Each week or so, Home Instead Senior Care of Richmond profiles local senior living communities as an informational service to our readers.

This week, we review The Towers in Richmond, Virginia. Located conveniently on Carnation Street, behind Chippenham Hospital, The Towers is a family-owned company that has been caring for seniors for over 28 years.

The Towers offers a spectrum of care options from independent living to assisted living, respite care, and memory care on-site. They offer a monthly rate structure without endowment fees or commitment to buy-in.

At The Towers, services include:

• Independent Retirement Living
• Assisted Living
• Specialty Care – Dementia

Each service starts with:

• Your choice of stylish apartments
• Fine dining
• Maintenance-free living, including utilities, housekeeping and laundry
• Social Activities
• Van Transportation
• Monthly Leases

Then, you can add Assisted Living, when you need it:

• Care and assistance by nursing staff, there around the clock
• Emergency call systems
• Medication management
• Wellness Programs and activities

Dementia Care is also available:

• Comprehensive activities designed to enhance memory
• Separate, dedicated apartments
• Higher staff to resident ratios than assisted living
• Qualified staff trained in dementia care

If you’re interested in finding out more, you can contact The Towers at 804.320.1412 or check out their web site at www.thetowers.net.  They are located at 7015 Carnation Street, Richmond, VA 23225.

And, for more information on how a Home Instead CareGiver can help keep you or your loved one living independently at home wherever home may be, call our Richmond senior care office at 804.527.1100, visit our web site, and view our digital brochure  today!

Every week, Home Instead Senior Care of Richmond profiles senior living communities in the area as a service to our readers.

Heritage Oaks is near Chippenham Hospital and serves seniors age 65+

This week, we take a look at Heritage Oaks Retirement. Conveniently located two blocks from Chippenham Hospital, Heritage Oaks sits on 12 acres of wooded, landscaped, private land. 

It is a blended community that offers restaurant-style dining, on-site healthcare assistance, transportation services, and spacious apartments decorated with residents’ own home furnishings.

Heritage Oaks' dining offers a restaurant-like experience.

Heritage Oaks boasts a restaurant that “rivals the best restaurants in town and is a chance for residents to indulge” with three delicious meals served daily.

It also plans a host of activities for its residents, including:

• Jazzercise
• Poker
• Exercise Classes
• Matinees
• Undefeated Wii Bowling Team
• Full-time chauffeur
• All-inclusive pricing

Here’s what Heritage Oaks has to say about the high activity level it offers:

Residents at Heritage Oaks are active and social. You’ll find them playing billiards, growing their own vegetables in our outdoor garden, socializing with friends in quiet nooks or participating in discussion groups and tours. When the weather is nice, many of our residents choose to walk around our beautifully landscaped gardens. During those days when it’s best to stay indoors, you’ll find them exercising with our modern equipment or participating in an exercise class.

Our chapel offers a place for quiet meditation on days when you want to slow the pace. Our lofty atrium provides the perfect backdrop for musical presentations. With a full-time Activities Director on-site, there’s always something to do.

For more information on Heritage Oaks,  visit http://www.heritageoaksretirement.com or call them at 804.323.3800. They are conveniently located in Richmond at 1100 German School Road, Richmond, Virginia 23225.

And, for more information on how a Home Instead CareGiver can help keep your loved one living independently in his or her own home, regardless of where he or she calls home,  visit our web site at www.homeinstead.com/richmond-va, view our digital interactive brochure, or call our Richmond office today at 804.527.1100.

Essex House is a small but caring assisted living facility in Tappahannock, Virginia.

We’re continuing our series of featuring senior care facilities in the Richmond and Northern Neck areas.  This week, we’re profiling the Essex House in Tappahannock, Virginia.

The Essex House is an assisted living facility located at 17976 Tidewater Trail, Tappahannock, VA 22560.  It is managed by the American Retirement Homes compay, which is a family-owned management company for six Assisted Living Residences and ten Personal Care Agencies located throughout Virginia and one Independent Living Residence in Warsaw.

