Brentwood At Elkhart

Overview on the Types of Professionals on Our Staff and Their Training

All of our staff are trained in their departments, plus some cross training if there is interest in that. As we are not an assisted living community, we do not have any licensed nursing staff in our independent living. Residents are able to bring in any outside nursing assistance if they feel that is necessary though.

Measures to Ensure the Safety and Well-Being of Residents

We have a brand-new fire panel and smoke detectors throughout our community, and the fire station that usually comes to us is just down the street, so their response time is very quick. We do ask when our residents are coming and going, they let us know at the front desk so if there is an emergency, we know how many people we need to account for. Other than that, we do let them do their own thing, as we are independent living. We do learn their typical routines, so if something seems off, we can check in, but mostly, our residents can pick and choose how they fill their days.

Resources or Support Services for Transitioning

We have an Ambassadors Club, which is made up of our residents that have been here awhile. We then pair up our new residents with an ambassador, who will then invite them to things or help remind them of meals, events, etc.

Transportation Services for Residents

We provide transportation to doctors appointments on Mondays and Tuesdays. On Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays we go on different outings to restaurants, stores, and such. Many of our residents also utilize the Council on Aging transportation if they have appointments that are on other days of the week.

Dining Experience

Our meals are served restaurant-style, with a twist. We have menus that residents fill out today for tomorrow's meals - they can choose between our two entree options or pick from our always available menu. This allows them the freedom to choose what they'd like, while helping us know how much to make! If they miss a menu, they can order same day, but it is from our always available menu. Let me know if you'd like to come for lunch sometime to try our meals!

Handling Complaints or Issues

They would either let the front desk know, leave a message for the appropriate department head, or talk to any of the department heads. Our unofficial motto is "if we don't know about a problem, we can't fix it." We also have a monthly resident council meeting that questions and concerns can be addressed by our executive director and department heads at that time. Basically, they just come talk to us and we will figure out the best way to solve the problem at that time.

Cost of Living

Our rates are all-inclusive, so outside of personal costs, when rent is paid, everything will be taken care of; meals, utilities, cable and wifi, monthly housekeeping and laundry, maintenance, events and outings. Our rates do start at $3000 a month, based on which floor plan is chosen.

Communication with Residents' Families

Most of our communication is either on our Facebook page or through TSO, which is an app for families and loved ones. That being said, we do gather emergency contact information just in case we need to get ahold of someone because something happens to residents. Family is also always welcome to call with questions or concerns or pop in for visits.

Short-Term or Respite Stays

We do offer respites! Most of the time, our respite apartment is used by out-of-town family members who want to come and visit instead of getting a hotel. We do also use it for a more traditional respite stay. There is a daily rate of $125 whether it is an out-of-town family member or a short term resident.

Pet-Friendly Policy

We do allow pets! There is a one-time pet deposit, plus a monthly pet fee, and we only ask that the residents either are able to take care of them on their own OR arrange accommodations to ensure the pets are taken care of.

Current Waitlist Status

That will depend on which floor plan you're looking at. Right now, I have a waitlist for my villas, but at this particular moment in time, I have one- and two-bedroom apartments available. That will change depending on the timeframe you're looking at thought.

Covid and Flu Vaccinations

We typically have a flu vaccine day with a local pharmacy in the community, but they are also free to get one on their own. I don't think this past year we had enough interest in a Covid vaccine day because people got them at their doctors offices.

Aging in Place

Yes! We allow residents and their families to bring in any outside care they need - home health, hospice, etc. But should it get to where paying for outside help plus our rent is no longer reasonable, we do have our sister community, Brentwood at Elkhart Assisted Living, just down the street. The biggest differences between us and the assisted living is they have nurses on staff because they provide care and we do not provide care. The assisted living also accepts the Medicaid waiver, so they can start at the independent living and transition to the assisted living once the funds run out.