact, many of the assisted living facilities on offer here allow seniors to do just about anything they’d like, and that means, seniors are actually driving these activity calendars. For example, for woodworking enthusiast, there’s a shop. Want to brew your own beer? There’s a space for that too. Want to rekindle your dreams of being a rock star? No problem, join with fellow seniors and start a band. Essentially, if seniors can dream it, the best assisted living facilities will help them live those dreams.

Apartments make living in an assisted living facility more like having a home in the heart of a great senior center. These are private spaces, organized as studios, one-bedroom apartments or companion suites, that create a warm and cozy retreat when it’s time to get a bit of rest and relaxation, while making it easy to step outside and become immersed in a community that makes life fun.

New Mexico offers some interesting choices, even if none of them are specifically Jewish assisted living facilities. Just look for one with a good-sized Jewish community of seniors and it will all come together.