Senior Living Services

• Resident living areas on one level & handicap accessible
• Private or Semi-Private bedrooms fully furnished
• Master Suite w/ private bathroom & walk in closet
• Guest accommodations offered at select locations
• Three home cooked meals and snacks daily
• Residential family home setting
• Great Room w/ fireplace, den, sunroom
• Whirlpool tub
• Located near walking paths & parks
• Laundry & housekeeping
• Cable TV, phone and internet access upon request
• Daily activities as well as monthly outings
• All inclusive daily rates

• 24 Hour CNA/Caregiver Staff (awake overnight caregiver)
• High staff to resident ratio
• Regular weekly+ on site visits by RN & LPN
• On Call Nursing 24/7
• Optional contracted services for in home visiting physician with monthly visits & continuous monitoring
• Medication management & administration
• In home lab and x-ray service coordination
• PT/OT Home care coordination & continuum of daily exercises
• Hospice/Palliative/End of Life Care
• Full assistance with ADL’s (grooming, dressing, bathing, etc.)
• Coordination of medical appointments & transportation (to & from)
• Staff escorts to medical appointments when family is not available

• Dementia Care
• Wound Care
• Respite/Transitional Care
• Catheter & Urostomy Care
• Colostomy Care
• Tube Feedings (G-tubes & J-tubes)
• IM injections: B-12, Flu Shots, etc.
• Blood glucose monitoring
• O2 management, CPAP/BiPAP
• Insulin injections/Sliding scale

You have made the decision to move your loved one into a senior living community. We know that was a choice that was not likely easy. We know your parent is going to get more out of life, get the level of care he or she needs, make new friends, and enjoy the next chapter in their lives.

Now, there are several things to take care of to get things in order BEFORE the move that will make for a smooth transition for your Mom or Dad.

Make an Appointment with Mom or Dad’s Primary Doctor

Before moving in, no matter what level of care your parent needs, it’s a good idea for them to see their primary physician. Ask the doctor to evaluate your parent’s medication list to make sure all prescriptions are current, necessary and don’t conflict with each other. Taking the proper doses of the medications they need — and only the medications they need — is vital to their quality of life.

Talk About & Sign Personal Paperwork

Before your loved one moves, it’s a good time to sit down and talk about a will, power of attorney, a health care directive, and other important issues that we all tend to put off. Get the paperwork done, signed and filed away now, and you won’t have to worry about it when the time eventually comes that you’ll need it.

Talk About What to do With the House

If Mom or Dad is currently living in their home, the question becomes what to do with the house when they move to their new community. If their house is paid off, there’s no great rush to decide, and the topic can be difficult to broach. But now is the time to float a trial balloon to get their feelings on selling their home or keeping it. The money from the sale will go a long way toward securing their financial future.

Fill Out a Change of Address Form

Friends and relatives will want to send cards and letters to Mom or Dad in their new home. They’ll want all of their personal mail delivered to them instead of piling up at the house.

Get the Dimensions & Floor Plan of Their New Unit

With the exact dimensions and floorplan, you can map out which furniture to bring and how it will look in their new home. They’ll also need their own linens, cookware, dishes, television and radio, personal items and anything else they’d like to make their new place feel like home.

Consider Using a Senior Moving Specialist

Deciding what items from home to bring and what to leave behind can be a difficult choice. Services like Gentle Transitions specialize in moving seniors. At Gentle Transitions, they’ll give you a complimentary consultation, work with you to create a move plan based on the floorplan of Mom or Dad’s new home, help you strategize what to bring and what to downsize, provide professional packing services, help you choose and supervise professional movers, and will be there to unpack when the move is complete.

Attend Some Events at the New Community

Take Mom or Dad to a couple of events in their new community before they move. That way, they can meet and mingle with residents and staff, and really get a good feel for the place before they move in.

Here at Beacon – Senior Living, we want to help make the transition from home into one of our senior communities as seamless and enjoyable as possible. Get in touch today.

When you’ve made the decision to transition your spouse to a senior living community because his or her care is more than you can manage at home, despite all of the resources available to you, one of the first things on your mind is making sure they are happy in their new home. That’s why it’s important to tour our communities before your loved one moves in. You’ll get a firsthand picture of the community, it’s activities, features, grounds and other amenities.

How can you make the most of your community tour? Here are a few suggestions.

Do your homework before you go
Some questions to ask yourself:

• What level of service and care does your loved one need? At Ebenezer, we have many types of resident communities, including independent living, assisted living, memory care and more. It’s best to talk with a care counselor to determine where your spouse belongs.
• Which location do you prefer? We have communities all throughout the Twin Cities metro area and beyond. It’s ideal for you and other family members to live close by to facilitate easy visiting.
• Would your loved one prefer a private or double room? Many of our residents love the companionship of a roommate. They can eat meals together, attend activities and events, and generally have a sympathetic ear to listen to life stories, tales from their youth or bragging about grandchildren.
• Is it possible to transition from one level of care to another?
• Can you move with your spouse? At Beacon – Senior Living, many of our residents have different levels of care, but don’t want to give up living in the same space. Our Journey Program caters to these loving couples. It is designed to give the spouse who needs more care an opportunity for increased activities and socialization in the memory care neighborhood. It gives the caregiving spouse a well-deserved break and affords the spouse who needs more care meaningful and engaging programming. It can also serve as a bridge between Assisted Living and Memory Care.

