Truth be told, if you’re visiting this website then NOW is the time to think about assisted living. Assisted living is part of planning for the future, not unlike drawing up a will or planning for retirement. You may not need it, but it doesn’t hurt to get information and take a tour so that you aren’t having to make a big life decision during a time of crisis.

Many people are confused as to what assisted living is, and how it differs from other options such as nursing facilities. In Michigan, several types of residential and healthcare communities may fall under the umbrella of “Assisted Living,” including independent senior apartments, housing with services established, licensed homes for the aged (HFA), and licensed adult foster care homes (AFC). Regardless of its location or licensure type, assisted living communities embrace a philosophy of maximizing residents’ dignity, autonomy, privacy, and independence; accommodating their changing needs and preferences; and minimizing the need to relocate in the likely event that their needs will increase over time as they age.

Lakeview Assisted Living is a state-licensed HFA which means we provide room, board, and supervised personal care to residents who are 55 years of age or older. At Lakeview, our goal is to not only meet our licensing requirements but to implement best practices in the assisted living industry.

Nursing Homes and Licensed HFA are both considered healthcare facilities but they operate under a completely different set of licensing rules, limiting the level of care that can be provided to residents by a licensed HFA. In the State of Michigan, a licensed HFA is not required to employ licensed staff at all, for example, LPN's and RN's.

At Lakeview, we choose to employ both licensed and non-licensed staff. We are prohibited from accepting new residents who require 24-hour nursing oversight. We can use home health agencies and hospice to provide PT/OT and skilled care for our residents on a temporary basis. Nursing homes provide around-the-clock skilled nursing care for the frail elderly who require a higher level of medical care and assistance and most now provide short-term rehabilitative stays for those recovering from an injury, illness or surgery.

Nursing home residents generally have high care needs and complex medical conditions that require routine skilled nursing services. Nursing homes are best suited for people who require significant personal and nursing care: being bed-bound, having fractures or wounds that are not healing, and having multiple medical problems like diabetes, heart disease and congestive heart failure for a few examples. An assisted living environment bridges the gap between home and nursing home care.

Assisted living is a home-like environment and residents have as much independence as they want with the knowledge that personal care and support services are available if they need them. Assisted living communities are designed to provide residents with assistance with basic activities of daily living (ADL's) such as bathing, grooming, dressing, medication management and more.

Normally the process starts with a phone call. This initial conversation allows us to get some information and identify whether or not we’re the best fit for your loved one. Next, we can schedule a tour. During the tour, we’ll show you around Lakeview, answer any questions you may have, and provide you with further information. Moving to an assisted living facility is a very emotional decision, it’s about how the community makes you feel, and we want to make sure you feel at home at Lakeview.

If you wish to move forward with a move into Lakeview Assisted Living, the next step is scheduling an assessment.

What is the assessment? It may sound intimidating, however, there really is nothing to be concerned about. This is not a pass/fail “test.” The assessment creates a baseline for us to establish a required level of care for each resident. Our goal is to ensure our staff is able to adequately care for a resident’s every need. This assessment provides the information necessary to build a service plan used by our clinical staff to ensure all needs – physical, social, mental and spiritual - are met. This customized care plan follows each resident through their stay with us and is updated frequently as your needs change.

Our Director of Resident Care will ask you a series of questions about daily activities and personal hygiene and habits so we can determine what support you need. A Mini-Mental Exam is also performed which allows us to see how a person currently processes provided instruction.

• It’s always better to get information and take a tour before you are actually in need of assisted living. Planning ahead prevents having to scramble and rush during a time of crisis.
• Assisted living communities have come a long way over the years. Lakeview Assisted Living is a warm, welcoming community and the private apartments are very home-like. Quite unlike the negative stereotypes that many have held onto.
• At Lakeview Assisted Living, you are not required to sign a lease for any specific period of time. While we’ve never had an unhappy resident move out, everyone has the option to provide 30-day notice on their lease at any time.
• It may be more affordable than you think! At Lakeview, all of the utilities (with the exception of phone and cable) are included in the rent. All meals, housekeeping, laundry, life enrichment programming, and some care is also included. You’re trading in a lot of monthly costs for one monthly rent payment.
• It never hurts just to go for a tour! Here at Lakeview, we take a very open approach to our tours. We’re happy to show you around the building and answer questions, but if you’d care to test drive our menu or programming, we’d love for you to join us for a meal, an activity, entertainment, or an event! The decision belongs to the potential resident.