The Best Lemon Grove Assisted Living Facilities
The Lantern Crest assisted living communities nestled in the beautiful rolling hills of East San Diego were first founded in 2013. The very first Lantern Crest assisted living community center was called The Ridge, but since then, Lantern Crest has grown to include luxurious independent living communities alongside both their assisted living and memory care communities.
When founder Michael Grant began to search for senior living community options for his own father, he recognized two things: 1) the lack of high-quality residences in Southern California and 2) a lack of senior care living options.
Lantern Crest was developed to help better meet the growing needs of San Diego residents and their family members, which includes a wide range of living arrangements, including independent living and assisted care services as well as intensive hands on care, if needed.
If you’re wondering whether independent living facilities or an assisted living community is the best fit for your loved one, we can help guide you! Let’s take a closer look at how we support independent living residents and assisted living residents at Lantern Crest.
What Do Independent Living Communities Include?
If your loved one is still able to properly care for themselves, including bathing, feeding, dressing, personal hygiene and moving around independently and they still desire to live independently or have an active lifestyle, than either the apartment style communities at the Pointe or the Residential Villas may be a perfect fit for the older adults in your family.
The best part about Lantern Crest’s independent living communities is that they allow members of the senior community to retain their privacy and self-sufficiency, but offer a wide-range of amenities that can be incredibly helpful for older adults.
The best part about Lantern Crest’s independent living communities is that they allow members of the senior community to retain their privacy and self-sufficiency, but offer a wide-range of amenities that can be incredibly helpful for older adults.
Lantern Crest's Independent Living Options
The independent living senior apartments at The Pointe, for example, include a include a full-sized kitchen, washer and dryer, and balcony, so seniors can continue cooking their own meals or do laundry, but can also choose to have a meal from one of the many dining experiences or take advantage of laundry services on the premises.
The Pointe is a wonderful senior living option for those with an active lifestyle — people who don’t want to give up their social calendar but want to slow down a bit and lean on some of the independent living amenities (such as housekeeping services), minimizing seniors daily responsibilities and making life just a tiny bit easier. The wonderful part about it is that the choice is theirs!
Meanwhile, The Retirement Villas — which include a gorgeous, Spanish-style design, hardwood floors and modern amenities — are perfect for older adults who want the privacy of their own home and a garage, yet aren’t tied down with the efforts of maintaining their own home. Villa residents have access to a wide range of luxurious amenities, including a well-maintained putting green and golf course, a movie theater, multiple fitness centers, a salon and spa, and heated outdoor swimming pool.
Senior Living Options Doesn't Mean a Loss of Freedom
What sets these independent living communities apart is that villa residents and older adults at the Pointe and make their own schedule. What’s unique about Lantern Crest’s independent senior living options is that they can choose to participate in as many (or as little) of the community’s planned activities as they want, whether that’s themed events or group exercise classes, to social meet ups and more.
What Do Assisted Living Communities Include?
f your loved one is unable to properly care for themselves and needs skilled nursing care, specialized medical services, and assistive services to aid with physical ailments, medication management or memory care, assisted living is likely the best option. Many people equate assisted living communities with a nursing home, which in not entirely accurate. Lantern Crest customizes their care plans depending on each resident’s needs.
Lantern Crest's Assisted Living Options
The Ridge offers assisted living support to seniors who need specialized medical care or attention, but prioritizes dignity and the ability to provide as much personal choice as possible. The Lantern Crest mission is to provide high-quality living for a wide range of senior requirements.
Residents at The Ridge have:
The option of either a studio or one-bedroom apartment (complete with kitchenette and full-sized refrigerators)
Access to transportation services
Access to weekly housekeeping and laundry services
Three meals and delicious snacks available daily in the Montecito dining room
Staff members available 24/7
Resident-centered personal care plan
Some of the other assisted living amenities include:
Full calendar of activities and recreational events
Fitness center and group classes
High-speed Wi-Fi in Common Areas
Pet friendly living space
How Does Personalized Care Work?
All residents are provided with their own customized care program tailored to each individual. Lantern Crest uses a point system to determine what those needs entail and this is then factored alongside their monthly apartment rate. Our skilled nursing staff will monitor resident’s needs and periodically reassess the services provided.
Memory Care at Lantern Crest
For residents at the Ridge who also have memory care needs, Lantern Crest has specially designed the space to care residents with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Our staff is made up of specially-trained employees who are as intuitive and caring as they are skilled, and make it priority to understand the unique needs of your loved one. Lantern Crest believes safety, security, dignity and joy are paramount — they believe this should be found within all levels of independent and assisted living care.
Our team understands that not all assisted living seniors have the same care needs, interests or comfort levels, and that includes those with memory issues. The Lantern Crest staff works to develop a custom, comprehensive memory care plan for each of our residents and to treat each residents as the unique individual they are.
The community empowers the lifestyle for your loved one through memory care programs which includes creative activities, events, and outings tailored for each resident.
Financial Assistance for Assisted Living
At Lantern Crest Senior Living we work with clients who pay through medicare, government-assisted programs, and personal funds (such as pension income.)
Lantern Crest understands that financing assisted living or specialized memory care units can be difficult for low income seniors. The good news is that there are financial resources out there to help.
State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)
SHIP provides free counseling for seniors so they can better understand their:
Medicare
Medicare Advantage
Medigap and
Medicaid benefits
SHIP programs are typically staffed by volunteers, so they can typically be reached via a toll-free number. Anyone including the insured resident (or their loved ones) can contact a SHIP counselor to get more detailed information about their benefits and whether or not they can access government assistance for assisted living.
Contact your local SHIP team for additional information. You can also book a tour with our team to see our housing options.
Medicare
Medicare is a federally-sponsored health insurance program for individuals over the age of 65. While coverage rules vary (and may depending on individual situations) medicare programs work to help cover inpatient hospital care, nursing, hospice, and home health care.
For additional cost, there are optional medicare coverage add-ons that can support access to other care needs (e.g. outpatient services, medical equipment, prescriptions and long-term care.)
Make sure to review all your medicare options before determining whether your assisted living expenses can be covered by medicare.
Social Security Benefits
California has a Social Security supplement for assisted living residents, otherwise known as Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFEs). The state of California provides approximately $400 per month above the federal SSI payment, which is considered by the state as a Non-Medical Out-of-Home Care Rate (NMOHC). Typically, assisted living costs in California is considerably less expensive as one moves inland, away from the coast.
Keep in mind that California also limits the amount of assisted living residences which can accept Medicaid and can often charge Medicaid recipients for room and board (That amount is usually equal to the federal SSI rate plus the CA supplement.)
About Lantern Crest Senior Living
Since 2013 Lantern Crest has been providing the best in independent, assisted and memory care living in all of North San Diego County, South and East San Diego combined. We offer spacious, luxurious living spaces, 24-hour care, award-winning dining experiences, as well as a wide range of wellness, entertainment, and concierge services.
We continue to grow and develop based on the needs and desires of our residents and seek to provide transparency into the actual costs and requirements for our senior living residents. We believe senior living should be focused on continual fulfillment and growth, and we believe there’s no cap to learning and enjoyment.
