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Assisted living is a home-like setting where mature adults live independently with assistance right outside the door.

"Assistance" may mean nothing more than knowing someone is available 24-hours per day (peace of mind) or it may include help with bathing, dressing, eating, transferring (from bed to chair, and back), using the toilet, managing incontinence, walking, medications, housekeeping, meals, and managing chronic illnesses such as Diabetes, Parkinson's Disease, and Alzheimer's Disease.

Residents bring favorite pieces of furniture, photos, and decor from home and personalize their apartments. They enjoy both the privacy of their apartments or the social opportunities living in a diverse community can offer while receiving personalized service from specially trained caregivers....24-hours per day.

The main difference is residents of assisted living communities do not require the direct supervision of a physician or nurse to live their day to day lives. Both options offer personal care to assist with activities of daily living such as dressing, bathing, toileting, mobility, medications, laundry, housekeeping and managing chronic issues such as Diabetes, Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease and other forms of dementias.

Assisted living communities generally offer better staffing ratios.....the number of caregivers compared to the number of residents. Residents receive more personalized attention in a setting that resembles their home....not a hospital.

Assisted living is more personal and the care given is tailored to meet the residents needs and wants. Very few residents have care needs that cannot be met in an assisted living community. Even residents with memory impairment (such as Alzheimer's Disease or other related dementias) can be cared for in the right assisted living setting. Another important difference is cost. It costs much less to live in an assisted living community than in a skilled nursing home. Imagine: better food, a home-like setting, more staffing, personalized care....at a better price!!

Residents go about their daily lives just as they did at home with a few minor differences.

At home, a person would wake in the morning and struggle to get out of bed and to the bathroom without incident. Struggle to dress, experience difficulty with buttons, zippers and shoes. Prepare breakfast which usually did not consist of nutritious food and since eating alone is not fun, did not eat much....or not eat at all. Many struggle with understanding or reading medication bottles and instructions and often take medications incorrectly.

In assisted living, residents wake up in the morning, press a button and a caregiver assists them to the bathroom, with dressing and grooming and escorts them to breakfast where a home-cooked meal complete with good friends, music and company awaits them. A specially trained medication aide administers medications in the correct dose, at the correct time and keeps a detailed record for the resident and his or her physician.

At home, a person has a quiet day with little conversation or interaction. In assisted living, residents may participate in daily activities, play cards, read in the library, chat with neighbors who are of similar age or simply enjoy a peaceful day with their own company but surrounded by the secure and comforting feeling of knowing others are present in case of emergency.

Most residents in assisted living communities pay for housing and services with private funds generated through the sale of the their home, personal income, investments and/or family support.

Others have long term care insurance policies covering a portion or all of the assisted living fees. Former military personnel and their spouses may be eligible for assistance through the Veteran’s Administration. The state of Wisconsin offers two public funding options: COP Funding (Community Options Program) and Family Care. Residents must meet certain financial conditions to qualify for these programs.

Wisconsin offers Aging & Disability Resource Centers (ADRC's) throughout the state. ADRC representatives will provide information about senior housing and services including assisted living. They will explain and assist with financial assistance applications. These centers are state sponsored and free to the public.

Wisconsin also hosts the Department of Health Services website which offers lists of assisted living communities and provides histories of past state surveys of each community. State surveys identify areas of service in the community requiring improvement (if any). CBRF's (Community Based Residential Facilities) are state monitored and surveyed for quality of care and to ensure communities meet or exceed state regulations. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services website may be viewed at: www.dhs.wi.gov.

When a person is no longer safe living alone it is time for assisted living. The Cottage Living Communities welcome you to tour, have lunch and meet the residents and families who enjoy our communities. Don't wait until a medical emergency forces you to make this difficult choice....tour and ask questions now so you have time to carefully consider what you want and need in a community....be ready when the time comes.

Cottage Living includes four lovely communities in Northeast Wisconsin and is operated by a local management company, BAKA Enterprises, Inc., located in Appleton, Wisconsin. BAKA operates many assisted living communities in Wisconsin with special emphasis on dementia care.

Marla Vista Manor has 40 bright, airy studio apartments, each with a private bathroom, kitchenette and large windows. Marla Vista Manor has a large enclosed back yard (more than 2 acres), a gazebo, library, craft room and a beautiful dining room.

Marla Vista Gardens has 20 specially shaped and designed apartments for those with memory impairment including Alzheimer's Disease. This community is a "secure" community and residents may not leave unattended. Each door is secured with state of the art equipment to alert caregivers if someone is attempting to leave or enter.

Carrington Manor boasts 20 large apartments with private bathrooms and a unique, cozy environment. Residents enjoy a sunny living room and beautiful outside deck. This community is decorated to resemble a large home and is nestled in a lovely neighborhood.....very warm and inviting.

Carolina Manor has 45 over-sized studio apartments with private bathrooms and excellent closet space. Nestled in one of Appleton's finest neighborhoods, Carolina Manor is conveniently located adjacent to the Fox Valley Technical College, shopping and health services. Popular for it's wonderful home-cooked meals and aggressive, 7-day per week activity program, Carolina is the number one choice of seniors in Outagamie County.

All apartments are rented on a month-to-month basis. Residents are required to provide a 30-day notice of intent to vacate.

Living in a Cottage Living community is surprisingly affordable!

Many of our residents were paying a mortgage, a housekeeper, a gardener, a caregiver, a repairman, food, utilities, cable, etc. prior to becoming a Cottage Living resident.

Our communities charge a single rate each month based on the level of care needed which includes all of the above plus much, much more. As residents age in place and require additional assistance, they may transition to a higher level of care. Each community has four levels of care to meet everyone's needs.....residents only pay for what they need.

Most residents bring their own furniture and decorations to personalize their new home. For those requiring furniture, we do offer a bed and dresser.

We advise residents to NOT purchase new furniture....bring that favorite chair you love, your favorite comforter and lamp. Your new home should resemble your old home....the only difference should be the sense of security and personal assistance which is just a push of a button away.

We provide bed linens, towels, washcloths and soap.

Cottage Living staff are available to schedule public transportation for you as needed for personal outings and medical appointments.

The Cottage Living communities are staffed 24-hours per day (awake staff). Caregivers are certified nursing assistants (State of Wisconsin) and meet or exceed the state required training for new hires and on-going annual education.

A registered nurse is assigned to each community and visits weekly to meet with residents, assist caregivers and administer monthly injections. Each community has an administrator or executive director who manages the business office Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is otherwise on-call for community questions or emergencies.

Community staff may also include resident care coordinators (RCC's), community relations personnel, housekeepers, cooks, dietary managers, dietary staff, maintenance personnel and activity directors.