North Bend Assisted Living & Retirement Community Near North Bend, WA

Nutrition for seniors doesn't have to be hard.

A varied, diverse diet is important for seniors, even though we tend to have lower caloric needs as we age. Lean meat, eggs, light meals with whole foods, fruits, veggies, fungi… All of these are on the menu in our retirement community! If you pack up with nutritious ingredients during meal time, we guarantee your body will repay you and you won’t feel cravings for added sugar or low-quality fats.

Vitamin-rich foods, starchy foods, fiber-rich foods all promote a functional metabolism and a healthy gut microbiome. Keep in mind that the digestive system can’t handle the same foods in different parts of our life. It’s completely normal to change our diets as we grow up and the same applies to growing old. In an assisted living facility like Bellewood, you won’t have to think too much about all this, as our staff and chefs are top of their class when it comes to cooking for our residents.

Alcoholic beverages in a senior citizen’s daily meal plan are a controversial topic purely for health concerns and the relationship of consuming alcohol and reduced brain function. On top of this there is valid concern about alcohol’s impact on our immune system and thus, increased susceptibility to Covid-19. Of course, we never take things to the extreme and are happy to accommodate your needs as long as it doesn’t negatively affect yourself and other residents. Science, however, says that physiologically speaking, your body is better off without it, but your body means your choice, and we’re professionals who are hired to serve your needs, not vice versa. Now and always!

Another controversial topic is fasting and the elderly. Fasting has been shown to improve almost all blood biomarkers across the board, but it requires either a lot of personal experience or supervision of medical staff. This is because blood sugar levels can drop significantly, and a disturbed balance of minerals and salts can cause a lot of acute issues. It is not advised for everyone, although we don’t discourage it if the doctors say it’s ok for our residents to practice it.

What you can expect at Bellewood Senior Living Community?

Our habits will largely dictate what we’re used to eating and what we’ll choose to eat, but everyone who’s ever visited their friends and family, or eaten at a foreign restaurant knows the value of switching it up from time to time, trying out new ingredients, spices, or just different preparation methods. Our independent living community supports any lifestyle choice in this regard.

Food intolerances & allergies are common nowadays, so we always have that in mind when planning meals and handing over instructions to our main chef in the kitchen. Another issue that we take seriously is personal convictions - your health and your demands come first, so we’re fully adapted to handle requests for vegan and vegetarian dishes.

Another huge pillar of wellness is our position in the social sphere. Staying social and building up connections all throughout our lives is paramount.

At Bellewood, near North Bend, we know from experience just how important this is, so meal time in our assisted living community isn’t just for meals - it’s highly encouraged to merge our meal time with socialization.

Other activities are also available in conjunction with social activities - watching movies, physical activities, outdoor activities, hobbies. In an exchange with others we can learn new things, share our own experiences and keep our brains youthful even in old age. Our retirement community has all of this in mind and provides all the necessary tools for you to organize these activities however suits you.

We all know that when we're sick or not feeling well, sometimes we get the feeling of isolation and a tendency to isolate ourselves even more. Having someone to take care of us when we're down is such an important part of life, because ultimately we all need assurance and reassurance about our own safety in this world.

Social support plays a major role in all of life's challenges, and the same rule applies in assisted living facilities! Come visit us at Bellewood near North Bend and check out the atmosphere, meet the staff and residents, see for yourself why we're the best senior community near you.

How exactly does one go about flipping their entire life upside down in a painless manner?

Well, it’s not easy, but we’re here to guide you through the entire process, the same way we’ve helped many others.

Communication is key. Family members have to be understanding, and there mustn’t be a feeling of pressure or force. The negative connotation following terms like “retirement home” or “assisted living facility” can be removed simply by visiting the grounds or talking to others who have been through the same experience.

The ones who have the most impact on how your elderly parent will feel (“feel” being the key term here) about moving to an independent living facility or retirement home are other aging adults, and especially elderly who are already in these communities. When your loved one sees their peers living happily and fulfilled, they will immediately lower their guard and start observing all of the positive aspects of living in a senior community. Especially if it’s close to home like Bellewood is close to many places around the Seattle Area.

We’ve used this term several times now, but what do we even mean by “independent living”?

In this sense, independence is not tied to any one activity or a certain location like your current place of residence. It’s not a matter of being solitary, either. It’s about taking the boring, mundane, and ultimately irrelevant activities out of your life and focusing on the things YOU want to do with your time. 

Think about it! Would you rather vacuum and dust your house on your own, inhaling all sorts of bad stuff and possibly even exposing yourself to mold, or work on a passion project like gardening or painting?

That’s what independence is all about. Throwing all the difficult, hazardous, and mundane stuff out the window, and focusing your attention on creative endeavors, social activities, outdoor sports, etc. That’s what assisted living means - we assist you with the hard and boring stuff, but you keep all of your freedoms.

Of course, if you absolutely enjoy preparing your own meals or cooking for others, an independent living community supports you with everything you need. Bellewood near North Bend provides valuable opportunities for independent activities for everyone!

Common Concerns

For many seniors, living on a fixed income brings concerns of outliving your retirement savings. There are many things you can do to ensure you are living within your means, hiring a financial advisor, developing a budget, and preparing for the possibility that you may become unable to handle your finances. A large portion of your nest egg will be spent on living expenses, so it’s important to consider housing related daily, monthly and yearly costs.

Staying home vs. moving out

When making the important decision of where to live as you age, you need to take into account your overall health and well-being along with the finances. Many seniors think that staying in their homes is more affordable than joining an assisted living or senior living community but fail to take into account the various costs that can accrue. While you may not be paying rent or a mortgage, living at home can require basic home maintenance, like a new water heater or yard care, or projects to keep the home accessible based on your abilities. These improvements can include installing a stair lift, wheel chair ramps, or remodeling a bath (to include a curbless shower and installing hand rails, for example). All these projects have a cost, and it’s important to research to see if they will add to your home value or not.

There are also costs associated with independent living and retirement home communities, here are a few things to consider when researching to see what’s included in your monthly rent or joining fee: waiting list deposit, move-in fee, housekeeping, meals, TV, utilities (phone, internet, electricity), transportation, parking, field trips, wellness programs. At our nearby local assisted living facility, most of these are included with your monthly rent; you can read about Bellewood’s services and amenities here. Depending on your needs, desired assisted living services are available at varying costs.

Change is inevitable; at Bellewood Senior Living Community rent increases don’t have to be.

Financial peace of mind is why we’ve created a program call LifeMinded Rewards. People tend to live and engage at Bellewood near North Bend longer than they expected, so we’ve found a way to help you plan for the future with greater financial certainty and confidence. LifeMinded Rewards is a one of a kind program that limits or eliminates any rent increase you’ll experience at Bellewood senior apartments. The program is simple and it starts after you’ve lived with us for just 3 consecutive years. After your 3rd year your rent will never increase by more than 2% per year. After 5 years your rent will never increase more than 1% per year and after 10 consecutive years with us you rent will never increase at all. No fine print, no buy in, no hidden gimmicks, just an approach that puts your peace of mind first.

LifeMinded Rewards may be the most unique aspect of our take on finances but it’s not our only one. Unlike most retirement communities or independent senior housing communities you’ll find, we are very upfront about our fees, you can easily find them all on our website, just click here.