In spring 2018, Aldersgate Village broke ground on its newest service offering, home plus. This innovative housing option marries the comforts of home with the company of peers and includes individualized levels of care.
Please read these frequently asked questions about home plus to determine if it might be a good fit for you or your loved ones.
Q: What is home plus?
A: The
Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services defines “home plus” as a “residence or facility caring for not more than 12 individuals … who … need personal care or supervised nursing care to help with limitations in activities of daily living.”
At Aldersgate Village, home plus, officially named Nancy's Place, is a new option for assisted living that includes customized and progressive care ranging from basic assistance to 24/7 supervised nursing care – whatever you need when you need it – in a comfortable home environment custom designed for the changing health of elderly adults.
Q: Who is home plus for?
A: Any senior older than 55 years of age who needs assistance with daily activities is a potential candidate for home plus. Because home plus is licensed only by the state of Kansas, rather than any federal agencies, home plus facilities are not eligible to participate in Medicare-reimbursable services.
Q: How is home plus different from assisted living or nursing homes?
A: Home plus offers its residents their own private suites with bathrooms and showers, which are arranged around comfortable shared spaces, including the great room, dining area, kitchen, quiet room, and outdoor courtyard. This innovative design makes home plus feel like a traditional family home and is more social than most assisted living or skilled nursing environments.
Have a look at the floor plan here:
3-D floor plan
Another key difference is that home plus can accommodate only 12 residents, all of whom are served by a select group of staff members who provide all the services in the home, including on-site meal preparation. This type of structure facilitates the forming of strong bonds among caregivers and residents. It also enables caregivers to customize the expert nursing care so that it perfectly matches each resident’s individual needs and can adjust as residents’ needs change.
Q: What are the benefits of living in a home plus?
A: The combination of private rooms and communal living spaces has been shown to provide a better quality of life for seniors who need some assistance with daily activities. In one study, adults in long-term care in an environment like home plus reported higher quality of life than seniors in traditional nursing homes on the subjects of privacy, dignity, autonomy and food enjoyment.
Family members are also happier with the care their loved ones receive in these types of senior residences. According to another study, long-term care environments such as home plus scored higher on four out of five family satisfaction measures compared to nursing homes.
In addition, studies have shown that, compared to traditional nursing homes, the rate of hospitalization is much lower in facilities similar to home plus. This could mean that the personalized, round-the-clock nursing care continues to effectively serve seniors as their health changes or declines.
Q: How many people can live in home plus?
A: The custom-designed home plus at Aldersgate Village features 12 individual suites, four of which are designed to adjoin if needed, so couples can stay together, even as their health care needs change.
Q: What if my health needs, care choices, or payment options change?
A: Despite the best laid plans, there’s no way to know for certain what the future will hold. That’s why home plus at Aldersgate Village, which has been serving the Topeka community since 1904, is an excellent choice for anyone aged 55 and older who needs assistance with daily activities.
On our campus, we have the full continuum of care covered. In addition to the new home plus, we offer recovery center rehabilitation, independent living, assisted living, and long-term skilled nursing. Therefore, however your needs, choices, and finances change over time, we’ll always have an option that fits.
We also have a full range of services and amenities available. While home plus will offer meals, snacks, laundry service, an on-site hair salon, and more, our community has much more to offer all its residents. Some of our convenient services include:
- A state-of-the-art recovery center for rehab care
- On-campus clinics for dental, podiatry, and audiology services
- Transportation to on-site and off-campus appointments and outings
- On-site worship services
- Special events, educational classes, and fun activities
Q: Will Medicare or Medicaid pay for home plus living?
A: Because home plus is licensed only by the state of Kansas, rather than any federal agencies, home plus residences are not eligible to participate in Medicare-reimbursable services.
Q: There are several home plus facilities in Topeka and the surrounding area. How do I choose the right one for me?
A: Due to state licensing requirements, home plus facilities have much in common. However, there are some key differences that may make some homes a better fit than others, so we recommend that you tour the home plus facilities that you’re considering.
During the tour and after, you may want to ask some of the following questions.
- Is this home plus an all-new building custom designed especially for assisted living with progressive nursing care, or is it an older home that was retrofitted to meet requirements?
- Was it designed by senior care experts to accommodate elderly adults’ changing health care needs?
- How long has your organization been serving seniors?
- What activities, amenities and services are available?
Q: How is the home plus at Aldersgate Village different from others?
A: Home plus at Aldersgate Village is unique in many ways. Here are a few of the details that make our home plus facility a great choice for seniors in northeast Kansas:
- Custom designed by experts in senior care who planned every detail so that home plus would be the perfect age-in-place setting for long-term senior living
- The only home plus located within a full-service life plan community, with access to a full range of health care services to meet every senior care need
- Welcoming and friendly faith-based community with on-site church services as well as many fun activities and outings
- On-site beauty salon and barber shop as well as dental, podiatry and audiology services
- Beautiful 168-acre campus that feels like a rural setting but is close to Topeka’s shopping and services
If you think home plus at Aldersgate Village might be the right choice for you or your family members, learn more at
www.aldersgatevillage.org/homeplus.
