10 Best Assisted Living Facilities in Waltham, MA

Waltham, Massachusetts

Assisted Living

Assisted living communities administer supervision, social events, and personal care to people around 65 years of age or older. Assisted living communities usually offer assistance with daily activities, assistance with appointments and transportation, and care supervision. In some situations, communities may offer hospice, Alzheimer’s care, or “aging in place”. In Massachusetts, the annual median cost for an assisted living community is around $67,680 . The state of Massachusetts has specific standards associated with this type of community. The Executive Office of Elder Affairs governs this type of community. Staff members receive education in a variety of fields. These include: philosophy of independent living, resident bill of rights, 7-hour general orientation , and emergency policies and procedures. Public assistance is available through Medicaid 1915(c) Waiver program. 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. 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 reading the medication label to residents. This community has a number of provisions concerning food and diet which include 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, a qualified dietitian must review the residence’s dietary plans at least every 6 months, 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, and communities must provide up to three regularly scheduled meals daily. This type of community is required to offer a number of services. These include assistance with instrumental activities of daily living, timely assistance with urgent or emergency needs, assistance with activities of daily living , 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 residents need for assistance in emergency situations, a comprehensive mental and physical assessment, assessment of allergies and dietary needs, and assessment of the individual’s needs and preferences.

Demographics and Values

In Waltham, 4.1% do not have health insurance, 69.8% participate in the labor force, 4.4% consider themselves widows, and 9.8% live in poverty. Demographically, Waltham is 6.4% black, 0.2% Native American, 13.9% Hispanic, 0.0% Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 3.2% mixed race, 4.6% other or not specified, 12.0% Asian, and 73.6% white. Out of the total city population, 51.2% are female and 48.8% are male. The median age of Waltham is 34 years old. In Waltham, 3.9% of the citizens are veterans of the United States military. Waltham has a population density of 1,892 people per square mile. The total population of Waltham consists of 62,442 people. In terms of education, 50.7% have a college degree, 21.2% have a high-school diploma, and 22.8% have a graduate degree.

Cost of Living

Senior living community price is influenced by the community in which it is located. Waltham has a median home value of about $463,241 and the median cost of rent is about $1,864 per month per month. The rent burden for Waltham is about 20.4% of the average person’s monthly income.

State Information

An overview of Massachusetts

The state of Massachusetts has 78 hospitals and 129 health centers, providing care to a population of 6,941,273. The three highest ranked hospitals in Massachusetts are Cape Cod Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and New England Baptist Hospital. In terms of personal well-being, Massachusetts ranks 2nd in healthcare and 8th in quality of life compared to other states. Based on natural beauty, Massachusetts ranks 26th in the nation. 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.

Social demographics of the state

The state has a median age of 39 and 30% of its population being over the age of 55. During the latest presidential election, 33% voted for the Republican candidate while 60% voted for the Democratic candidate. 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 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. 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, 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 air quality index rating in Massachusetts is 38.9 AQI. The average air quality index rating peaks in the month of May with a rating of around 47.5 AQI. 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. During the winter, the average temperature in Massachusetts drops 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. 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%. 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 Linden, and American Beech. While venturing throughout the state, you might see animals such as the Cutleaf Coneflower , the Lanceleaf Coreopsis, the White Pine, or the Coyotes. The state animal of Massachusetts is the Woodchucks.