8 Best Assisted Living Facilities in Pittsfield, MA

Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Assisted Living

Assisted living communities administer care, social opportunities, and oversight to persons who are around 65 years of age or older. The types of service provided often include assistance with ADLs. Residents may be kept under observation and evaluation. In certain situations, communities may offer nursing care, continuing care, or dementia care. In Massachusetts, the annual median cost for an assisted living community is around $67,680 . Massachusetts maintains a number of stipulations associated with this type of community. The Executive Office of Elder Affairs licenses this community type. 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 , management of self-administered prescription or over-the-counter medications, and timely assistance with urgent or emergency needs. This type of community is required to have a staff member on duty 24 hours a day. There must be one bath or shower for every 1 residents and one toilet for every 1 residents. Public assistance is available through Medicaid 1915(c) Waiver program. Before a resident is accepted, they must go through a service plan screening to make sure 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 residents need for assistance in emergency situations, assessment of residents ability to manage medications, and assessment of the individual’s needs and preferences. This community has a number of provisions concerning food and diet which include residence must provide or arrange for the availability of food selections that would permit a resident to adhere to a diet consistent with the most recent edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans, communities must provide up to three regularly scheduled meals daily, 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, and qualified dietitian must counsel residents regarding therapeutic diets and other dietary issues. Staff members obtain training in a variety of fields. These include: Job requirements, financial exploitation, resident bill of rights, and elder abuse and neglect. 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.

Cost of Living

Cost of living can be the motivating factor in deciding which location fits best. The rent burden for Pittsfield is about 19.4% of the average person’s monthly income. The median home value in Pittsfield is $173,571 and the median price for rent is about $1,097 per month a month.

Demographics and Values

Racially, the population of Pittsfield is 87.4% white, 2.0% Asian, 2.0% other or not specified, 0.4% Native American, 3.5% mixed race, 6.0% Hispanic, 0.0% Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, and 4.7% black. Out of the total city population, 47.4% are male and 52.6% are female. The median age of Pittsfield is 44 years old. Out of the total population of Pittsfield, 6.8% consider themselves widows, 2.7% do not have health insurance, 15.1% live in poverty, and 17.2% have some form of disability. In Pittsfield, 8.4% of the people are veterans of the United States military. Pittsfield has a population density of 406 people per square mile. In terms of education, 28.0% have a college degree, 11.1% have a graduate degree, and 30.2% have a high-school diploma.

State Information

An overview of Massachusetts

Residents of Massachusetts enjoy its natural beauty which ranks 26th in the United States. The quality of life enjoyed by the average Massachusetts citizen is ranked 8th nation-wide. Additionally, Massachusetts is ranked 2nd by healthcare standards. 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

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

State-wide weather information

On average, the humidity rating for Massachusetts is around 71%. Humidity levels tend to reach their peak in the month of December at around 71%. The average air quality index rating in Massachusetts is 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 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. During the summer, the average temperature in Massachusetts is around 68F. The average high summer temperature is around 85F in the month of July. The average low summer temperature is around 50F in the month of June. The average monthly precipitation for the state of Massachusetts is around 4.04 inches. The average amount of precipitation peaks during the month of May at around 6.10 inches. 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 Flowering Dogwood, American Linden, Eastern Red Cedar, and Flowering Dogwood. While venturing throughout the state, you might see animals such as the Cutleaf Coneflower , the Woodchucks, the Obedient Plant, or the Lanceleaf Coreopsis. The state animal of Massachusetts is the Woodchucks.