Minnesota Catholic Assisted Living

Catholic retirement communities across Minnesota State enable older adults to continue actively practicing their faith and be surrounded by people who also care about staying in touch with their spiritual life after moving into a Catholic assisted living center.

Cost of Catholic Assisted Living in Minnesota

Minnesota is a fairly economical destination for assisted living, with an average monthly rate of $3,800. You can even find care centers in Rochester where the average cost is less that $3,000 per month. The most expensive city in this state is Minneapolis where the monthly rates jump to $4,782, but even here seniors can find less expensive alternatives that are closer to the national average of $4,000 per month.

Catholic Assisted Living Communities in Minnesota - Amenities

Catholic assisted living facilities will have some unique qualities that leave no doubt about their commitment to the faith, starting with the people that operate these centers. While not universally true, they are often run by ordained members of the church. In Minnesota for example, Little Sisters of the Poor run a number of Catholic assisted living facilities that are committed to the faith and the church. Others, like the communities run by Catholic Elder Care, are run by a management team that is not directly related to the church but still maintains a strong commitment to the faith. In this case, they are neighbors with two parish churches that allow seniors to become part of an active church community.

So, first look at who runs each of the Catholic assisted living centers and if it is an ordained religious order, you are assured of a Catholic living experience. If they are not then look next at the activities calendar.

Catholic retirement communities in Minnesota will give residents the opportunity to attend mass at the start of each day, where they can receive communion. If the calendar doesn’t have time set aside for these Eucharistic masses, they are not truly Catholic. In addition to the mass, there should be some time set aside at least once each week for confessions to be heard. The calendar should also indicate times when priests and lay ministers will make rounds in the center to attend to the religious needs of those seniors that are unable to make it to the mass. Again, if they aren’t doing this, they are not truly Catholic.

If there are still doubts about any of the Catholic assisted living centers, contact the local parish or dioceses office and ask about any of these facilities. They will know immediately if they are closely tied to the faith or not as they will often have a regular presence in those centers that are true to the faith.

Catholic Retirement Communities in Minnesota - Religious Amenities

When looking at the religious amenities that make a Catholic assisted living facility truly Catholic, you have to start with the staff. No matter how well equipped or how well designed an assisted living center is, it can’t be Catholic unless the management team and caregivers share the faith and let that faith guide their delivery of services. So, the first and most important amenity are the people seniors will be depending on for care.

Next is the chapel. Like a parish church that creates a central home for the faithful in the community, the chapel provides the focal point in a Catholic assisted living center. It may not always be where mass is offered. That can sometimes be in a neighboring church. But it will be the center of religious contemplation, a place for prayer, and a tranquil space for religious counselling.

There are various function spaces in these centers as well that support Catholic activities, like bible study, prayer groups, and various religious presentations and entertainment. These won’t be dedicated to faith related activities, but more often than not, these will be given priority in a Catholic assisted living facility.

Catholic Senior Living in Minnesota - Amenities

Getting old and being old are two totally different things. We all get old. Our bodies tire and slow down. Our joints stiffen and our hands shake. Finding our balance can seem more like some kind of disjointed dance than it should and remembering simple things like, “why did I come in here” or “what was it I was looking for” are laughingly referred to as “Senior Moments”. It’s at these times that each senior decides if they are going to give in and be old or fight back and stay young, despite the challenges of aging. For those that are ready to fight, assisted living facilities provide the support they need.

Care in an assisted living facility starts with what are commonly known as ADL’s, (Assisted Daily Living). This includes direct help with getting dressed, grooming, and bathing. Assistance using the toilet is provided. A helping hand getting from place to place as each day unfolds is also happily provided. If hands are to weak and shaky to get the job done then caregivers are at the ready to help seniors eat too. In short, all personal care tasks are covered as part of the ADL care.

Assisted living facilities also take care of just about all housework, all of the yard work, and all of the maintenance tasks. The most seniors may do is a bit of dusting or sweeping, or to prepare a meal on those rare occasions when they just want some alone time instead of a restaurant-style meal.

Speaking of meals, these assisted living facilities take great pride in brings seniors three great meals a day. They are drawn from a varied menu of dishes that are prepared by trained chefs and offered in dining facilities that rival some of the best restaurants in the host city. Plus, they are healthy and appropriate based on the individual dietary requirements of each resident.

There is an old saying, “Idle minds are the Devil’s playground”. At the very least, idle minds contribute to poor health. Those seniors that thrive best in old age are those that are socially and physically active and that is where the community coordinator in an assisted living facility comes into the picture. They design activities that tickle the fancy of all their residents so they remain enthusiastically engaged with the community rather than being withdrawn and becoming depressed.

For seniors having memory issues resulting from Alzheimer’s and other dementias, there is Memory Care. This includes various therapies that employ music, pets, and other sensory stimulants that help sharpen minds and fight off the emotional impacts these diseases can cause. The care is offered in sections of these assisted living facilities that are more secure as well so seniors are less likely to wander off a get into trouble or get lost. Not all assisted living facilities will have this level of capability and those that do will require some additional amount to cover this care.

Living in an assisted living facility does not mean seniors give up any sense of privacy. These centers provide private living spaces, in various configurations that include one- and two-bedroom apartments, studio and efficiency units and semi-private rooms where they have their own private slice of home.

Faith is a living thing that needs to be nurtured or it withers and dies. Catholic assisted living centers deliver both the physical and the spiritual care that ensure faith thrives in the hearts of all their residents.