9 Best Nursing Homes in Amherst, MA

Nursing Homes

A nursing home community offers lodging to two or more persons who have no familial ties to the administrator. This type of residence offers its inhabitants 24-hour care by on-site nurses. These nurses offer healthcare services for seniors who cannot adequately take care of their needs due to the effects of aging.

This type of community is a helpful and comfortable living alternative for individuals 65 years or older, however nursing homes will commonly allow persons 55 and greater which is for other senior care types. Types of amenities and services offered at nursing homes might include senior centers, skilled nursing or medical care, intravenous or nutrition therapy, and 24-hour emergency care. A large portion of nursing home inhabitants are persons who experience difficulty seeing and hearing, have mental or physical disabilities, require assistance with daily tasks such as walking, or have incontinence issues. As a resident of a nursing home, you can expect the right to make complaints, exercise your rights as a U.S. citizen, to manage your money, and get information on services and fees. The most frequent mental condition experienced by residents of nursing homes is dementia, which can hinder their and their sense of familiarity with their surroundings, memory function, and decision making capabilities. A large number of inhabitants tend to be bachelors or widows with less social support, and almost 50% of nursing home residents are older than 85 years old.

Cost of Living

Cost of living is a major influence when choosing which community is best for your loved one’s needs. The median monthly cost for rent in Amherst is about $1,562 and the median price for a home for Amherst is about $349,353. The rent burden for Amherst is about 17.4% of the average person’s monthly income.

Demographics and Values

Based on gender, 50.1% are female and 49.9% are male. The median age of Amherst is 21 years old. In Amherst, 3.2% do not have health insurance, 6.1% have some form of disability, 56.5% participate in the labor force, and 2.1% are widowed. Amherst has a population density of 557 people per square mile. The current population of Amherst consists of 39,880 people. Of the population of Amherst 66.7% have a college degree, 42.3% have a graduate degree, and 11.9% have a high-school diploma. In Amherst, 1.8% of the people are veterans of the United States military. Racially, the population of Amherst is 0.6% Native American, 1.0% other or not specified, 0.1% Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 6.1% Hispanic, 12.9% Asian, 75.8% white, 6.1% black, and 3.6% mixed race.

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 top three hospitals in the state are considered to be Cape Cod Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and New England Baptist Hospital. Massachusetts is ranked 8th in quality of life and 2nd in healthcare. Based on natural beauty, Massachusetts ranks 26th in the nation. In terms of resources, Massachusetts has a cost of living index of 133.8, a grocery index rating of 113.9, and a housing index rating of 170.3. These index ratings are based on a system where 100 is considered the national average and anything above 100 is considered more expensive than said average.

Social demographics of the state

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. In terms of religious values, 23% of Massachusetts’s population regularly attend some form of service and there are in total 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.

State-wide weather information

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. The average humidity across the state is 71%. The highest monthly average humidity rating is 71% in the month of December. During the summer, the average temperature in Massachusetts is 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. In the winter months, the average low temperature falls to around 7F during 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. 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 white spruce, eastern hemlock, sycamore, and flowering dogwood. While venturing throughout the state, you might see animals such as the blue flag, the cardinal flower, the coyotes, or the cutleaf coneflower. The state animal of Massachusetts is the woodchucks.