What to look for on your tour
When you’re touring the buildings and grounds, take note of several aspects of the community, including:

• The upkeep and cleanliness of the buildings and grounds.
• Neatness of inside common areas.
• The dining room — can you share meals with your loved one?
• The other residents. When you’re on your tour, your loved one can meet other residents, so your spouse has a friend from the get-go. Talk to residents about daily life. Do they enjoy living there?

Questions to ask on your tour
One of our properties has put together a list of questions you should ask on your tour.

• What is the monthly rent, and what is included? Is a deposit necessary?
• Can you break down the charges for care?
• Are there additional fees?
• What happens if a resident runs out of money?
• Do you accept long-term care insurance?
• Is staff available 24/7?
• Do we need to bring our own furniture?
• What kind of spiritual health offerings do you have?
• What type of activities are included? If possible, arrange to visit when an activity is happening, so you can get a picture of daily life there. Are the residents participating? Is the staff happy and engaged? At Beacon – Senior Living, we have a wide range of programs that enrich our seniors’ lives. From Life Long Learning that focuses on the arts and education in a forum that’s designed to foster creativity and growth, to Horticultural Therapy that offers residents the chance for four-season gardening, and Intergenerational Programs at some of our communities.
• How is memory care approached? At Beacon – Senior Living, we offer our Dimensions Program, which is designed to make a dramatic difference in memory care, using evidence-based best practices.
• Who are the care team? Sometimes, it’s possible to meet with care workers to get an overall picture of life at the residence.
• Do you think your spouse will be happy here?

Remember, Beacon – Senior Living is Minnesota’s expert in memory care. If you or your loved one is living with memory loss, Beacon is your source for memory care resources. From personal services in your home, to health care services, and memory care communities, our compassionate staff can help care for loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other dementia. Beacon is a leader in providing senior housing options, community-based programs and medical care throughout Minnesota.

Please contact us today to schedule a tour.

If you’re in the process of deciding, or already have decided, to make the move to one of Beacon’s senior communities, you have a whole new life of socialization, activities and companionship ahead of you. Still, moving from the home you’ve been in for a lifetime into a new apartment home, townhome or condo can be a big change for many of our residents, especially if they’ve been living alone. Here are some tips to successfully transition into your new home.

Take your most cherished items
If you’re moving from a large home into an apartment or condo, we get it, you simply can’t take everything. So you’ll need to make choices. We recommend you take the pieces that will make you feel the most comfortable and at home. Along with the basics like bedroom and living room furniture, take cherished pieces — your favorite armchair, special artwork and accent pieces, and anything else that will make you feel at home.

Get out and mingle! 
One of the most powerful benefits of moving into a senior living community is the opportunity for companionship and socialization. You’ll find that your community is teeming with people around your age who want to get to know you, guaranteed! Especially if new residents have been alone at home for years, getting out there and socializing doesn’t come naturally. But take that step. Don’t hole up in your new apartment, as beautiful and comfortable as it may be. Venture out into the common areas! Explore all of the various things in your building like a library, dining area, outdoor spaces, exercise rooms, dining rooms and more. You’ll find plenty of people to talk to who are more than willing to strike up a conversation with you.

Participate in our programs
Beacon – Senior Living is famous for our programming for seniors. Take advantage of it! Not only will you enrich your life, you’ll make new friends in the process. Our Life Long Learning Initiative is a collection of coordinated arts and education programs designed to foster growth and creativity for seniors. Life Long Learning is the process of keeping your mind, body and spirit engaged — at any age — by actively pursuing knowledge and experience. Life Long Learning programs range from ceramics classes at the Northern Clay Center, music classes at MacPhail, visual arts classes, creative writing and more. Who knows? You might find a whole new second career in the arts! It’s never too late!

Part of our Life Long Learning Initiative, our award-winning Horticultural program is one of Beacon’s most popular. Our residents love to get their gardening on! You’ll create seasonal fresh-cut floral arrangements, learn about transplanting and growing from seeds, cooking with produce you’ve grown and even attracting birds and butterflies! We also take garden- and nature-related excursions.

We also offer Everactive Exercise Classes at most of our sites. Exercise is crucial to you staying healthy and active, and we make it fun. Our Stay Active and Independent for Life (SAIL) group exercise classes include low to moderate aerobics, strength training, and flexibility and balance exercises that you can do seated or standing.

Take advantage of the activities in your community
In a Beacon community, there’s always something happening. In all of our communities, you’ll have opportunities to stay active, whether it’s going to a farmer’s market to taking in a sports game, joining a card club or book club, or listening to a guest speaker talk about timely topics. The options of things to do range widely to meet most every interest.

Along with your safety and security, the benefits of increased socialization a senior living community brings to your life cannot be overstated. You’ll go from living alone at home to living in a community filled with like-minded, friendly people. You’ll make many new friends and enrich your life in ways you can’t even imagine.

At Beacon – Senior Living, we’ll be happy to talk with you about all of the wonderful programs and activities we offer our residents. Contact us today, and start living your best life tomorrow.