FAQ’s

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference in providers in terms of resident/caregiver
interaction?

Brookside: Brookside maintains a minimum of 1 to 3 Caregiver to Elder ratio and nearly
100% retention. Because of this Elders and Caregivers are able to form consistent and
strong bonds.
Nursing Home: In an institution the caregiver to resident ratio ranges from 1:12 to 1:20
depending on “call offs”. Also, turnover is a consistent problem in nursing homes. As a
result, the resident is unable to form bonds with caregivers that are seldom seen and
often different.

Q: What amount of personal, hands-on care can be expected for each
Elder?

Brookside: 8.89 hours of care per day
Nursing Home: 2.47 hours of care per day

Q: Does the Elder have access to the full range of health care
services that may be needed in long term care?

Brookside: Yes. All Elders living at Brookside would otherwise be in a skilled nursing
facility.
Nursing Home: Yes, depending on the level of care required by the resident.

Q: Are private units available?

Brookside: Brookside does not have “units”. All bedrooms are private, there are no
semi-private or shared rooms.
Nursing Home: Private unit availability varies, and often can not be guaranteed for
extended periods.

Q: Are there Nurses on staff?

Brookside: Yes.
Nursing Home: Yes.

Q: Is there a set schedule for when the individual must wake up or go
to sleep?

Brookside: At Brookside, a personal schedule is followed for each Elder. It is based on
what is ‘normal’ for that individual. The Caregivers know the Elder well enough to know
when something is out of the ordinary. The home conforms to the Elder, not the other way
around.
Nursing Home: Due to the high number of residents, nursing homes tend to follow an
institutional schedule with little variation.

Q: Are residents involved in menu planning? Can residents help with
meal preparation and have access to the kitchen?

Brookside: Each individual can have as much or as little input as they would like. Meals
are home cooked by the caregivers and thus the Elders are involved in meal preparation
and planning.
Nursing Home: Typically the food is of a standardized nature and there is very little
choice of what to eat and when.

Q: Are there special diets available to the residents? (ex. renal diet,
diabetic diet, vegetarian diet, etc.)

Brookside: Yes. Due to the Caregiver to Elder ratio, we are able to accommodate
whatever special diet the resident may have.
Nursing Home: Yes. However, these dinners are mass produced and served not
according to personal preference but to convenience and cost effectiveness.

Q: Does the facility allow residents to bring their own furniture?

Brookside: We encourage individuals to bring whatever possessions are important to
them, even pets.
Nursing Home: Some individual belongings can be kept in the room, as well as a
storage area.

Q: Are residents encouraged to participate in certain activities?

Brookside: In addition to scheduled activities, Caregivers encourage choices that
provide the spontaneity and variety that make life worth living. These often come in the
form of spontaneous and unplanned events, such as Bocce of the front lawn or sharing a
cherished family recipe.
Nursing Home: Group activities are scheduled daily and residents are encouraged to
participate.

Q: Does the floor plan allow for easy mobility? Are bathrooms
accessible to residents using wheelchairs and walkers?

Brookside: Brookside was designed from the ground up to be an ideal alternative to
nursing homes and personal care homes. All areas of the home are handicapped
accessible.
Nursing Home: Most nursing homes are designed to be handicapped accessible.

Q: Are housekeeping and laundry services available? How often?

Brookside: Housekeeping and laundry services are a part of maintaining the Elder’s
home. This is provided by the caregiver on duty as often as necessary (at least once
daily), and the Elder is included in these activities when possible.
Nursing Home: Facility housekeeping and laundry is provided, per facility schedule.
Mass laundry services require personal clothing items to be “tagged” with resident’s
name.

Q: Are there extra fees for certain services?

Brookside: No. The only time that the resident might incur additional costs are if the
individual requires dedicated one-on-one care.
Nursing Home: Depending on the facility, there can be different fees for varying levels
of service, amenities, etc.

Q: Security?

Brookside: The Neighborhood within Neighborhood design allows each home to provide
support and security in case of an emergency. Additionally because of the small home it
easy to monitor and react to anything out of the ordinary.
Nursing Home: Few nursing homes have dedicated security staff. In practice it is very
difficult to keep institutional settings completely secure, due to the size and the amount of
visitors.

Q: What is the monthly cost for Brookside?

Brookside: Despite the higher quality of care and environment, Brookside is equivalent
or less than most nursing homes.
Nursing Home: A typically nursing home will cost between $6,500 and $8,000 per
month.

Have more questions that weren’t answered here? Please call our office at (814) 866-2919 or take a look at this video for more answers!