Legacy Village Assisted Living feels like home

When you think of moving your loved one to assisted living, what comes to mind? First you think of someone your loved one doesn’t know providing care to them. An unfamiliar face helping them dress, shower, and use the restroom. You think of cafeteria style lunch ladies plopping food on to a tray for them to eat. You think of your loved one sitting alone in their room, that they suddenly share with a total stranger, not interacting with the people with whom they now share a large hospital-esque building. Thankfully, that is a false depiction when it comes to Legacy Village Assisted Living.

Upon the first time touring, most families will tell staff their fears and reservations about moving their loved ones to a care community and they sound a lot like those mentioned before. As the touring process begins, families will say that the community is very beautiful and that they didn’t expect it to look so much like a residential neighborhood. The next step is to explain how Legacy Village Assisted Living operates.

Potential residents and families are part of The Green House Project, a nationwide movement to transforms care “facilities” into care “communities,” to make long-term care feel more home like and less institutional.

There are six individual houses that have 10 private studio apartments in each one and they all have a communal living, dining, and kitchen space. Each apartment has a kitchenette, where the residents can keep food and snacks if they would like to, but isn’t necessary, since there are three home cooked meals and snacks provided throughout the day.

While showing anyone around the houses, Legacy Village Assisted Living makes sure to mention that this is a home and is to be used as one. Whether that means the residents’ families come to their new home to barbecue on the weekends, or the kids are visiting out of town and would like to stay the night with their parent. Even if the residents’ loved ones live out of town, they will still have plenty of family around and never feel alone. “It’s more like a home setting,” stated Administrator Kim Goins. “We encourage residents to help the CNA’s cook if they’d like to, or to play games — just like a family would. We also provide a 24-hour on-call nurse, laundry and housekeeping, and ADL (Activities of Daily Living) in all areas.” Since each house only has 10 studio apartments, that means that there is more of a bond between your loved one and the others living in one house, as well as more of a bond built between them and the exceptional caregivers, The Shahbaz.

The Shahbazim got their name from a tale of a Persian King with a falcon, named Shahbaz. The bird’s main duty was to protect, sustain, and nurture the kings people, which is the standard for Legacy care givers. Shahbaz are employed to provide the care needed, not just clinically, but mentally and emotionally, to sustain the quality of life they would have had in their home.

Some residents voice the worry of mismanaging their medication at home and do not wish to struggle with this further, to which they are informed that you do not have to if you do not wish to or no longer have the ability too. There are nurses at Legacy Village to help with that.

The next big apprehension is the level of activity the residents have. There is always plenty to do around The Village with weekly bingo games, visiting musical acts, like a one-man band and local band The Buffalo Gals. There are community engaging events that the residents, their families, and larger community neighbors take part in like the previously held Fall Festival, the Legacy Village team taking part annually in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, or everyone coming together to watch the city’s Fourth of July Fireworks show.

Many tours have ended with residents and family members feeling refreshed at the positive outlook they now have on a care community. The possibility that they themselves or their loved ones will continue to age gracefully in a home setting is a relief.

For more information, call or stop by the offices: (479) 271-2387, 1303 NE Legacy Parkway, Bentonville, or visit online at www.legacyvillagearkansas.org.