Here at Elm St. Assisted Living, we have
learned that as we age,
luxury comes to mean
something very personal. 
As we arrive at needing assistance,
having that helper be someone we know
and who knows us,
is the true meaning of luxury.

"My mother was a resident at Elm Street. She was able to bring her own furniture, some of which my father had built, and enjoy her own room and bath.  When I visited the home was usually filled with the aromas of the wonderful home-cooked food they served.  It was really nice for my mother to be able to sit at the dining room table with the other residents and reminisce about periods of their lives they all shared.  Jill Wallace and the staff became such advocates for my mother’s care and shared their knowledge about what to expect as she became more feeble and confused.  I cannot recommend this facility high enough and hope they have an opening for me when I need it!"

- Judi Jones

Does your mom treasure her home but need more care than you can give?

56 Elm St. is an assisted living residence for elderly women in Topsham, Maine.  There are no long corridors with closed doors, no nursing station with a counter blocking access, no dining room with the chef in the kitchen and wait staff wanting your order. 

Instead, there are six private rooms, each with its own bathroom; an open, family style kitchen and dining room; and two large living rooms. Your mom can bring her pet with her to live here.  She can have grandchildren visit and be comfortable playing blocks in the living room or picking flowers on the deck or riding bikes in the largely empty parking lot.  She will have home cooked meals prepared just for her, whether a traditional diet, dairy or gluten free or vegetarian.  Meals are taken together at the large table in the kitchen.  She will have only five staff people to get to know, who will love getting to know her, and only five other residents to learn about.  She will have activities geared to her interests and needs, facilitated by staff who might even share her interests. 

 

Does your mom live in a congregate housing site that is not meeting her needs?

Is she having a difficult time hearing her companions because of the background noise in the large dining room?  Is she having trouble choosing from the menu?  Has she stopped going down to meals because it is too hard to find her way? Is she isolating herself in her small apartment because it is just too difficult to reach out and initiate relationships or activities?

Elm St. Assisted Living is a small setting, with only six female residents and four or five consistent staff over the course of a week.  The staff enjoys getting to know each resident and learning how to facilitate her unique interests and needs.  The staff have time to interact, encourage, and guide the confused senior.  They have time to reach out and inspire the depressed senior.  The dining table is low key and quiet, easy for hard of hearing residents to have a conversation and easy for the confused resident to navigate choices and respond to stimuli.