10 Best Assisted Living Facilities in Westfield, MA

Westfield, Massachusetts

Assisted Living

Assisted living communities offer coordinated social events and apartment style housing as well as personalized assistance. Assisted living communities usually offer outings for leisurely activity, support with the activities of daily life, and assistance with appointments and transportation. Under certain circumstances, communities may provide respite, dementia care, or skilled nursing. In Massachusetts, the annual median cost for an assisted living community is around $67,680 . The state of Massachusetts maintains specific rules related to this kind of community. The Executive Office of Elder Affairs certifies this community type. This type of community is required to offer a number of services. These include assistance with activities of daily living , assistance with instrumental 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. 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, 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, and a qualified dietitian must review residents’ dietary needs. 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 assessment of residents ability to manage medications, a comprehensive mental and physical assessment, assessment of residents need for assistance in emergency situations, and assessment of residents current diagnoses and medical history. 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 management of self-administered medications. Staff members obtain training in a number of areas. These areas include philosophy of independent living, emergency policies and procedures, financial exploitation, and resident bill of rights. Public assistance is available through Medicaid 1915(c) Waiver program.

Cost of Living

Cost of living can be a motivating factor in deciding which care option meets the needs of you or your loved one’s needs. The rent burden for Westfield is around 19.9% of the average monthly income. Westfield has a median home value of about $220,540 and the median cost of rent is about $1,278 per month.

Demographics and Values

Racially, the population of Westfield is 1.6% black, 2.2% Asian, 8.3% Hispanic, 93.0% white, 1.7% other or not specified, 0.1% Native American, 1.3% mixed race, and 0.1% Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian. In Westfield, 9.2% of the population are veterans. Of the population of Westfield 30.9% have a high-school diploma, 10.9% have a graduate degree, and 32.0% have a college degree. The total population of Westfield consists of 41,700 people. Westfield has a population density of 348 people per square mile. Out of the total city population, 48.9% are male and 51.1% are female. The median age of Westfield is 38 years old. In Westfield, 8.5% live in poverty, 2.1% do not have health insurance, 65.4% participate in the labor force, and 14.6% have some form of disability.

State Information

An overview of Massachusetts

Based on natural beauty, Massachusetts ranks 26th in the nation. Overall, Massachusetts ranks 8th in quality of life and 2nd in healthcare compared to other US 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. 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

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

State-wide weather information

Massachusetts experiences an average humidity rating of about 71%. The highest monthly average humidity rating is 71% in the month of December. The most precipitation occurs in May with an average of 6.10 inches of precipitation a month. On average, the state receives 4.04 inches of precipitation a month. 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. The average low summer temperature is around 50F in the month of June. The average temperature in the winter falls to around 28F. The average high winter temperature is around 45F in the month of January. The average low temperature during the winter drops to around 7F in the month of December. 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. 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, White Spruce, Flowering Dogwood, and Flowering Dogwood. While venturing throughout the state, you might see animals such as the Black Bears, the Coyotes, the White Pine, or the Obedient Plant. The state animal of Massachusetts is the Woodchucks.