Assisted Living

By Rick Banas of assisted living provider BMA Management, Ltd.

Let me tell you, I love the Fourth of July – Independence Day in the US of A.

As I watch fireworks light up the night sky with family and friends, I thank my lucky stars that I was born and live in the United States. As Lee Greenwood so aptly notes in his song “God Bless the U.S.A.,” I deeply appreciate living in a country “where at least I know I’m free.”

I hope that each of you took the opportunity yesterday to salute our Founding Fathers for our Declaration of Independence, which was penned by Thomas Jefferson and adopted by Congress on July 4, 1776, and all those who through the years sacrificed so much to protect our right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

As we celebrated Independence Day yesterday, I also thanked my lucky stars for the opportunity to be working for a mission-driven company that has as its focus helping folks of all financial means maintain as much independence as possible for as long as possible.

Thirty-three of our 35 senior living communities operate through a special program here in Illinois called Supportive Living. The program is designed for adults 65 years of age and older and disabled adults ages 22 to 64 who need some help to maintain their independence but do not require licensed skilled nursing care.

One beauty of the program is that the emphasis is on personal choice, dignity, privacy and independence. Another is that it especially benefits those who cannot afford private pay assisted living, including those who are on or would qualify for Medicaid.

Since the first Supportive Living community opened more than 10 years ago, the program has experienced significant growth. Today, there are 136 Supportive Living communities housing more than 10,600 apartments located throughout the State.

The communities provide a wonderful alternative to living in a nursing home or to struggling alone at home.

The Supportive Living communities managed by BMA combine the opportunity to live in a residential apartment-home environment with the availability of personal assistance and support services. Each of the private apartments at these affordable assisted living communities feature a kitchenette, spacious bathroom with shower, individually controlled heating and air conditioning, and emergency alert system.

Certified nursing assistants are on-duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide help with medications and personal assistance. Meals, housekeeping and laundry are included.

Residents also benefit from plenty of opportunities to easily socialize with friends and neighbors and to participate in activities and special events.

Our focus at each of the communities that we manage is on providing residents with the love, compassion and dignity that they so richly deserve in addition to the care, services and assistance that they need. Our approach is to place residents first in each and every decision that we make.

You can find Supportive Living communities managed by BMA in the City of Chicago and the surrounding suburbs as well as in northern, central and southern Illinois.

This fall we will be opening up Heritage Woods of Gurnee, our first Supportive Living community in Lake County.

We also will be completing the expansion of our Heritage Woods affordable assisted living community in South Elgin. The expansion features the development of White Oaks, which is one of only five affordable Memory Care communities approved by the State of Illinois to operate under the Supportive Living program.

White Oaks at Heritage Woods will house 32 apartments for older adults with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia in two specially designed neighborhoods.

The expansion project at Heritage Woods of South Elgin also includes the addition of 18 affordable assisted apartments.

For a complete list of the senior living and assisted living communities managed by BMA, go to the Our Communities pick list on the top right hand side of the page.