The Cottages At Martin Lake sit in Fremont, Michigan, on a peaceful wooded lake, so families visiting will notice right away how quiet and homey the two custom-built homes feel, especially with the six private suites in each cottage, each offering lake views, patio access, and a private ADA-compliant bathroom with a walk-in or drive-in shower. The staff, including a Certified Dementia Practitioner and a registered nurse who lives right next door, keep care both personal and continuous, with a low resident-to-caregiver ratio and licensed nursing staff available 24/7, which means help with bathing, dressing, transfers, medication, and personal laundry is always close by, though the staff will evaluate each resident's needs to make sure they can provide the right level of care, and sometimes they'll have to say no if those needs go beyond what they can handle. Residents, whether single or living as a couple, get support for memory care, assisted living, or even independent living with private cottages that have kitchenettes and private patios, and the whole place is laid out to be as welcoming to wheelchairs as it is to visiting family, who are welcome for meals or planned gatherings in family-friendly spaces with child's toys and places to sit and chat.
Community life here moves at a comfortable pace, as there's a mix of indoor and outdoor activities, like parties, cookouts, movie nights, outings, bridge games, puzzles, and baking days, as well as time for fishing off the dock, pontoon boat rides, raised garden beds for those who like to dig in the dirt, and a big garden with walking paths that let residents get out and enjoy the trees. Residents can bring their own favorite furniture and things to make their rooms feel more like home, and the cozy game room, pool table, gathering rooms, piano, and screened-in porch give everyone spots to relax or join in with others, while the in-floor radiant heat and individual climate controls help each person stay comfortable, no matter the weather. Meals come three times a day with options for special diets, and dining, housecleaning, laundry, and even allergy-sensitive or diabetes-friendly meals get handled by staff. The place doesn't take Medicaid, so only those who can pay privately are eligible, but the staff works hard to make it feel like their own family could live there, always keeping residents' dignity and comfort at the front.
Spiritual engagement is possible since transportation to local devotional services is arranged, and transport to clinics, shopping, and other errands or medical appointments like those at Shoreline Vision or Spretem Health Memorial is provided too. Throughout the cottages, high-speed Wi-Fi keeps everyone connected, emergency alert systems and door alarms help keep folks safe, and there's an in-house medication management system for peace of mind. Memory care and health and wellness programs are tailored for people living with dementia and Alzheimer's, and a focus on healthy exercise gets a boost from a spa with a walk-in whirlpool tub, a workout room, and staff who help residents stay active. Pets may come for visits, children and families gather for parties, and the small scale-just 12 residents at a time split across the two homes-means residents see familiar faces every day, whether that's at an activity, by the fishing dock, on the walking trails, or looking out their window at the lake. All this gives The Cottages At Martin Lake a calm, home-like feel, more like an extended family than a large facility, so people often notice the slower pace, nature, and the care that everyone puts into making it comfortable for each resident.