What are Assisted Living Communities like in Portland, Oregon?
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Assisted living facility can be just the antidote for the loneliness that many seniors experience. Having peers as neighbors just around the corner from their own apartment gives them a sense of friendship and community which keeps seniors active and engaged.
What is assisted living like in Portland, Oregon? It’s a haven and a safe place to age with grace and dignity.
Seniors and their families have come to enjoy the peace of mind knowing their loved one will have the safety and support of a RN, 24 hour caregivers available along with chef prepared meals and a variety of activities to name a few benefits.
Imagine you or your loved one not having to mow the lawn or pay for the expense and upkeep of a house. Services provided such as shopping and preparing meals take the stress off so they can enjoy quality time doing the things they love with family and friends.
Seniors in assisted living enjoy an array of onsite activities and amenities along with transportation to social activities and doctors appointments.
Seniors and their family can be reassured that The Oregon Department of Human Services licenses and provides constant oversight to all Oregon Assisted living communities.
Here are some of the main services and amenities of assisted living communities.
9 amenities included in the base rent in Assisted Living
- Private apartment with private bath and kitchenette
- 24 hour care staff and medication techs available on site (care at additional cost)
- Registered nurse onsite 40 hours per week (State required) and 24 hours on call 7 days a week (care at additional cost)
- Weekly housekeeping
- Community Laundry rooms with no cost machines and laundry soap
- General apartment maintenance and repair
- All Utilities such as cable, electric and garbage (WIFI usually extra)
- Amenities and activities such as a movie theater, billiards, chapel, outings and transportation to doctor’s appointments and social activities.
- Personal trainers in some communities with gyms
There are 3 types of assisted living Apartments with multiple floor plan choices
Assisted living apartments vary in square footage and the number of rooms within an apartment from community to community. You can choose from a studio, 1 bedroom or even 2 bedroom apartments.
Some assisted living communities in Portland even offer dens and deluxe 1 bedroom apartments. From Gresham to Clackamas to Beaverton Assisted living apartments range from 320-1400 square foot on average.
Trained caregivers and med techs: help with dressing, bathing, transfers, and more
The care partners at an assisted living community play a crucial role in helping you or your loved one feel safe, supported, and thriving.
Oregon requires an RN be on call 24 hours a day and onsite 40 hours a week. Caregivers receive ongoing Oregon state mandated elder-care training.
They help seniors with activities of daily living (ADLs) as laid out in a care plan upon admission. DHS requires doctors orders to be signed prior to admission certifying the need for assisted living and verifying medications to be administered.
The goal of every assisted living is to provide individualized care while aiming to enable a resident to be as independent as possible.
Depending on you or your loved one’s needs, caregivers may provide support with:
- Medication management
- Diabetic care (Some assisted living communities)
- Escorts to dining options, exercises classes and social activities
- Caregivers must have food safety cards to offer residents after hours snacks
- Dressing
- Bathing and showering
- Mobility
- Transfers (1 person only), pivot transfers, slide board transfers, gait belt, transfer pole
- Grooming assistance
- Toileting assistance
- Inconsistent Bladder/Bowel…..do you mean Incontinent
- Some complex medical oversight such as Weight monitoring and INR’s
- Fall risk management
- Pet care (Some Assisted Living Communities)
Safety measures and ADA accommodations in assisted living communities
One of the most important safety measures all Oregon assisted living communities are required to have is on-site staffing, 24 hours a day and seven days a week, to handle emergencies any day or time.
Also, many families unknowingly think they will have to add additional safety bars or handrails to their loved ones’ apartment, but actually this is also a state requirement.
Here is what you can expect in all Oregon assisted living and memory care communities;
- Call lights or pendants
- Clearly marked exits and alarmed exits
- Fire safety doors ( to close off parts of the community in case of fire)
- Sprinkler system in all rooms, community rooms, and hallways
- Wheelchair ramps
- Handrails and grab bars
- Elevators with braille
- Zero-threshold showers
- ADA doorways, hallways and entryways
Assisted living communities treat seniors’ security a priority
Seniors and their families love the fact that all communities have set hours when the front doors become locked for the night, however families are given the code or a key fob to enter.
Also all exterior doors, including parking garages are accessible only by code or key fob. Some assisted living communities have onsite security walking the grounds even at night.
Dining in an Assisted Living community offers residents healthy options with a whole lot of convenience
Many seniors have lost the desire to cook anymore or even go to the grocery store. And oftentimes seniors will skip meals at home just because it’s too much effort to prepare healthy options for themselves.
