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Community Corner

St. Louis Park's TowerLight on Wooddale offers new care model for senior living

There are now more Americans over 65 than at any other time in history.  As baby boomers dive into their sixties, the number of their parents needing skilled nursing care is skyrocketing.  As a result, family members are faced with the daunting task of helping their loved ones find new levels of elder care that is oftentimes accompanied by senior housing.

Many senior living communities offer care options that range from assisted living for those who need more help with daily activities and who don’t want to sacrifice their independence; to memory care for individuals with various stages of memory loss.  The cost of these communities can vary greatly depending on the types of personal amenities and medical services that are needed.

Even as options in aging services are constantly changing to meet the needs of the unpredictable boomer generation, affluent boomers are demanding different care models for their parents who are facing failing health.

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One of these care model solutions is called a Care Suite, offered at St. Louis Park’s TowerLight on Wooddale Senior Living.  This senior residency model combines a traditional assisted living apartment with the highest possible level of care.  Care Suites are a special, private-pay area that is enhanced to provide a more private, homelike environment where residents receive a higher level of attention to their health and personal care needs.  These private apartments typically contain comfortable furnishings including a hospital bed.  Ebenezer groups the apartments into one area of a building within the senior living community.  The area has its own dining room and lounge area, and a nursing staff that is readily accessible, allowing for closer observation of Care Suite residents.

The response to Ebenezer’s Care Suites has been extremely positive.

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“Every day, we hear family members tell us that they want the best possible environment and care available for their loved ones,” said Shannon Krogh, one of Ebenezer’s outreach and sales directors.  “We are finding that more and more families have the financial means to support the type of residency that offers additional amenities and nursing care that we can provide in our Care Suites.”

TowerLight’s Care Suites’ unique features and amenities begin by offering high acuity care in an elegant, private apartment.  Residents who may otherwise move into a nursing home for their long-term needs can stay in a private apartment with their own furnishings.  They receive exceptional care in part because of Care Suites’ very low resident-to-staff ratios. 

Ebenezer also cites many couples that find Care Suites to be a viable and desirable option.  “One spouse may need a very high level of care while the other is pretty independent,” says Krogh.  “For many reasons, they may not have been able to previously stay in the same apartment, but our Care Suites allow them to remain together in a lovely, sophisticated environment.”

While each senior living community features a larger main dining room, more intimate dining rooms are conveniently located on each Care Suites floor, allowing greater attention to residents with special dining and dietary needs.  Residents can relax in a spa for bathing and enjoy an elegantly appointed library, and some communities offer roof top terraces and other comfortable outdoor spaces.

In addition to its many amenities, the Care Suites offer unique clinical services, including two-person transfers, mechanical lifts, wound care and gastric tube management.  Also, nurse practitioners regularly visit their patients, providing a level of care that can greatly reduce office visits and hospital stays.  And notably, an LPN is on staff in Care Suites 24 hours a day. 

TowerLight’s Care Suites are also a popular choice for people who are recovering from surgery or illness and need a short term solution for care.  They can provide the perfect solution for those whose daily caregivers are not able to provide assistance at home because of the level of care needed; or when the care provider needs to go out of town or simply needs a break.

Care Suites are also an option for those who no longer qualify for a Medicare-paid stay in a transitional care unit but still need assistance.

Hospice can also be provided in Care Suites, which have all the advantages of a comfortable home-like setting in a fully furnished apartment with a hospital bed and easy access to medical services.

 

In addition, new features, technology and state-of-the-art amenities have enhanced Care Suites – and all Ebenezer senior living communities -- providing continuing care while improving residents’ safety and mobility. 

 

As the population of Americans 65 and older is expected to double over the next 30 years, Ebenezer is positioned to provide a full range of choices for vibrant senior living and change the way people age in place. 

 

 

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