10 Best Assisted Living Facilities in Needham, MA

Needham, Massachusetts

Assisted Living

Assisted living communities provide a sense of community as well as personalized care. Assisted living communities commonly offer help with transportation and appointments, care supervision, and opportunities for organized activity. In select situations, communities may provide respite, nursing care, or “aging in place”. In Massachusetts, the annual median cost for an assisted living community is around $67,680 . Massachusetts has a number of stipulations related to this type of community. The Executive Office of Elder Affairs governs this community type. Public assistance is available through Medicaid 1915(c) Waiver program. This type of community is required to offer a number of services. These include management of self-administered prescription or over-the-counter medications, assistance with activities of daily living , timely assistance with urgent or emergency needs, and assistance with instrumental activities of daily living. This community type has a number of provisions pertaining to medication assistance. These provisions include management of self-administered medications, reminding residents to take medications, and opening containers and pre-packaged medications. 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. Staff members obtain training in a variety of fields. These include: Communicable diseases, Resident health, Sanitation and food safety, and communication skills. 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 residents current diagnoses and medical history, assessment of the individual’s needs and preferences, assessment of residents ability to manage medications, and assessment of residents need for assistance in emergency situations. This community has a number of provisions concerning food and diet which include a qualified dietitian must review residents’ dietary needs, qualified dietitian must counsel residents regarding therapeutic diets and other dietary issues, communities must provide up to three regularly scheduled meals daily, 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.

Demographics and Values

In Needham, 3.0% live in poverty, 1.4% do not have health insurance, 7.2% have some form of disability, and 66.1% participate in the labor force. Out of the total city population, 48.5% are male and 51.5% are female. The median age of Needham is 44 years old. Of the population of Needham 42.7% have a graduate degree, 74.6% have a college degree, and 11.4% have a high-school diploma. In Needham, 5.6% of the people are veterans. Needham has a population density of 955 people per square mile. The total population of Needham consists of 30,429 people. Racially, the population of Needham is 0.0% Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 2.1% black, 86.6% white, 2.7% mixed race, 8.2% Asian, 0.0% Native American, 2.7% Hispanic, and 0.5% other or not specified.

Cost of Living

The community where a care community is located can have a big impact on the cost of care. The overall cost of living is a motivating factor in deciding which community is the best fit for you or your loved one. Per month, the median rent in Needham is around $2,651 per month and the median home value in Needham costs around $754,719. The rent burden for Needham is about 19.4% of the average person’s monthly income.

State Information

An overview of Massachusetts

The natural beauty of Massachusetts is ranked 26th in the nation. 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. In terms of personal well-being, Massachusetts ranks 2nd in healthcare and 8th in quality of life compared to other states. There are 78 hospitals and 129 health centers that service a population of 6,941,273. The top three hospitals in the state are considered to be Cape Cod Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and New England Baptist Hospital.

Social demographics of the state

The state of Massachusetts ranks 16th in the country for diversity and the state is considered very LGBTQ friendly. In the last presidential election 60% of Massachusetts residents voted Democrat and 33% voted Republican. The median age in the state is 39, and 30% of the population is over the age of 55. 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

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. In the winter months, the average low temperature falls to around 7F during the month of December. The average amount of precipitation peaks during the month of May at around 6.10 inches. On average, the state receives 4.04 inches of precipitation a month. On average, Massachusetts has an air quality index rating of around 38.9 AQI. The average air quality index rating peaks in the month of May with a rating of around 47.5 AQI. The average humidity across the state is 71%. The highest monthly average humidity rating is 71% in the month of December. 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 American Beech, Flowering Dogwood, Flowering Dogwood, and Eastern Hemlock. While venturing throughout the state, you might see animals such as the Bobcats, the Cardinal Flower, the Blue Flag, or the New England Aster. The state animal of Massachusetts is the Woodchucks.