5 Best Assisted Living Facilities in New Bedford, MA

New Bedford, Massachusetts

Assisted Living

Assisted living communities provide residential living communities and aid for people who need support with things such as preparing meals or taking medication. The services provided often include support with activities of daily living. Inhabitants may be kept under supervision and assessment. Under certain circumstances, communities may offer continuing care, dementia care, or respite. In Massachusetts, the annual median cost for an assisted living community is around $67,680 . Massachusetts maintains a number of provisions associated with this type of community. The Executive Office of Elder Affairs licenses this community type. This community type has a number of provisions pertaining to medication assistance. These provisions include reminding residents to take medications, reading the medication label to residents, and management of self-administered medications. Before a resident is accepted, they must go through a service plan screening to assure their needs are going to be met. This screening includes a number of areas of interest such as a comprehensive mental and physical assessment, assessment of the individual’s needs and preferences, assessment of residents current diagnoses and medical history, and assessment of residents ability to manage medications. This type of community is required to have a staff member on duty 24 hours a day. 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 offer a number of services. These include management of self-administered prescription or over-the-counter medications, timely assistance with urgent or emergency needs, assistance with instrumental activities of daily living, and assistance with activities of daily living . Public assistance is available through Medicaid 1915(c) Waiver program. This community has a number of provisions concerning food and diet which include a qualified dietitian must review residents’ dietary needs, a qualified dietitian must review the residence’s dietary plans at least every 6 months, qualified dietitian must counsel residents regarding therapeutic diets and other dietary issues, 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. Staff must obtain education in a variety of subjects. These areas include 7-hour general orientation , Communicable diseases, financial exploitation, and management of self-administered medications.

Cost of Living

The total cost of living can be a major influence in selecting what destination works best. New Bedford has a median home value of $211,361 and the median cost of rent is $1,130 per month. The rent burden for New Bedford is about 20.7% of the average monthly income.

Demographics and Values

In New Bedford, 7.3% are widowed, 15.6% have some form of disability, 5.2% do not have health insurance, and 23.1% live in poverty. Demographically, New Bedford is 4.0% mixed race, 6.1% black, 20.8% other or not specified, 0.3% Native American, 0.0% Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 1.6% Asian, 20.0% Hispanic, and 67.2% white. Of the population of New Bedford 17.0% have a college degree, 5.8% have a graduate degree, and 32.3% have a high-school diploma. New Bedford has a population density of 1,836 people per square mile. Based on gender, 52.7% are female and 47.3% are male. The median age of New Bedford is 38 years old. In New Bedford, 5.2% of the citizens are veterans.

State Information

An overview of Massachusetts

The quality of life enjoyed by the average Massachusetts citizen is ranked 8th nation-wide. Additionally, Massachusetts is ranked 2nd by standards of healthcare. There are 78 general hospitals and 129 health centers that provide care for 6,941,273 Massachusetts residents. Cape Cod Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and New England Baptist Hospital are among the top three highest ranked hospitals in the state. The state of Massachusetts has a cost of living index of 133.8 where a score of 100 is the national average, and anything above 100 is considered more expensive than the average. The state has a grocery index rating of 113.9 and a housing index rating of 170.3. The natural beauty of Massachusetts is ranked 26th in the nation.

Social demographics of the state

In Massachusetts, 23% of the population attend some form of religious service and there are 4,200 different congregations. 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. During the latest presidential election, 33% voted for the Republican candidate while 60% voted for the Democratic candidate. The median age in the state is 39, and 30% of the population is over the age of 55. The state of Massachusetts ranks 16th in the country for diversity and the state is considered very LGBTQ friendly.

State-wide weather information

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. On average, the state receives 4.04 inches of precipitation a month. The most precipitation occurs in May with an average of 6.10 inches of precipitation a month. The average temperature in the winter falls to around 28F. The average high winter temperature is around 45F in the month of January. In the winter months, the average low temperature falls to around 7F during the month of December. The average temperature in the summer rises to around 68F. Over the summer months the average high temperature peaks at around 85F during the month of July. In the summer, the average low temperature drops to around 50F during the month of June. 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, Sycamore, and Flowering Dogwood. While venturing throughout the state, you might see animals such as the Obedient Plant, the Spotted Geranium, the Woodchucks, or the Blue Flag. The state animal of Massachusetts is the Woodchucks.