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Looking for Senior Living Solutions? At Ives Hill & The Lodge we will customize a solution for the life you want for yourself or your loved one by listening to your needs and desires. It’s important to know that not all communities are licensed by the Department of Health.

Eventually older adults need assistance with their daily lives due to age-related problems and to safely function independently. Signs a loved one needs additional support include:

  • Losing weight or un-stocked refrigerator
  • Loss of interest in usual routine
  • Bruises or trouble getting around the house
  • Forgetting routine hygiene, doctor appointments, or taking medication
  • Sleeping in favorite chair
  • Increased consumption of pills or alcohol
  • Stopped religious services or volunteering
  • Exhibiting obsessive behavior, hoarding, or excessive buying

Some factors to consider when approaching this important subject are:

Driving Safety. Erratic driving can be a result of vision and hearing loss, medication issues, or more serious conditions like Alzheimer’s disease or strokes.

Medical Safety. Skipping medication, doubling doses, and not able to take medication as prescribed is a good indication that a loved one may need assistance.

Financial Safety. Evidence of unpaid bills/late notices, misplacing invoices, understand pension and Medicare benefits or being solicited by multiple organizations for donations are indicators of a need for assistance.

Activities of Daily Living. If a loved one cannot perform routine activities due to physical, pathological, or cognitive challenges, a health care provider should assist with an appropriate medical examination.

Home Safety. Stairs can become a challenge when coordination & strength changes and simple tasks, like sweeping, become more difficult. Accidents can occur at home that may have been prevented by modification or repair to the home. Planning and appropriate assistance can ensure a safe and healthy environment.

Yes. A person must be 62 years of age or older to reside at Ives Hill.  If two occupants will be residing together at least one of the occupants must be at least 62 years of age.

Ives Hill Retirement Community is located just off Ives Street in the City of Watertown. Ives Hill is within a mile to medical facilities, to many physician offices and to shopping. Additionally, part of the property owned by Ives Hill borders the Ives Hill Public Golf Course.

To become a resident of Ives Hill you must complete an Application for Residency and submit payment of $1,500, a reservation fee that secures a priority position on our waiting list.

Reservation fees are partially refundable if an applicant is unable to move to Ives Hill due to a change in health status (i.e., needs to move to Assisted Living or Skilled Nursing). Furthermore, once an applicant twice declines to move to Ives Hill when offered a living unit matching his/her preference, the reservation fee no longer secures one’s priority status on the waiting list. That applicant’s name is then moved to the bottom of the waiting list such that when a preferred unit next becomes available, he/she may not be given opportunity to select that unit. Lastly, the reservation fee is not applied to one’s equity fee or monthly fee upon taking occupancy of a living unit.

The length of the waiting list has varied significantly throughout the years. It varies according to the style of living unit, the number of vacancies that occur and during  expansion phases. Please talk with our Sales Director to learn how long the waiting list is currently. We have no way to predict longevity!

There is likely to be an annual increase in monthly fees. The amount of increase will vary according to changes in the cost of providing services and maintaining the buildings and grounds. Annual increases usually range between 1% and 5%.  The average annual increase since Ives Hill opened in 1998 has been 3%.

No, Ives Hill Retirement Community is an independent living community. As such, Ives Hill Retirement Community is not licensed to provide personal care or health care services to residents. A free Wellness Clinic is offered weekly at Ives Hill by a staff LPN. This clinic is open to all Ives Hill residents. However, The Lodge at Ives Hill offers 24-hour assistance and is licensed by the New York State Department of Health as Enriched Housing. Health and personal care services are provided to those who reside at The Lodge.

Ives Hill offers a variety of social, recreational, educational and spiritual activities.  Please ask to see our weekly newsletter. Activities are always published in the newsletter.

Cats and small dogs are permitted in our apartments. However, a small dog that has a tendency to bark at the slightest sound will not be permitted. There are other restrictions regarding pets that residents may have in an apartment. For more information speak with our Sales Director.  A pet deposit is required.

Cats and small dogs are permitted in patio homes with prior approval. A pet deposit is required. While patio home residents may have a larger dog breed than is permitted in apartments, our insurance company has restrictions regarding certain dog breeds. For more information speak with our Sales Director.

Residents are welcome to have a car. Parking spaces are available around the congregate building for apartment residents and a limited number of garage spaces are available for an additional fee. Every patio home includes an attached one-car garage.

Yes, transportation services are one of the many benefits offered at Ives Hill.

There are two payment options offered for apartments: Rent or Equity Fee with Monthly Service Fee.

“Rent” is a payment that covers the cost of one’s housing and services and is paid monthly.

An “Equity Fee” is paid upon occupying an apartment and is a one-time fee. This equity payment serves as prepaid rent, to give the resident a reduced monthly fee. The unused portion of the equity payment is refunded to the resident or estate when residency ends, at a percentage that declines over four years, but is never less than 60% for the homes or 50% for the apartments. The result is a financial value that increases over time throughout the residency at Ives Hill due to the ongoing lower monthly fees.

All Patio Homes require an “Equity Fee.” A monthly Service Fee is also assessed to cover the cost of taxes, insurance, maintenance, water/sewer, etc. Refund plans currently offered are based upon a refund of not less than 60%.

For more information about how the Equity Fee plan works and how much is refunded upon move-out, talk with our Sales Director. Equity Fees vary by floor plan, individual features of a home and the year of construction.

NOTE:  Many communities call their Equity Fee an Entrance Fee.

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