Choosing a senior living community can be a difficult, stressful process for older adults and their families. Guilt and anxiety are inevitable, and it’s easy to second-guess your decision: Did we act too quickly? Overreact? Choose the right place?
“I have met with so many family members who are worried about a parent. You can see the uncertainty in their eyes at first,” says Allyson Adams, the Memory Care Coordinator at Highgate at Bozeman. “But then when I see them a month after their parent has moved in, they are so happy. They finally have peace of mind and they know their loved one’s life is changing for the better.”
As a premier senior living community, Highgate has gorgeous landscaping, beautiful common areas, 24-hour staffing, delicious meals, and engaging activities — but it also offers a few things other senior living communities don’t. Highgate’s mission isn’t just to provide housing and care for older adults; it’s to help each resident truly live their life to the fullest.
Here’s a closer look at four unique elements of a Highgate community that you just won’t find anywhere else.
Full Care for All
Highgate understands that no two seniors are alike, but all seniors deserve the highest standard of care. The Full Care for All approach means each person receives as much care as they want and not more than they need.
For instance, if your mom has a memory loss diagnosis and your dad struggles with heart disease, they can live together at Highgate yet receive care customized to their unique needs.
Another example: Highgate’s team of clinical professionals can handle almost any complex medical issues or severe cognitive impairment. Not all senior living communities are equipped to provide diabetes care, oxygen management, wound dressings, tube feedings, catheter monitoring, ostomy management, or injectable medicines.
“We have a comprehensive program to train our team,” says Vanessa Rauser, a Registered Nurse and the Health Care Director at Highgate at Bozeman. “We train our care team on basic care tasks as well as specific tasks for each of the residents that they will be assisting. It’s not a cookie-cutter plan for all of our residents.”
Another way Adams sees the Full Care for All approach in action is within The Cottage, Highgate’s memory care community. “When many families come in for a tour, they’re worried that memory care is a place where residents go to die,” she says. “That’s not how we see it at all. At Highgate, there’s no separation from memory care to The Manor, our assisted living community. We get the same meals, the same services. They may be tweaked based on a resident’s specific needs, but every resident receives the fullest care.”
Nutritious, Delicious
There’s nothing better than a good meal. But many families worry their loved one will only have access to bland, institutional fare when they move to a senior living community.
When it comes to its dining program, Highgate is one of the premier senior living communities in the industry. Run by a five-star chef with more than 20 years’ experience at high-end restaurants and hotels around the world, Highgate’s dining services philosophy is Nutritious, Delicious made-from-scratch food.
Menus feature open-fire cowboy steak with grilled onions, seared salmon, hand-breaded eggplant parmesan, and spinach and cranberry salad. Gluten-free and vegetarian items are also available.
But mealtime isn’t about just eating healthy food.
“We want our residents to have a dining experience, complete with friends to eat with and servers to take your order,” Adams says. “It’s a true restaurant-style experience.”
A Holistic Approach
When you think about your parent’s health, the first thing that may come to mind is their physical body. But seniors can live healthier and happier lives when they receive care that focuses on their body, mind, and spirit.
“Holistic care is one of the cornerstones of our practice,” Rauser says.
To support residents’ mind, body, and spirit, Highgate offers aromatherapy, massage, nutritional support, and socialization.
For example, if a resident doesn’t have much of an appetite due to age or medication side effects, a care partner might offer them a warm washcloth spritzed with peppermint essential oils, which encourages appetite.
Adams offers another example: “In The Cottage, if a resident is sundowning or getting anxious, we might offer a hand massage using a lavender lotion that we make at Highgate. Some places just reach for medication. But the holistic approach truly makes a difference. Within 20 minutes, they’re typically calm again.”
Purposeful Living
The biggest thing that sets apart Highgate from other premier senior living communities is the core belief that successful aging requires having a sense of purpose and meaning in life.
Whereas many senior living communities stack the activities schedule with Bingo, sing-alongs, and exercise, Highgate creates programs that allow residents to continue to live a life of purpose each day.
For example, at Highgate at Bozeman, the Paint N Pour art class, sign language class, and memoir writing class have not only led to newfound interests and passions but also new friendships.
Adams recalls a story about a resident who didn’t think he could paint, but once he got involved in the Paint N Pour classes, he fell in love and never missed a class. “It became a new passion for him,” she says.
No matter what age or what ailment, Highgate identifies ways to support their residents in living a meaningful and fulfilling life.
To learn more about how Highgate can help your loved one live each day to the fullest, download our guide to Highgate Senior Living’s Unique Approach to Senior Care. It will give you a more in-depth look at our team members, programs, and unique approach to assisted living and memory care.