As one of six assisted living facilities, Essex House is small, intimate, and family oriented in feel and layout.  Being smaller in size allows residents to maintain the feeling of home instead of just being a number as they so often are in institutional settings of larger facilities.

Residents may choose private or semi-private furnished rooms.  All of the worrisome household chores are taken care of for the residents so that they may enjoy their days with friends and family or participating in their planned social activity program. 

Nutritious home-cooked meals and snacks are prepared everyday and medication technicians are on staff to ensure that residents take the proper dosage of their medication throughout the day.  Should the time come that your elderly loved one needs assistance in everyday activities of daily living, then they have the staff to assist in any way needed.

Essex House has been serving Virginia Seniors for over 40 years with Senior Living options to meet a variety of needs. Their staff is “dedicated and committed to providing quality care with a personal touch.”

Designed for easy living, each residence offers different room plans, dining options, community living rooms, and outdoor areas that are in stark contrast to the institutional feel of larger facilities.

For more information about Essex House, call 804-443-5921.

And for more information about how Home Instead Senior Care can help seniors remain living independently at home, wherever that may be, call our Tappahannock home care office at 804.443.4885 anytime.  Or, in Richmond, call 804.527.1100.

Each week, Home Instead Senior Care of Richmond profiles one of the local senior retirement communities for our readers’ information.  This week we are profiling Gayton Terrace.

View from outside Gayton Terrace

Gayton Terrace, which is owned by Horizon Bay, is a four-story, 100-unit senior retirement community located in the upscale west end of Richmond.  Built on 10 acres, the community caters to independent, assisted living, and memory care residents and is conveniently located at 12401 Gayton Road, Richmond, VA 23238.

According to their website, Gayton Terrace offers plenty of opportunities for social interaction, physical activity and intellectual stimulation. You can join friends for a game of bingo, take part in exercise classes and scheduled activities, or go on one of our many monthly excursions.

When it’s time for relaxation, you can sit outside in the large, beautiful gazebos that grace the community grounds. Or, you can rest your mind and enjoy the fresh air with a leisurely stroll. Although self-reliance is important, it’s nice to know there’s help available if you need it.

In addition to their everyday services, some of their residents need assistance to maintain the independent lifestyle to which they’ve become accustomed. Assisted living services such as medication support, nutritional support, 24-hour trained staff, help with dressing, and emergency response provide residents with extra support. These services are available in the convenience and comfort of your own home. At Gayton Terrace,  seniors are respected as individuals and encouraged to live life more meaningfully.

The amenities available at Gayton Terrace include:

• Arts & Crafts Center
• Beauty/barber shop
• Billiard Lounge
• Computer Lab
• Diversified activity program
• Exercise Program
• Exercise room with Nu Step and Keiser Equipment
• Emergency Response System
• Floral landscaping and grounds maintenance
• Game room and TV lounge
• Health monitoring services
• Individually locked mailboxes
• Laundry facilities
• Library
• Living Room
• Maintenance Services
• Pets Permitted
• Private Dining Room for Guests
• Restaurant-Style Menu Selections
• Several meal plans to choose from
• Scheduled entertainment
• Rehab services on site
• Three Nutritious meals per day

For more information on Gayton Terrace, contact them at 804.741.1011 or visit their website.

And, for more information on how Home Instead Senior Care can help keep you or a loved one living independently at home, wherever home may be, please call us in our Richmond office at 804.527.1100. You can also take a look at our website, or view our digital brochure here: http://hisc189.digbro.com/.

Gazebo at Brandermill Woods

Each week, Home Instead Senior Care of Richmond provides readers with a synopsis of a senior living communities in the local area.  This week, we profile Brandermill Woods in Midlothian — just southwest of Richmond.

Brandermill Woods is a senior retirement community with options for independent living, assisted living, memory care, nursing care and rehabilitation.  It is located just southwest of Richmond at 14311 Brandermill Woods Trail, Midlothian, VA 23112.

Built on 30 acres of land in the larger Brandermill development, Brandermill Woods provides convenient access to local shops in Midlothian as well as a complimentary Swim and Social Membership at the Brandermill Country Club. 

