Questions and answers
The things people ask before they are willing to call
Written the way we would answer them on the phone. Where the honest answer is "it depends on your situation", we say that and give you a way to get the real one rather than padding it out.
Costs and paying for it
What does it cost per month?
It depends on two things and only two things: which apartment you take, and whether you need Independent Living or Residential Care. There is no advertised figure on this site because a single number would be wrong for most people reading it. Ask and you get yours in a couple of minutes.
Is there a buy-in, entrance fee or large deposit?
No. Autumn Ridge is a rental community with a month-to-month agreement. There is no entrance fee of the kind continuing care communities charge, and no lease is required.
What is actually included in the rent?
Three restaurant-style meals a day, basic utilities apart from phone, weekly housekeeping and linen service, laundry service, apartment maintenance, transportation to scheduled appointments and outings, and the full activities calendar. Residential Care adds nursing services, medication management and 24-hour associates.
See how pricing worksDo you accept Medicaid, and does Medicare pay for any of it?
What applies depends on the level of care and on the individual, so this is one to ask about your specific situation rather than read a general answer to. We will tell you straight, including when the answer is no.
My father is a veteran. Is there help available?
Very possibly. The VA's Aid and Attendance benefit is an addition to a VA pension for veterans and surviving spouses who need help with daily living, and it goes unclaimed constantly. We help families work out whether it is worth applying and assemble the application.
How Aid and Attendance worksCare and levels of living
What is the difference between Independent Living and Residential Care?
Independent Living removes the household: meals, housekeeping, maintenance, utilities, transportation. Residential Care keeps all of that and adds the care: nursing services, medication management, and associates on site 24 hours a day. Residential Care is state licensed. Both are in the same community.
What happens if we start in one and need the other later?
You move levels, not towns. That is the main reason people choose a community that offers both. The apartment may change, the neighbours, the dining room and the staff do not.
Do you provide memory care?
Autumn Ridge offers Independent Living and Residential Care. Our Activities Director is a certified Alzheimer's facilitator, and dementia is not unfamiliar here, but whether we are the right setting for a particular person depends entirely on their needs. Describe the situation and we will tell you honestly, including when the answer is that somewhere else would serve them better.
Is there a nurse in the building at night?
Residential Care includes 24-hour associates and all required nursing services. For exactly who is on site at which hour, ask, and you will get the real staffing pattern rather than a marketing sentence.
Can you help after a hospital stay?
Yes, and this is one of the most common reasons people arrive. Physical, occupational and speech therapy are delivered in-house, so recovery does not depend on arranging rides three times a week. Short-term respite stays exist for exactly this.
Short-term respiteApartments and daily life
Can I bring my own furniture?
Yes. Apartments for permanent residents are unfurnished, and people arrive with their own things. Respite stays are furnished, because packing a sofa for two weeks would be unreasonable.
Are pets allowed?
This depends on the animal and the apartment, and it is genuinely worth asking rather than assuming either way. Tell us what you have.
Can I keep my car?
Many Independent Living residents drive and keep a car on site. Scheduled transportation exists for everyone else, and for the days when driving is more trouble than it is worth.
What time are meals, and can family join?
Three meals a day, served restaurant style rather than on trays. Family are welcome to eat with you. For today's times and menu, ask, since both change.
Are there restrictions on visiting?
It is your home, and people visit homes. For current arrangements, including anything seasonal, ask and you will get today's position.
Are the apartments set up for limited mobility?
Layouts and fittings differ between the seven plans. Rather than answer generally, tell us what is needed, walkers, wheelchairs, grab bars, a walk-in shower, and we will tell you which apartments work.
Visiting and moving in
Do I have to book a tour to see the place?
No. The About page has said "call us today to schedule a tour or stop by at your earliest convenience" for years, and it is meant. Free community bingo is open to the public and is the least awkward way in.
See the next bingoHow quickly could someone move in?
Entirely dependent on what is open, which changes week to week. Asking takes a minute and gives you a real date rather than a guess.
Can we try it before committing?
Yes. A short-term respite stay is the honest version of a trial, and the month-to-month agreement means even moving in properly is not a year-long bet.
How respite worksMy parent does not want to move. What do other families do?
Come to something public rather than a tour, so nobody is being sold to. Let them lead the visit. And be honest with them about what is worrying you, which is usually more persuasive than a brochure. We have watched a lot of families through this and are happy to talk it through with you first, before your parent is involved at all.
Still not answered?
Ask the real question, however specific or however awkward. That is what the assistant is for, and it is available at hours when nobody is at the front desk.