20 Years of Innovation in Aging
Ascension Living’s Live at Home program achieves milestone as the area’s only Continuing Care at Home (CCAH)
Chattanooga, Tennessee – Ascension Living’s Live at Home, a membership program designed to be a retirement community without walls, turns 20 this spring. The program was conceived by Alexian Brothers of the Southeast, one of the historic sponsors of Ascension.
“Live at Home was an entirely new concept of retirement living when we introduced it in the spring of 2002 to the Chattanooga, Tennessee, market,” said Melissa Brown, Executive Director, Ascension Living. “The Alexian Brothers adapted the continuing care model offered in a continuing care retirement community and repackaged services to deliver them to people at home. Twenty years later, Ascension Living’s Live at Home program has helped more than 300 people age successfully in their homes for as long as possible.”
Today, Live at Home provides support as needed throughout each member’s lifetime for an initial enrollment fee and a monthly membership fee. Members benefit from wellness support, at-home assistance and round-the-clock care when needed.
Membership qualifications for Live at Home include being healthy and independent, without degenerative medical conditions. All members join the program while they are well and not in need of assistance with mobility or self-care. Each member is assigned a Wellness Care Manager to help them with wellness plans, home safety evaluations and referrals.
If Live at Home members have a physical or cognitive change that makes it difficult for them to take care of themselves or their homes the way they used to, the Wellness Care Manager arranges for services to be provided in the home. These services are fully covered by Live at Home and can be ongoing, or for a short period of time due to an illness or injury. If a member is not able to drive, Live at Home provides transportation to essential services including banking, grocery and shopping, and medical appointments. Homemaking support is also available and includes housekeeping, changing linens and taking out the trash. Help with meals and medication prompting are also included. Even the simplest of services can have a tremendous impact on quality of life.
If a member’s needs increase, they are met with personal care services including assistance with bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, continence and transferring within the home. When members experience medical events, diagnoses or advanced decline that call for round-the-clock care, Live at Home can arrange for discounted supplemental daily support or care at Ascension Living Alexian Village Tennessee. Members can receive assisted living or nursing services at Ascension Living Alexian Village Tennessee at a 75% savings. Memory support is available at a significant discount as well.
“With increased lifespans and medical advancements, innovation has become more important than ever in planning for future needs, and Live at Home not only thinks, but exists, outside the box,” Brown said. “As many financial planning insurance products have ceased or limited their offerings over the past 20 years of increasing long-term care expenses, Live at Home and its lifetime model of care has remained a trustworthy, mission-driven service provider.”
“Live at Home’s combination of financial benefit along with coordinated care is a uniquely innovative option that is available in the Chattanooga area,” Brown said. “This program ensures that a member has access to the resources they need to age successfully in their own homes.”
To learn more, visit www.ascesionliving/liveathome.
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About us
Live at Home is a membership program that is designed to empower members to plan for their personal care and household needs as they age. From home chore help, to transportation, to assistance with daily living, Live at Home takes the worry out of who will provide care if it is needed in the future. Live at Home emphasizes maintaining wellness, living independently and remaining at home. Learn more at www.ascesionliving/liveathome.
Ascension Living, based in St. Louis and part of Ascension, is a mission-driven senior living provider deeply connected to our Catholic faith that cares for the physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being of all individuals we serve. Our Mission calls us to provide spiritually centered, holistic care to seniors, particularly those most in need. We offer a wide range of programs tailored to meet the unique needs of older adults. Regardless of everyone’s stage in life, our goal is to provide seniors with opportunities designed to make their lives joyful, enriching and satisfying. With communities in 11 states and the District of Columbia, our ministries are continually developing and adopting new best practices in care that enhance the experiences of our residents, program participants and patients. Learn more at www.ascensionliving.org.
Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization dedicated to transformation through innovation across the continuum of care. As one of the leading non-profit and Catholic health systems in the U.S., Ascension is committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. In FY2021, Ascension provided $2.3 billion in care of persons living in poverty and other community benefit programs. Ascension includes more than 150,000 associates and 40,000 aligned providers. The national health system operates more than 2,600 sites of care – including 142 hospitals and more than 40 senior living facilities – in 19 states and the District of Columbia, while providing a variety of services including clinical and network services, venture capital investing, investment management, biomedical engineering, facilities management, risk management, and contracting through Ascension’s own group purchasing organization. Visit www.ascension.org.