According to the web site, residents who come in at one level of care but later need an increased level of care are automatically at the top of the list for openings and don’t have to compete with anyone from the outside for a spot:

“Brandermill Woods offers a continuum of health care services. A health care center, assisted living and dementia care unit are available for each resident as the need for a level of care change presents itself. When a resident within Brandermill Woods needs a level of care change, they have first priority over any other interested applicants.”

Each week, Home Instead Senior Care of Richmond profiles a senior retirement community in Richmond or the Northern Neck.  Today, we highlight the Dunlop House in Colonial Heights, just south of Richmond.

Dunlop House offers residential assisted living and memory care for seniors in Colonial Heights near Richmond, VA.

Dunlop House offers both Assisted Living and specialized Alzheimer’s and memory care. Designed with seniors in mind, Dunlop House features studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans with large sunny windows overlooking beautifully landscaped grounds and gardens.

Residents can enjoy the home-like warmth of the community living room with fireplace, library, sun room and private dining room, where intimate dinners can be shared with family and friends.

Dunlop House offers floor plans ranging from a 312 square-ft assisted living studio to a 676 square-ft two-bedroom suite.  It is conveniently located at 235 Dunlop Farms Boulevard, Colonial Heights, VA 23834.

For more information on Dunlop House, visit their web site at www.dunlophouse.com, or call 804.520.0050.

And for more information on how Home Instead Senior Care of Richmond’s CareGiver services can help you or a loved one remain living independently at home, wherever home may be, call our offices today at 804.527.1100. We are always happy to answer any questions you may have.

You can also learn more about us from our website and our web brochure.

Here at Home Instead Senior Care of Richmond, we are continuing our series of blog posts about senior retirement living options in the Richmond and Northern Neck areas.  Today, we’re featuring Our Lady of Hope Health Center in Richmond.

Our Lady of Hope Health Center offers assisted living, Alzheimer's care plus skilled nursing.

Conveniently located in the West End of Richmond, Our Lady of Hope has been offering seniors quality care for more than 15 years.

The center is a nondenominational, nonprofit facility that is sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Richmond and a part of the Coordinated Services Management, Inc. (CSM) family. CSM has been managing communities in the D.C. Metro area, Virginia and the Carolinas for almost 30 years.

Our Lady of Hope’s licensed nursing staff is on hand 24 hours a day, and nursing stations are visible from all studios and suites. Services are available for a range of needs including:

• Assisted Living
• Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care
• Nursing Care
• Skilled Rehabilitation Care

Various floor plans are available dependent upon a resident’s needs. Assisted living residents can choose between a studio and two different suite floor plans. Separate floor plans are available for nursing center residents and residents being treated with Alzheimer’s and dementia to better meet their needs.

Numerous activities are offered every day to keep residents energetic and engaged. Different activities are available to meet a range of needs – from games and movies to trips to local attractions and parties and more.

For more information about Our Lady of Hope, located at 13700 North Gayton Road in Richmond, please call 804-360-1960.

To learn more about how Home Instead Senior Care of Richmond can help you or a loved one to remain living independently at home, no matter where you call home, call us today at 804.527.1100.

Here at Home Instead Senior Care of Richmond, we are continuing our series of blog posts about retirement living options in the Richmond and Northern Neck areas.  This week, we’re featuring Imperial Plaza Senior Retirement Community in Richmond.

A gorgeous dining room awaits residents at Richmond's Imperial Plaza Retirement Community.

Offering both independent and assisted living options, the Imperial Plaza in Richmond is committed to meeting your senior living needs.

For over 20 years the Imperial Plaza has been offering an exceptional living environment and personalized care. Staff is available 24 hours a day to ensure residents are always being taken care of.

A variety of one- and two-bedroom floor plans are available. Housing includes wall-to-wall carpeting, cable hook-up, fully equipped kitchen, patio, large closets, individually controlled heating and air, smoke detectors, tub/shower assist bars, and wheelchair accessibility. Assisted living units are similar but also include walk-in showers and an emergency response system.