The beauty of assisted living in Portland, Oregon is that the state DHS requires communities to have 3 prepared meals per day with snack options available to seniors. And many communities go even further than this by providing different dining options with cafes and bakeries sprinkled throughout the community.
I have personally experienced ice cream shops and coffee shops to cafes that serve paninis and locally stocked baked goods from prized winning bakeries in town such as Grand Central bakery.
Meal times are a wonderful and low key social time for seniors. Even if mom or dad are not social butterflies going to the dining room for meals will provide 3 social encounters to enhance their overall wellbeing.
Here are some other benefits and options assisted living communities offer.
Meals in assisted living communities may include:
- Three chef-prepared meals a day
- A variety of entrees, side dishes, and desserts to choose from
- Fresh fruit, fresh salads, healthy snacks, and drinks available at any time
- Balanced meals considering the 5 food groups
- Simplified menus with large print to lower confusion for older adults
- Weekly menus posted in advance
- The option to invite family members and other guests to meals
- Private dining for friends and family or special groups
- The option to select a special meal plan, accounting for diabetic, fortified, low-sodium, and high-fiber diets
Housekeeping, laundry, and maintenance
Don’t want to do your personal laundry anymore? You don’t have to, you can add this to your care plan for a small charge. Want to keep doing your laundry?
No problem, there are free washers and dryers conveniently placed on each floor. All assisted living facilities offer basic housekeeping and maintenance.
- Bed linens washed and changed weekly
- Basic dusting of surfaces (without moving residents items)
- Vacuuming and cleaning floor surfaces
- Maintaining a healthy refrigerator by monitoring expired food
- General maintenance of the apartment (light bulbs, toilet repairs, and tv cable issues)
- Pet services (cat litter cleaning and pet feeding)
Activities; Bingo to Ted Talks and everything in between
Activities can cure isolation and loneliness in seniors. But not every activity is right for every senior.
In Assisted living there are activities directors and health trainers who specialize in creating social engagements that older adults want to come to and enjoy.
One goal in assisted living communities is to offer a social belonging for every resident no matter their interests.
Care providers talk to incoming residents and their families about the seniors’ passions and develop programming accordingly.
These conversations also help staff know which activities to encourage a new resident to try.
- Social engagements: Seniors establish social connections through events like game nights, poker and bridge clubs, happy hours, bingo, Skip Bo, Scrabble, church services, devotions, Wii bowling, and karaoke
- Intellectual stimulation. Common intellectual activities include current events clubs, art classes, sewing groups, community outreach groups, running the community store, book clubs, computer classes.
- Physical wellbeing; Popular physical health activities include walks, chair exercise, strength exercises, weight equipment, personal trainers, swimming pools with a full class schedule, Tai chi, and yoga.
- Outings; Zoo lights, beach trips, road trip to Multnomah falls, garden tours, ballets, opera, and Broadway shows
- Outside Entertainers coming into the community; ballet productions, musicians, children’s choirs, adult choirs, tea parties, and much more.
On-site amenities: promoting socialization and wellbeing
A refreshing change of surroundings is always nearby in assisted living communities in Portland, with various community rooms and cozy spaces designed to enhance the residents’ spirits with engaging activities. Depending on the community, these may include:
- Beauty salon
- Acupuncture clinic
- Foot care clinic
- Safeway pharmacy (limited communities)
- Concierge service
- Movie theater
- Game room and card table
- Putt putt greens
- Puzzle tables with magnifying lights
- Library with fireplaces
- Computer room
- Projectors for vision impaired
- Raised flower beds and garden
- Porches, patios, and/or sunrooms
- Swimming pools with ADA pool lift chair
- Fitness center wheelchair accessible equipment
- Woodworking shop
- Art studio
- Community Kitchens for baking or cooking classes
- Billiards
- Chapel
- Large event space
- Private dining
Learn more about assisted living in Portland and surrounding areas
If you or your loved one would enjoy or benefit from assisted living, reach out to Care Solutions LLC and I will help you explore the best Assisted Living communities near you.
Whether you live in Gresham, Clackamas, Happy Valley, Milwaukie, Portland, Beaverton, Tigard, Forest grove, or Hillsboro we can help match you to the BEST senior living options for you or your loved one.
We have helped thousands of northwest families just like yourself find the right fit for their loved one.