Resources

Senior Living & Memory Care Resources

What is assisted living?

Assisted living is in a home-like setting that allows older adults the option to live independently, but still have assistance with their activities of daily leaving as they age in place.

Each Resident has their own private apartment, but also has the convenience of laundry service, housekeeping, maintenance, landscaping and access to our array of amenities that promote an active lifestyle.

Assisted living is a great option for seniors who no longer wish to live alone, need more socialization, have some memory issues that make it unsafe to live at home alone and/or need help with medication management or other daily activity. Assisted living is not for seniors that require complex medical care.

What is memory care?

Memory care is a specialized form of care for seniors who have the unique challenges of dealing with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Memory care features specialized living spaces and programming that allows Elders to enjoy their best quality of their life while keeping them safe. We use The Green House® model of care for all of our memory care Elders at Bartram Lakes.

In memory care, we emphasize safety and wellbeing of our Elders by reducing isolation and offering a wide range of activities that promote socialization.

Nutrition is a primary focus and we provide well-balanced meals that contain the nutrients and benefits needed to improve cognition and overall health.

Lastly, our caregivers have additional education and training, such as Best Life Certification, to be able to recognize the subtle changes that Elders may have in their health on a day-to-day basis.

Learn more about Assisted Living vs. Memory Care

Assisted living vs. nursing homes

Assisted living is an environment where seniors receive assistance with their activities of daily living while still maintaining their independence. Assisted living also offers amenities such as dinning at your own time, social activities and outings, housekeeping assistance and a private apartment.

A nursing home, also known as a skilled nursing facility, is for seniors who require complex 24-hour medical supervision. Residents of a nursing home may not be able to live independently due to a severe mental or physical condition. Additionally, nursing homes require a physician’s prescription whereas assisted living does not.

Learn more about Assisted Living vs. Nursing Homes

Are there requirements?

Be at least 18 years of age
Be free of communicable diseases
Be able to transfer, with assistance if needed
Be capable of taking his/her own medication with assistance of associates if needed
Not be a danger to self or others
Not be bedridden
Not have stage 3 or 4 pressure ulcers
Not require 24-hour nursing supervision

Paying for care

Bartram Lakes and The Green House® Residences accepts private pay; however, please speak with someone from our admissions team to help assist you with your personal financial situation, which may include: Long-Term Care Insurance, Veterans Benefit’s (Aid and Attendance), real estate, pensions, annuities and investments and life insurance.

Bartram Lakes and The Green House® Residences does not accept Medicaid at this time.

Our Admissions team will work with you to determine the best path for affording the care your loved one needs and deserves.

Helpful resources

Below are some additional resources that can help guide your family to making the best decision for your loved one.

Making the decision

When to know it’s time for assisted living

Acknowledging that your loved ones needs more full-time care can be hard. Recognizing that you are not able to give them that care can be equally hard. Below are some questions that you can answer about your loved one that may give you an indication that it might be time to consider an assisted living community.

Has your loved one fallen recently?
Is your loved one taking his/her medications appropriately?
Do they struggle with their activities of daily living (ADL’s)?
Is your loved one eating properly?
Have you noticed your loved one not taking care of themselves like they used to?
Is your loved having difficulty keeping up with home maintenance, including yard work?
Has your loved one left their home and gotten lost?
Has your loved one become isolated or withdrawn?

When to know it’s time for memory care

Memory Care communities can provide relief and support for caregivers and their loved ones. Because dementia can affect individuals differently, it can be difficult to know when it is time to start looking for a memory care community. Including the questions above, the following can also be helpful when deciding to take that next step.

Is your loved one confused and disoriented where it puts their safety at risk?
Is their physical health declining?
Does your loved one get lost even in familiar places?
Is your loved one missing meals?
Is caring for your loved one causing caregiver fatigue or caregiver deterioration/li>

How to plan a move

The most important tips we can give you is to plan and to do your research. Change can be stressful, especially when it involves moving to a new environment. You can help mitigate this stress by researching your options and equipping yourself and your loved one with as much knowledge as possible.

The type of licensure a community holds is also a critical piece of information to research prior to making a decision. Types of licensures include Standard License, Limited Nursing Service, Limited Mental Health and Extended Congregate Care. Extended Congregate Care is the highest license you can have for assisted living.

Also, ensure that you have detailed information about the pricing structure of the community you select for your loved one. Some communities have pricing tier structure while others will be all-inclusive.

We highly encourage you to take as many tours as needed to feel confident in your decision. You can include your loved one on one of the tours to improve their comfort level with the new community prior to moving in.

Once your loved one has moved into their assisted living community, make sure you and other friends and family members visit them often. Your loved one can also bring family photos or small heirlooms to make their new residence feel more like home.

Meeting your needs

Whether you need assisted living or memory care, Bartram Lakes and The Green House® Residences are here for you. We’ve been taking care of seniors since 2013. We are proud to provide world-class assisted living and memory care thanks to our tenured staff and access to the entire Brooks Rehabilitation system of care which is include inpatient, outpatient, home health, community programs, research and so much more.

Safety and Security

Assisted Living

Safety is a top priority at Bartram Lakes and we understand that it is likely one of your top priorities, as well. We have a robust safety and security protocol that includes:

All outside doors are locked at all times. The front entrance is open during normal business hours and locks at 6 p.m. each night.
We conduct daily check-ins of all residents with clinical staff and activities staff. Every room in the resident’s apartment has an emergent pull cord for emergencies. Emergent pull cords are located in all public restrooms and around the building in all Resident gathering areas.
Residents that wander, but are not exit seeking, wear Wander Guards that lock all exterior doors from the inside when the Resident walks by them. These Residents can still go outside, but with staff supervision to ensure they remain safely on campus.
All residents have a pendant they wear that allows them to call for assistance no matter where they are in the building.
Updated security cameras

Memory Care

Safety is also critical at The Green House® Residences due to the sensitive nature of caring for seniors with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Our safety protocol includes:

All exterior doors (2) are locked and secure from the outside and inside. The back porch door is unlocked and allows residents access to our secure yard and garden area.
Our open floor plan in each house allows us to have maximum visibility on all elders. When Elders are not out in the common areas, our caretakers check on them frequently.

Special Programs

Fall Prevention Program
Music Therapy Program
Health and Wellness Program – more information coming soon
House calls from Physicians

An important component of your loved on being able to age in place, is ensuring they receive routine medical care such as teeth cleanings, dermatology check-ups, hearing aid assistance, yearly physicals, etc. Your loved one is welcome to choose a service provider, but below is a list of preferred medical providers that we know and trust for our Residents and Elders.

Bluestone Physicians Group – Internal Medicine
Senior Dental Care – Dental
NextGen – Audiology
CardiacVision – Cardiology
Guardian Pharmacy – Pharmacy
Podiatry Associates of Florida – Podiatry
Onsite Dermatology – Dermatology