A pleasant courtyard outside of Imperial Plaza Retirement Community in Richmond.

An array of amenities are available for residents including, but not limited to:

• Main dining room
• Recreation room
• Cards and billiards room
• Lounges
• Library
• Courtyard
• Outdoor gardening areas
• Enclosed mall area for your needs
• On-site convenience and grocery stores
• Full-service bank on-site

A variety of services are available such as housecleaning and linen services, restaurant-style dining, exercise programs, and cable television. Additional services are available for those in Assisted Living:

• Diabetic Care  
• Incontinence care
• Three nutritious, freshly prepared meals per day
• Snacks and beverages provided throughout the day 
• Special dietary accommodations

For more information about Imperial Plaza, located at 1717 Bellevue Avenue in Richmond, please call 804.264.1380.  Imperial Plaza is part of Brookdale Senior Living retirement communities.

And, for more information on how Home Instead Senior Care of Richmond can help you or a loved one to remain living independently at home, no matter where you call home, call us today at 804.527.1100.

Richmond's Morningside offers assisted living and memory care.

We continue our series of blog posts about senior living communities in the Richmond and Northern Neck areas of Virginia.  Today, we are highlighting Morningside in the West End. 

For over 10 years, Morningside in the West End of Richmond has been offering Five Star living for seniors. With six levels of care, they have the level of care that you or your elderly loved ones needs. 

Morningside is an assisted living and memory care retirement community that also offers short-term stays and rehabilitation services. And they are particularly known for their revolutionary Alzheimer’s and Memory Care program, “Bridge to Rediscovery,” that adapts the Montessori style of education to help engage their residents.  

Their services include:   

• Regular individualized needs assessment
• Health promotion education
• Social, recreational, educational and spiritual activities
• Complete dining program with snacks
• Weekly housekeeping
• Personal laundry and linen services
• Assistance with activities of daily life
• Emergency response system
• Assistance with administration of medicine
• Maintenance of buildings and grounds

Morningside is one of the very few assisted living communities which has nurses in their building 24 hours a day as the charge nurse. And they also have plenty of fun events and a full schedule of activities for their residents. 

Five Star Senior Living, a healthcare and senior living services provider found throughout 30 states, owns and operates Morningside in the West End. Daily activities ensure residents have the opportunity to remain engaged and active.

For more information about Morningside, please contact (804) 270-3990. The retirement community is conveniently located in Richmond’s West End at 3000 Skipwith Road.

And, for more information on how Home Instead Senior Care of Richmond can help you or a loved one to remain living independently at home, no matter where you call home, call us today at 804.527.1100

Eons is one of many online communities for seniors.

We all know that “growing old is not for sissies.” The aches and pains, the medical issues, failing eyesight and hearing, fading memory – all these symptoms can make the aging process unpleasant.

When we think of the hurdles facing the daily lives of senior citizens, one that is often overlooked is that of loneliness. Currently, about one-third of people ages 75 and older live alone.

“One of the greatest challenges or losses that we face as older adults, frankly, is not about our health, but it’s actually about our social network deteriorating on us, because our friends get sick, our spouse passes away, friends pass away, or we move,” Joseph F. Coughlin, director of the AgeLab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

One way many seniors are overcoming the isolation brought on by aging is by turning to online social networks like Facebook for support and companionship. The social networking site Eons.com, an online community for aging baby boomers, can provide a place for seniors to contact, interact with, and provide some of the benefits of a group of friends, while being much easier to assemble and maintain.

Of course, there’s nothing quite like old-fashioned human contact, and a Home Instead CAREGiver can provide the social and intellectual contact missing from the lives of many seniors, and with a more personal touch.

For more information on how a Home Instead CAREGiver can provide companionship, help around the house and on outings, and non-medical care to help keep you or a loved one living independently at home, call our Richmond home care office today at 804.527.1100. You can also visit our website, view our digital brochure, and connect with us via social networking sites Facebook and Twitter ( @homeinsteadRVA and @TeresaSteinfatt ).