8 Best Assisted Living Facilities in Fitchburg, MA

Fitchburg, Massachusetts

Assisted Living

An assisted living community is a residential living community which administers assistance, care, and supervision to healthy individuals who are not in need of skilled nursing support. Services offered often involve assistance with the activities of daily life. Occupants may be kept under supervision and evaluation. In select situations, communities may offer hospice, Alzheimer’s care, or respite. In Massachusetts, the annual median cost for an assisted living community is around $67,680 . Massachusetts has a number of stipulations related to this kind of community. The Executive Office of Elder Affairs regulates this type of community. This community type has a number of provisions pertaining to medication assistance. These provisions include opening containers and pre-packaged medications, reading the medication label to residents, and reminding residents to take medications. This community has a number of provisions concerning food and diet which include a qualified dietitian must review the residence’s dietary plans at least every 6 months, communities must provide up to three regularly scheduled meals daily, a qualified dietitian must review residents’ dietary needs, and communities must use daily recommended dietary allowances as established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences. Public assistance is available through Medicaid 1915(c) Waiver program. This type of community is required to offer a number of services. These include assistance with instrumental activities of daily living, assistance with activities of daily living , timely assistance with urgent or emergency needs, and management of self-administered prescription or over-the-counter medications. Before a resident is accepted, they must go through a service plan screening to ensure their needs are going to be met. This screening includes a number of areas of interest such as assessment of allergies and dietary needs, assessment of residents current diagnoses and medical history, a comprehensive mental and physical assessment, and assessment of the individual’s needs and preferences. There must be one toilet for every 1 residents and one bath or shower for every 1 residents. This type of community is required to have a staff member on duty 24 hours a day. Staff members receive education in a variety of fields. These include: communication skills, elder abuse and neglect, Dementia/cognitive impairment, and philosophy of independent living.

Cost of Living

Cost of living can be the motivating factor in determining what community fits best. The median monthly price for rent in Fitchburg is $1,359 and the median price for a home for Fitchburg is $183,380. The rent burden for Fitchburg is around 21.8% of the average person’s monthly income.

Demographics and Values

Fitchburg has a population density of 565 people per square mile. Currently, the population of Fitchburg consists of 40,793 people. Of the population of Fitchburg 35.5% have a high-school diploma, 7.3% have a graduate degree, and 20.8% have a college degree. In Fitchburg, 7.9% of the citizens are veterans. Out of the total city population, 51.2% are female and 48.8% are male. The median age of Fitchburg is 35 years old. Racially, the population of Fitchburg is 4.0% black, 4.0% Asian, 0.2% Native American, 26.5% Hispanic, 3.7% mixed race, 80.9% white, 7.3% other or not specified, and 0.0% Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian. In Fitchburg, 6.1% are widowed, 64.7% participate in the labor force, 4.4% do not have health insurance, and 17.9% live in poverty.

State Information

An overview of Massachusetts

Overall, Massachusetts ranks 8th out of all states in quality of life and 2nd in healthcare. Residents of Massachusetts enjoy its natural beauty which ranks 26th in the United States. There are 78 general hospitals and 129 health centers that provide care for 6,941,273 Massachusetts residents. The top three hospitals in the state are considered to be Cape Cod Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and New England Baptist Hospital. Out of a national average of 100, Massachusetts has a cost of living index rating of 134, a grocery index rating of 114, and a housing index rating of 170.

Social demographics of the state

In terms of diversity, Massachusetts ranks 16th in the nation and is considered very LGBTQ friendly. In the most recent presidential election, 33% of Massachusetts residents voted Republican and 60% voted Democrat. In Massachusetts, 30% of the population is over the age of 55. The median age in the state is 39. In terms of religion, 23% of Massachusetts residents attend religious services among the 4,200 different congregations that are available in the state. The top three Christian denominations in the state are Evangelical Protestant-9%, Mainline Protestant-10%, and Historically Black Protestant-2%. The top three non-Christian denominations in the state are Jewish-3%, Muslim-<1%, and Buddhist-<1%. In Massachusetts there are 27 masonic lodges.

State-wide weather information

On average, Massachusetts has an air quality index rating of around 38.9 AQI. The highest seasonal air quality index rating occurs in the month of May with a rating of 47.5 AQI. The average temperature in the summer rises to around 68F. The average high summer temperature is around 85F in the month of July. In the summer, the average low temperature drops to around 50F during the month of June. The average temperature in the winter falls to around 28F. During the winter, the average high temperature peaks at around 45F during the month of January. The average low temperature during the winter drops to around 7F in the month of December. The average monthly precipitation for the state of Massachusetts is around 4.04 inches. The most precipitation occurs in May with an average of 6.10 inches of precipitation a month. Massachusetts experiences an average humidity rating of about 71%. Humidity levels tend to reach their peak in the month of December at around 71%. While residents of Massachusetts mostly enjoy pleasant conditions, it’s important to be aware of inclement weather as well, which in Massachusetts can include hurricanes, earthquakes (moderate), and and tornadoes.

Wildlife to be found in Massachusetts

The state of Massachusetts has a diverse array of plant and animal life. Local plant life can consist of Butterfly Weed, Eastern Hemlock, American Beech, and Flowering Dogwood. While venturing throughout the state, you might see animals such as the Cardinal Flower, the Obedient Plant, the Lanceleaf Coreopsis, or the White Pine. The state animal of Massachusetts is the Woodchucks.