Assisted living becoming more of a necessity

With baby boomers aging, it’s important to figure out how to care for them through assisted living. One local care facility celebrated an expansion Wednesday.

“We’re a 48-bed facility and this will make it a 64-bed facility,” said Elegant Assisted Living Administrator Colbie Gardner. “And the 48 beds are filled.”

The Elegant Assisted Living Community now has three buildings for the elderly and one building for younger people with disabilities. Gardner said this new expansion is needed for those elderly unable to continue their day-to-day living alone.

“Pretty much things they’re having troubles with when they first start going downhill,” she said. “They’re still independent but they need the basics, and those are the services we offer, plus the 24-hour supervision.”

Gardner said that’s why it’s important to make sure the community they go to is right for them. She said the buildings are back to back, so residents can still spend time together in a community setting. Gardner said that setting is vital, especially in the local area.

“Where it’s so much of a retirement community a lot of the population is elderly,” she said. “People age on a daily basis, so there is always going to be a need to place them.”

She said with more people needing assisted living, it’s important to know how best to deal with situations. She said it’s hard on everyone to move a loved one away from home, but assisted living facilities are there for a reason.

“It’s kind of breaking that wall down and letting us in on more than a care-giving basis,” Gardner said. “It’s becoming their family, ultimately.”

Currently the new building is set to open mid-July. Gardner said she is looking for three part-time employees and two full-time employees. For more information, contact her at 208-478-9400.