6 Best Assisted Living Facilities in West Union, IA

West Union, Iowa

Assisted Living

An assisted living community is a residential community which provides assistance, supervision, and support to independent individuals who are not in need of skilled nursing support. The types of service provided often involve aid with the activities of daily life. Occupants may be kept under observation and assessment. Under certain circumstances, communities may provide respite, continuing care, or dementia care. In Iowa, the annual median cost for an assisted living community is around $48,933 . Iowa has specific standards related to this kind of community. The Department of Inspections and Appeals, Health communities Division supervises this type of community. This community has a number of provisions concerning food and diet which include a healthcare provider must review food preparation and service procedures, all meals must follow recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences Food and Nutrition Board, a health care provider must prescribe a therapeutic diet, and a licensed dietitian must be available to write and approve the therapeutic menu. 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. Public assistance is available through Medicaid 1915(c) Elderly Waiver program. This community type has a number of provisions pertaining to medication assistance. These provisions include packaging at the resident’s direction, self-administer medications, and medications may be administered by community staff. Staff members receive training in a variety of subjects. These include: fire safety, assisted living management or nursing course, emergency procedures, and accident. 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 a comprehensive mental and physical assessment, negotiated risk agreement, and a multidisciplinary team must be involved in service planning when residents require personal care or health-related services. The minimum number of residents for this community type is 3. There must be one bath or shower for every 1 residents and one toilet for every 1 residents. This type of community is required to have a staff member on duty 24 hours a day.

Cost of Living

The total cost of living can be the major factor in determining which community fits best. The median home value in West Union is $88,519 and the median cost for rent is around $763 a month. The rent burden for West Union is around 16.5% of the average person’s monthly income.

Demographics and Values

Out of the total population of West Union, 14.3% have some form of disability, 9.4% consider themselves widows, 16.0% live in poverty, and 7.2% do not have health insurance. Demographically, West Union is 0.0% other or not specified, 4.7% black, 0.2% mixed race, 0.0% Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 2.1% Asian, 0.7% Hispanic, 92.7% white, and 0.3% Native American. Based on gender, 51.8% are female and 48.2% are male. The median age of West Union is 40 years old. In terms of education, 41.9% have a high-school diploma, 26.7% have a college degree, and 8.9% have a graduate degree. In West Union, 9.4% of the population are veterans of the United States military. Currently, the population of West Union consists of 2,346 people. West Union has a population density of 326 people per square mile.

State Information

An overview of Iowa

Residents of Iowa enjoy its natural beauty which ranks 32nd in the United States. There are 120 general hospitals and 75 health centers that provide care for 3,168,703 Iowa residents. Mercy Hospital, St. Lukes Hospital, and And Mercy Medical Center Cedar Rapids are among the top three highest ranked hospitals in the state. The state of Iowa has a cost of living index of 91.8 where a score of 100 is the national average, and anything below 100 is considered less expensive than the national average. The state has a grocery index rating of 95.9 and a housing index rating of 79.6. In terms of personal well-being, Iowa ranks 20th in healthcare and 14th in quality of life compared to other states.

Social demographics of the state

In Iowa, 36% of the population attend some form of religious service and there are 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. The state has a median age of 38 and 30% of its population being over the age of 55. In terms of diversity, Iowa ranks 43rd in the nation and is considered LGBTQ friendly. During the latest presidential election, 51% voted for the Republican candidate while 42% voted for the Democratic candidate.

State-wide weather information

The average temperature in the summer rises to around 72F. The average high summer temperature is around 88F in the month of July. In the summer, the average low temperature drops to around 55F during the month of June. 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. On average, the state receives 2.93 inches of precipitation a month. The most precipitation occurs in July with an average of 6.46 inches of precipitation a month. The average humidity across the state is 72%. Humidity levels tend to reach their peak in the month of December at around 78%. 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. 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 Dryflower, Pink Lady’s Slipper, Cinnamon Ferns , and Arrowgrass. While venturing throughout the state, you might see animals such as the Bison, the Bear, the Black Wolf, or the Lynx. The state animal of Iowa is the Eastern Goldfinch.