Seniorly’s Guide to Assisted Living in Boston
The city of Boston is home to more than 200 senior living communities, from small homes to large 100+ apartment buildings. Assisted living communities are residential properties that deliver non-medical care focused on Activities of Daily Living and/or memory support.
These assisted living communities are certified by the State of Massachusetts’ Office of Elder Affairs. This agency is responsible for ensuring the communities are safe and secure. The office’s database lists at least 237 certified communities in Massachusetts, a handful of which are located within the city of Boston.
There are four types of properties offer these assisted living services in Boston: Board and Care Home, Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Continuing Care Retirement Communities.
Board and Care Homes are single family homes spread throughout the city of Boston. Pros: They are usually more budget friendly, have an intimate setting, and have higher staff to resident ratios (industry average 1:6). Cons: They do not have amenities, much socialization opportunities, or fine dining services.
Assisted Living Communities are purpose built properties often appearing to be a large apartment complex from the outside. These communities are also spread throughout the city in neighborhoods like Cambridge, Charlestown, Somerville, South Boston, and Brookline. Pros: They have many amenities, robust social programing and therapies, and typically offer better dining experiences. Cons: They are expensive and often have lower staff to resident ratios (industry average 1:16).
Memory Care Communities are either purpose built properties or wings within Assisted Living communities. In Boston most large Assisted Living communities have Memory Care wings which offer private and shared rooms to seniors. Pros: They typically have staff training in Alzheimer’s and dementia caregiving, and have higher staff to resident ratios (sometimes as low as 1:5). Cons: They are very expensive and not all “training” is equal.
Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs or LifeCare) communities are purpose built properties meant to care for seniors when they are more independent. The concept was created to enable a new way to “age in place”. These properties have different living options that support seniors at a healthier stage all the way through very high levels of care (including medical needs). There are three CCRCs located in Boston: Hebrew Senior Life, Lasell Village, and Carleton Willard Village. Pros: They offer a new “age in place” solution. Cons: They are very expensive with initial buy-in fees in the hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars.
The challenging part is finding a community within your budget and/or making a decision on the type of community that best fits your needs. In terms figuring out what type of community works for you, the best way to experience it is to take tours. In fact, most families tour 3-5 properties before making a decision. You can always try a community temporarily through short-term stays (typically 2-4 weeks). So there you have it. Everything you need to get started with your search process for Assisted Living in Boston. Making these decisions can be tough. Especially when you are looking for a parent. Rest assured that many of these properties are a far cry away from the modern connotation of nursing homes. From Art Deco buildings to holistic approaches to senior care, the modern Assisted Living community has a lot to offer. It’s worth exploring.
