Questions & Answers
- Who should consider a Bridges residence?
- What services do you include at a Bridges residence?
- Do you accept residents with Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia?
- If a resident’s physical condition declines, must the resident leave?
- What are the meals like at Bridges?
- Do you provide activities at Bridges?
- Are there private rooms available?
- Can Bridges residents have their own furniture?
- Are Bridges residences affordable? How much does it cost?
- Is there a down payment or contract commitment?
- Will insurance cover Bridges costs?
- What are some examples of unique qualities, services, & amenities at a Bridges residence?
- What else does your staff do to make Bridges feel more like home?
Who should consider a Bridges residence?
If you find yourself in one of the following situations you might look into a Bridges residence:
- You can no longer live alone safely.
- You are dependent on others to help with activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, and meal preparation.
- You walk with a walker or cane, perhaps need personal assistance with ambulation (walking), or are in a wheelchair.
- You need 24-hour supportive care and supervision.
- You need management of your medication regime.
What services do you include at a Bridges residence?
If a resident requests or requires assistance with daily living, we offer a host of services, including:
- Care and supervision on a 24-hour basis by a trained caregiver.
- Supervision and health monitoring by a professional nurse.
- Medication management.
- Trained-Professional Chef-prepared nutritious (and delicious!) meals, three times each day, along with snacks. See a sample menu here.
- Personal laundry service and housekeeping.
- Fitness programs carefully tailored to accommodate individual abilities.
- Haircuts and styling by a beautician.
- Planned and spontaneous activities and entertainment.
- Transportation to and from medical appointments.
- Frequent excursions and diversions.
- Concierge and shopping services.
Do you accept residents with Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia?
Yes, because of our small size we provide a unique and supportive environment for those with memory care needs. However we do not accommodate residents who are combative, disruptive, or a danger to themselves or other members of our household.
If a resident’s physical condition declines and the resident begins to require a more intense level of care, must the resident leave?
As an Enhanced Assisted Living Residence and a licensed home health care agency, Bridges has the flexibility to admit and retain residents whose care needs increase. This allows our residents to age in place. Residents that would not be appropriate for admission or retention are those that are combative, disruptive, or are a danger to themselves or others, or require one on one skilled medical care.
What are the meals like at Bridges?
Click here to see a sample menu and meet our chefs! The food services program for Bridges Cornell Heights allows for a combination of family style and ala carte dining. Our professional chef is responsible for all aspects of our food service program such as meal planning, purchasing, cooking, regular and special diets, and special event planning. Residents eat meals together around one large dining room table. Private tables for two are also available if a resident should prefer dining in a more intimate setting.
Do you provide activities at Bridges?
We offer planned and spontaneous activities and entertainment at Bridges. Here are some examples from a monthly Bridges Activities Calendar:
- Baking at Bridges
- Family Brunch
- Baroque Music on Period Instruments
- Summer Butterfly Festival, Nature Center
- Walking Group
- Scrabble
- Concert: Fortepianos
- Neal Massa Trio (Swing, blues and Jazz)
- Aurora Street Pavilion on the Commons
- Concert: Piano and Trumpet
- Ithaca Concert Band, Dewitt Park
- Reading Group
- Happy Hour, Country Club
- "As you like it" at Hangar Theater
- Johnny Russo (Jazz)
- Taughannock State Park Concert Series
- Bridges Spa
- Evening ride and dessert out on the town
- Dancing and refreshments
- Summer party at the Johnson Museum
Download and view a sample Bridges activity calendar.
(This file is in PDF format and requires the free Acrobat Reader to view.)
Are there private rooms available?
Yes, Bridges rooms are private with private bathrooms. We also have rooms that accommodate couples.
Can Bridges residents have their own furniture?
We encourage you to bring what makes you feel comfortable and at home. You should know that all of our homes are fully furnished and decorated with antiques, custom draperies, upholstery, and wallpapers.
Are Bridges residences affordable? How much does it cost?
Bridges monthly rates are comparable to those of most local nursing homes:
Semi-private room: $7,350; Private room: $7,750
Monthly fee includes the following:
- Care and supervision by a trained caregiver 24 hours a day
- Supervision and health monitoring by a registered nurse
- Medication management
- Transportation to/from medical appointments with nurse advocacy
- Chef-prepared meals three times daily and unlimited snacks
- Planned and spontaneous activities, excursions and diversions
- Fitness programs tailored to individual abilities
- Evening entertainment (5 days a week)
- Haircuts and styling by a beautician
- Laundry and ironing service
- Housekeeping service
- Car and driver service
- Concierge and shopping services
- Entitlement of special treatment
- Pet feeding
Is there a down payment or contract commitment?
We don’t require a down payment or commitment fees. We require first and last months fees in advance. Our residents aren’t required to contract for any length of time.
Will insurance cover Bridges costs?
Most long term care policies will cover some, most, or all of our daily fee.
What are some examples of unique qualities, services, & amenities that come standard at a Bridges residence?
- We accommodate only a small number of residents, 14 or less.
- The average ratio of caregivers to residents is 1 to 3, rather than the standard average of 1 to 9.
- Our Registered Nurse accompanies residents to doctor appointments to provide individual advocacy.
- We attract the highest quality caregivers and maintain a low turn over rate by offering the highest pay rate in the industry.
- The physical surroundings are unparalleled; gracious turn of the century estates - thoughtfully renovated and decorated to preserve the charm and grace of the period.
- Bridges offers a monthly activity plan based solely on the suggestions of the residents and their families, tailored to each resident’s particular interest.
- Bridges offers one-on-one outings with residents.
- Bridges has seven-day-a-week car and driver services available to residents.
- Bridges provides concierge services to its residents.
- Books, magazines and newspapers are purchased based on the residents’ requests.
- Bridges provides a variety of music tailored to the enjoyment of the residents.
- Each room is furnished with charming antique furniture and lovely fabrics. Soft, medium or firm mattresses are available. Linens provided are the highest quality: a feather bed first layer, 300 - 600 thread count sheets and light weight down comforters and pillows.
- Residents help our chef create seasonal menu plans. Once a month, each resident’s favorite meal is featured. Favorite beverages and snacks are always available. Breakfast is a meal tailored to each resident’s rising time and preferences, from fruit and toast to an omelet or waffles. Homemade bread and pastries, fresh squeezed orange juice and homemade jams and jellies are standard at Bridges.
- A beautician, barber and podiatrist provide service to the residents. Pedicures and masseuse services are available upon request.
- Prospective residents are not required to submit a financial statement. We believe this is personal information. Costs of residency are provided and discussed. The prospective resident and his/her family are the best suited to decide if residency is economically appropriate.
What else does your staff do to make Bridges feel more like home?
We say frequently that residents at Bridges are our friends, but we’re not surprised if you bring a healthy skepticism to that claim. The best way to give you an idea of just what we mean is to tell you some unique Bridges experiences. True stories – part of daily life at a Bridges residence.
At Bridges, we truly listen to our residents to learn what might make them happy, and, if possible, do our best to accomplish it. We could tell you more stories, but we think by now you’ll see the nature of the relationships – the friendships – that develop between Bridges residents and staff members.
We look forward to the possibility of developing a friendship with you and adding your stories to our scrapbook.
Click here to find out more about Bridges.