The Heritage at Meridian Gardens sits across from Columbus Community Hospital in Columbus, NE, and has served seniors since 2002, with locations throughout Nebraska, Iowa, Arizona, and Texas, and folks say the community's got a friendly feel with staff earning awards for care and support, which goes a long way when you're choosing where to live. The retirement community offers six levels of care, including independent living for those active and able, assisted living for folks who want a hand with day-to-day tasks, memory care for those living with Alzheimer's or dementia using their Montessori-based Portraits® program, and on-site skilled nursing for residents needing higher levels of support as they age, and home care is available too for folks who want non-medical help and company while living at home. They've got over 55 apartments in five different sizes, all equipped with smoke detectors, sprinkler units, and fire alarms to keep everyone safe, and apartments are pet-friendly which people seem to like, since there are seven pets living there. Meals get planned by nutrition staff and cooked by chefs, they serve a lot of eggs and always seem to have ice cream, making sure residents eat well and have a balanced diet, and if you want to eat with family or friends, there's a private dining room you can reserve. The place stays open 24 hours a day, every day, with licensed staff on-site and urgent care handled quickly, and they use Artificial Intelligence to keep an eye on safety.
The community has a focus on building relationships so everyone feels welcomed, they even have an open-door policy so anyone can come in and talk if needed. Around sixty-three dozen eggs and twelve gallons of ice cream are served every week, which goes along with the coffee shop for folks who want to sit down together, and other spaces include a theater, library, chapel, barbershop, billiards room, wellness room, and a peaceful outdoor courtyard with a koi pond and walking paths that give residents places to relax or socialize. Transportation's available, free of charge, and the vans make about 2000 miles worth of trips for residents each month, with services like snow removal, trash pickup, and vehicle help included, so it's easy to get out and about. They provide medical support, incontinence care, assistance for those with diabetes, services for those who can't walk easily, and they offer activities like devotionals, more than seventy-seven life enrichment events each week, regular games-fifteen pitch games every week for those who like cards-and all the basics like laundry and housekeeping are covered, so residents have less to worry about and more time to do what they enjoy.
Families can use resources from the community to learn about topics like the cost of care, ways to pay, and compare things like food quality, service levels, and medical support, and there are also articles to help inform choices. The Heritage at Meridian Gardens offers rooms in a range of sizes and styles, with amenities and support that change as your needs do, and when it comes to personalized care, daily routines are built around what each resident needs and enjoys. The memory care program is designed around routines and community for those with cognitive troubles, and the Portraits® program helps keep seniors connected. The facility offers virtual tours, so people can get a look at the place even if they can't visit right away, and when someone's ready, tours in person can be set up too. Residents can always ask for help from trained aides or the facility's advisors, and there are options for nearly every stage of retirement, whether someone wants an independent setup or needs more hands-on care.
