9 Best Assisted Living Facilities in Ames, IA

Ames, Iowa

Assisted Living

Assisted living communities offer a sense of community as well as personalized help. The services provided often involve aid with activities of daily living. Occupants may be kept under supervision and evaluation. In certain situations, communities may provide respite, skilled nursing care, or Alzheimer’s care. In Iowa, the annual median cost for an assisted living community is around $48,933 . The state of Iowa maintains a number of provisions associated with this type of community. The Department of Inspections and Appeals, Health communities Division regulates this type of community. Staff members receive training in a number of areas. These include: accident, fire safety, emergency procedures, and assisted living management or nursing course. Public assistance is available through Medicaid 1915(c) Elderly Waiver program. This type of community is required to offer a number of services. These include health-related services, resident access to a 24-hour personal emergency response system, assistance with activities of daily living, and assistance with personal care. This community has a number of provisions concerning food and diet which include all meals must follow recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences Food and Nutrition Board, a licensed dietitian must be available to write and approve the therapeutic menu, a health care provider must prescribe a therapeutic diet, and a healthcare provider must review food preparation and service procedures. There must be one bath or shower for every 1 residents and one toilet for every 1 residents. The minimum number of residents for this community type is 3. This type of community is required to have a staff member on duty 24 hours a day. This community type has a number of provisions pertaining to medication assistance. These provisions include reading instructions or other label information, self-administer medications, and opening containers. Before a resident is accepted, they must go through a service plan screening to guarantee their needs are going to be met. This screening includes a number of areas of interest such as negotiated risk agreement, a comprehensive mental and physical assessment, and a multidisciplinary team must be involved in service planning when residents require personal care or health-related services.

Demographics and Values

Based on gender, 53.3% are male and 46.7% are female. The median age of Ames is 23 years old. Ames has a population density of 935 people per square mile. Racially, the population of Ames is 83.0% white, 0.5% other or not specified, 0.1% Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 0.2% Native American, 2.7% black, 10.2% Asian, 3.3% mixed race, and 3.5% Hispanic. Of the population of Ames 13.3% have a high-school diploma, 31.4% have a graduate degree, and 62.7% have a college degree. In Ames, 6.0% have some form of disability, 29.3% live in poverty, 2.1% are widowed, and 64.2% participate in the labor force. In Ames, 4.0% of the population are veterans.

Cost of Living

The overall cost of living is a big influence in selecting which care option meets the needs of you or your loved one. Ames has a median home value of $185,653 and the median cost of rent is $1,079 per month. The rent burden for Ames is about 13.8% of the average monthly income.

State Information

An overview of Iowa

Out of a national average of 100, Iowa has a cost of living index rating of 92, a grocery index rating of 96, and a housing index rating of 80. The quality of life enjoyed by the average Iowa citizen is ranked 14th nation-wide. Additionally, Iowa is ranked 20th by standards of healthcare. The natural beauty of Iowa is ranked 32nd in the nation. There are 120 hospitals and 75 health centers that service a population of 3,168,703. The three highest ranked hospitals in Iowa are Mercy Hospital, St. Lukes Hospital, and And Mercy Medical Center Cedar Rapids.

Social demographics of the state

In Iowa, 30% of the population is over the age of 55. The median age in the state is 38. In the most recent presidential election, 51% of Iowa residents voted Republican and 42% voted Democrat. In terms of religious values, 36% of Iowa’s population regularly attend some form of service and there are in total 5,107 different congregations. The top three non-Christian denominations in the state are Jewish-<1%, Muslim-<1%, and Buddhist-<1%, with the most common Christian denominations consisting of Evangelical Protestant-28%, Mainline Protestant-30%, and Historically Black Protestant-2%. In Iowa there are 289 masonic lodges. In terms of diversity, Iowa ranks 43rd in the nation and is considered LGBTQ friendly.

State-wide weather information

On average, the humidity rating for Iowa is around 72%. The highest monthly average humidity rating is 78% in the month of December. On average, Iowa has an air quality index rating of around 41.2 AQI. The average air quality index rating peaks in the month of May with a rating of around 53.8 AQI. The average temperature in the winter falls to around 22F. During the winter, the average high temperature peaks at around 40F during the month of February. In the winter months, the average low temperature falls to around 4F during the month of January. During the summer, the average temperature in Iowa is around 72F. Over the summer months the average high temperature peaks at around 88F during the month of July. In the summer, the average low temperature drops to around 55F during the month of June. The most precipitation occurs in July with an average of 6.46 inches of precipitation a month. On average, the state receives 2.93 inches of precipitation a month. While residents of Iowa mostly enjoy pleasant conditions, it’s important to be aware of inclement weather as well, which in Iowa can include floods and earthquakes (high).

Wildlife to be found in Iowa

The state of Iowa has a diverse array of plant and animal life. Local plant life can consist of Bearberry, Twinleaf, Dryflower, and Cinnamon Ferns . While venturing throughout the state, you might see animals such as the Bison, the Black Wolf, the Mountain Lion, or the Coyote. The state animal of Iowa is the Eastern Goldfinch.