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4 Things to Remember When Choosing an Assisted Living Community

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The transition from home care to assisted living is one that’s not always easy to navigate. You need to know your loved one will be cared for with dignity, respect and personalized attention. When choosing the right community, you have a few things to consider before signing a contract. Will there be someone on hand to assist when needed, no matter the hour? Is the facility a nonprofit or for profit, and how does each differ? What services are included and offered on-site, and what social activities are put forward to keep your loved one active, happy and entertained?

The experts at the Hearth at Drexel understand the importance of treating those in their community as individuals, with varied levels of abilities, backgrounds, social preferences and need for care. That’s why they’ve developed a full-service community that meets the needs of each individual through progressive services and a personal approach to assisted living on the Main Line. Here are four important things to look for when considering an assisted living community for your loved one, and just how the Hearth delivers.

A Personalized Home

Providing personalized, individual housing for each senior is what helps the Hearth at Drexel stand out from other Philadelphia area assisted living communities. Here, your loved one is able to take the memories, photos, and the rest of their comforts of home with them in their transition to assisted care, making that step a little more familiar and fluid. At the Hearth, your loved one will be able to choose from one and two bedroom and studio floor plans, with private baths, a smart TV and Wi-Fi in every apartment.

A Social Life

The Hearth has four residential households for seniors, each with their own full-service beauty salon and barbershop. Each household has a communal feel, where residents can participate in regularly scheduled events with their community members and receive visits from friends and family members. This month, guests will enjoy Oktoberfest in the traditional German style: with brats, schnitzel, and live entertainment. The Bryn Mawr Film Institute regularly visits the community to host movie screenings and lectures, like November’s talk, “On The Origin Of Cinema.” To keep residents active, the Heart offers late morning exercises, fitness classes and even chair yoga through its Liberty Lifestyle wellness program.

Dining When And Where You Want It

Flexible meal times and grab-and-go snacks are provided at the Hearth, where the kitchen is always open. Wake to a breakfast of made-to-order eggs, french toast and fresh fruit served at the breakfast bar, in the dining room or on the outdoor balcony. For lunch, think sweet potato bisque, Greek orzo salad, grilled cheese and burgers. For dinner, take your pick between seasoned baked cod, rosemary dijon lamb chops, grilled salmon and, of course, dessert. There’s never a shortage of dining options, whatever the meal — and with the Hearth’s anytime dining offerings, your loved one can eat what they want when they’re hungry (even if that means a 10pm ice cream run).

An Engaged Staff

When you’re deciding to take your loved one to an assisted living community, it’s key that you find a space where they feel comfortable, and where they are taken care of with the same level of detail that you yourself would provide. At the Hearth, staff is available 24-hours a day to meet the needs of residents. Here, your loved one will experience the freedom to head to the kitchen for a mid-afternoon meal, plan their day as they please, and be as engaged and independent as they want. They’ll also be free — and encouraged — to ask for assistance when they need it.

The Heart believes in progressive care. That means meeting a senior where they’re at, assessing the level of care they need (be it assisted living, memory or cognitive care, respite, home or hospice) and making sure their life at the Hearth is comfortable as they continue through their time in the community.

When you bring your loved one to the Hearth, you can rest assured that they are getting the care they need and deserve — and you can look forward to regular visits that show you just how good they’re living.

For more information about the Hearth at Drexel, or to schedule a tour, visit thehearthatdrexel.org.