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What is Assisted Living?

What is Assisted Living?

As the population ages, families increasingly seek quality, compassionate care for their loved ones. Assisted living offers a thoughtful solution—blending independence with personal support in a home-like setting. It’s ideal for seniors who want to maintain autonomy but need help with daily tasks like bathing, dressing, or managing medications. These communities ensure safety, dignity, and quality of life while promoting connection and well-being through personalized support and meaningful social engagement.

Assisted Living

Assisted living provides seniors with personalized support while promoting as much independence as possible. Unlike independent living, which caters to seniors who don’t need daily personal care, assisted living serves those who require help with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as:

  • Dressing and grooming
  • Bathing and hygiene
  • Medication management
  • Mobility and palliative care

Residents often transition into assisted living from their personal home or an independent living community when daily routines become more challenging. They maintain private apartments and bring personal belongings to create a familiar, comforting space.

Additionally, cognitive support may be offered as a specialized service within assisted living or nursing communities. It supports individuals with dementia or Alzheimer’s by providing routine, cognitive support, and a safe, structured environment.

Assisted living is a setting where seniors can feel supported, safe, and still enjoy the comfort and familiarity of home with neighbors, friends, and community.

The Services and Amenities of Assisted Living

Assisted living communities are designed to provide a full spectrum of services that promote physical, emotional, and social well-being. At their core is personalized care, tailored to each resident’s needs. Services typically include:

  • Personal Care Assistance: Help with daily activities such as dressing, bathing, and medication management ensures that residents can focus on living their lives, not on struggling with everyday tasks.
  • Medical Support: On-site healthcare services, including nursing care and therapy, are often available to monitor health conditions and provide necessary treatment.
  • Social and Recreational Activities: Activities are organized to help residents stay engaged, meet new people, and maintain mental and physical health. Communities offer vibrant activity calendars with fitness classes, art workshops, book clubs, movie nights, and group outings.
  • Dining and Nutrition: Assisted living communities provide nutritious meals designed to meet the dietary needs of each resident, promoting better health and well-being.
  • Housekeeping and Maintenance: Services like cleaning, laundry, and home upkeep ensure residents don’t need to worry about household chores.

These amenities allow residents to live with ease, purpose, and companionship in a secure, home-like environment—free from the burdens of isolation or home maintenance. Assisted living enhances not only the length of life but also the joy and fulfillment that comes with each day.

The Benefits of Assisted Living

Choosing assisted living can significantly improve a senior’s day-to-day experience. These communities are built around enriching lives while ensuring safety and comfort. Some of the most impactful benefits include:

  • Improved Quality of Life: With personalized care, residents can live more comfortably, knowing help is available when needed.
  • Increased Safety and Peace of Mind: The presence of trained staff and emergency response systems provides security for both residents and their families.
  • Opportunities for Socialization: Engaging in community activities helps seniors stay connected with others, reducing feelings of isolation and depression. 

Whether transitioning from independent living, recovering from a hospital stay, or seeking a long-term solution for ongoing care, assisted living provides stability, structure, and a vibrant social atmosphere. It allows seniors to live with confidence and joy, knowing support is always close at hand.

Community Considerations

Understanding the financial structure of assisted living is essential when planning for long-term care. There are two common models:

  • Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC): These require an entrance fee but offer a full continuum of care—including independent living, assisted living, and cognitive support—providing peace of mind as care needs change.
  • Month-to-Month Assisted Living: These communities charge monthly fees based on apartment size, occupancy, and care needs. In month-to-month assisted living facilities, sometimes care plans are altered, increasing costs without third-party medical justification.

Another key factor is the type of organization:

  • Not-for-Profit Communities: Focused on resident well-being, these communities reinvest in services and quality of care.
  • For-Profit Facilities: Operated for shareholder return, decisions may prioritize financial outcomes over resident experience.

The monthly care fee varies depending on how much assistance is needed and the number of hours involved. Some residents may need occasional support, while others may require more comprehensive, ongoing care—making the total cost highly individualized.

Find a Community with Assisted Living that is Right for you

With decades of experience, The Hearthstone offers compassionate, personalized Assisted Living in a warm, community-centered environment.

The Hearthstone campus consists of three buildings: The Flagship Lakeside building on the shores of Green Lake, Cove West and Cove East. Independent living residents choose from a whole host of apartment sizes and floor plans. Residents in any of our buildings are afforded a full complement of community amenities and CCRC health services if needed, including assisted living and cognitive support. Beyond those invaluable services, The Hearthstone provides a true sense of comfort and belonging to all who call our community their home.

For more information about life at The Hearthstone, contact us at 206-517-2216 or complete this form.

 

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  • As a long-time Green Lake resident, when I began to explore retirement living communities, The Hearthstone quickly became the perfect choice. I have met so many wonderful and interesting people here. I enjoy having a bistro in my building and access to so many excellent fitness classes, movies, educational classes and other activities offered. I made the best decision for me, and it is a gift to my children as well. They are grateful that I reside is such a safe, caring and supporting community and so am I.

    ~Terri, Cove East

  • Our decision to move to Cove West at the Hearthstone took several years. We were specifically looking for a non-profit CCRC in order to meet any future healthcare needs. The Hearthstone’s well-established reputation stood out as did the Green Lake location, which in our opinion is unmatched in the Seattle area.  All of the community's amenities and the newly-built (at the time) Cove West sealed the deal. Last but not least, we have found true community with our neighbors.

    ~Dave and Judy, Cove West

  • We lived separately and happily at the Hearthstone for several years, and we still consider our individual moves here to be very good decisions. We met at dinner one evening and thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company. As a result, the second, totally unexpected decision we made to move in together was another very good decision. Together, we have found something we thought was lost forever. Not everyone finds love at eighty-one. We wouldn’t have either had one of us not moved to The Hearthstone.  

    ~Keith and Therese, The Lakeside

  • I love living at The Hearthstone and in the wonderful Green Lake neighborhood. My fellow residents and I make up a close-knit community in which there are countless opportunities to improve our physical, mental and spiritual well-being. And the food is good too!

    ~Don, The Lakeside

  • We love calling the Hearthstone our home, as does our dog Dosey, who is SO happy living just one block from Green Lake park. Exercise classes and the well-equipped gym keep us physically active. Music trivia and local excursions are fun. The staff supports our daily living with maintenance, cleaning, rides, trips, humor and kindness. We feel lucky to live here.

    ~Ann and Mary, The Lakeside

  • It is all about community at The Hearthstone and not just the Green Lake neighborhood community.  While we love living in such a vibrant neighborhood, it is the true sense of community with other residents and staff members that makes The Hearthstone so special.

    ~Frank and Jean, The Lakeside

  • “I knew this move would be a positive one, yet I had no idea that my new home would be my paradise. I wake up each day and see it as a new beginning—whether it is sunny or cloudy—it is full of hope.”

    ~Madalyn, The Lakeside
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