Are you not for profit?
Yes, Willow Towers is a not-for-profit community of assisted living apartments and part of the United Hebrew’s family of services. United Hebrew has been on its 7.4 acre campus since 1919 and is steeped in the traditions of caring for the senior community. Willow Towers is driven by a mission of giving the highest possible quality of care for our residents.

Do you have a continuum of care?
Yes. We have a campus of services; Willow Towers Assisted Living, United Hebrew Skilled Nursing facility with Burke Rehabilitation on site, and a Licensed Home Health Care agency.

Do you have independent residents?

Yes. Many of our residents do not require any nursing assistance; we provide housekeeping, linen & laundry service, meals, transportation and extensive array of cultural and recreational programs. The term Assisted can often be confusing for a family when choosing a facility.  It does not mean that all residents need assistance, or that only seniors who need nursing care should consider Willow Towers. Assisted Living it is a term that the New York State Department of Health allows a facility to use once it has obtained full licensure from the department.

Are all assisted living and senior residences licensed? What is a licensed Assisted Living Residence?
No, not all communities are licensed. Willow Towers’ is a licensed facility which has the advantage of employing healthcare staff directly, which promotes continuity and consistency of care within the licensed residence. It allows for a seamless increase in service within the ALR so that a resident can age in place. Under the terms of this licensure, Willow Towers affords residents who have Long Term Care policies (LTC) the opportunity for maximum reimbursement for LTC insurance coverage, subject to carrier approval.

Do you have specialized care for residents with Alzheimer’s and/ or dementia?
Willow Towers’ Phoenix Program is specialized care for residents with Alzheimer’s or dementia in a secure residential setting, overseen by a registered nurse case manager.   Extensive cultural and social programs are incorporated into the SNALR unit to accommodate the varying degrees and challenges of dementia.

How do I know if my parent has dementia?
There are many different types of dementia and families usually begin to notice signs of loss of cognitive ability first. In order to rule out loss of cognitive function from social isolation, issues such as lack of nutrition or hydration, a family should consult their physician who can refer them to a neurologist and or psychiatrist. There are also many evaluation sites in Westchester and surrounding areas; the Alzheimer’s Association can issue you with a list or you may contact info@willowtowers.com for this information also.

Do insurances cover Willow Towers, such as Medicare or Medicaid?
No, we are a private pay not-for-profit residence. Although, Willow Towers is a licensed facility and long term care insurance reimbursable, with approval from your insurance company.

Does Willow Towers require an upfront buy-in fee?
No, Willow Towers is a rental community. You sign a lease and pay a monthly fee.

Why is it important to choose a licensed facility?
Many seniors move into Willow Towers independently; meaning they do not require any nursing services. A licensed facility provides consumers with clear parameters for admission and retention and allows a family to advocate through clearly defined channels through the New York State Department of Health.

Many residents of Willow Towers do not need nursing services, but they choose a licensed facility in order that nursing care will be available in the future if they need it.

Willow Towers is a not-for-profit licensed as an enriched housing with Assisted Living Residence (ALR), with dual certification for Enhanced Assisted Living Residence (EALR) and Special Needs Assisted Living Residence (SNALR) by the New York State Department of Health.

What is the difference between staying home and moving to Willow Towers?
Living alone at home often results in social isolation; getting together with your peers becomes more challenging and maintaining a house or apartment becomes a burden.

Residents of Willow Towers have all meals provided, their bed made and trash picked up daily, personal linen and laundry services, all maintenance, transportation to appointments 3x week and the comfort of know that staff is there 24 hrs, if they need help or assistance.

Willow Towers’ provides an extensive social and recreational program that allows residents to enjoy an array of weekly engagements such as, shopping, Broadway shows, restaurants, summer concerts, museums and historical sites.

In addition, Willow Towers, a nursing home alternative, is equipped with a 24 hour staff and emergency response system for residents, in case, of emergencies and we have a state of the art CCTV Security System thought out our building for added comfort and safety.

Are pets allowed to live with my parent(s) in Willow Towers?
Yes, we welcome pets, but residents have to have responsibility for the care of their pet.

What happen if my parent(s) medical condition changes and requires additional care? What can Willow Towers provide?
If there is a change in a resident’s medical status, Willow Towers can provide customized care packages based on those changing needs, while keeping residents in the comfort of their own apartment. We can provide a lot of help, or just a little. For example, we can provide help in the AM & PM with showering and dressing which may be all the assistance that is required or we can provide a more comprehensive care package depending on the individual needs.

An RN will assess the resident and meet with the family to discuss changing needs.

Willow Towers’ has the Enhanced Assisted Living Residence (EALR) certification which allows residents access to additional nursing services while remaining in their own apartment. Residents have the opportunity to remain in place if a change in medical status occurs (appropriateness is based on a medical assessment). The ability to age in place is an advantage of the EALR certification. 

What happens if I or my loved one needs a nursing home?
One of the advantages of Willow Towers is that it is on the United Hebrew campus, which includes a new nursing and rehabilitation pavilion. Willow Towers residents have priority access to the nursing center, contingent upon a medical assessment.

Is Willow Towers a “buy in” or a rental property?
Willow Towers is a rental property but our campus of services provides the same safety net as a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) if there is a change in medical status. Our state-of-the-art modern skilled nursing home provides residents of Willow Towers priority access. United Hebrew’s rehabilitation care is managed on site by nationally renowned Burke Rehabilitation Hospital therapists.

My mother is very isolated in her home. Is that a reason to move to an assisted living community?
There are a myriad of reasons that a person and or his family make a decision to move to Assisted Living, but one of the main reasons for prompting the move is social isolation which is common among seniors. As their peers move away from their community to be closer to their adult children, many seniors find that their social network has diminished and it is often very difficult to initiate new friendships especially if one is no longer driving. Being house bound with a shrinking social network can cause anxiety, depression and simple loneliness. Moving to an assisted living facility negates the need to reach out to find one’s peers; they are already here. A well run facility works hard to facility the connections for the new residents and “hold their hand” while the process of assimilation takes place on its own terms.

How will I know when my relative is in need of making a move?
Often a change in ones medical status prompts the need for an assisted living facility; a fall or a hospitalization may cause an older adult and their families to reassess the current living arrangement and seek a safer more supportive lifestyle, while maintaining their independence.

Some seniors move from hospital or rehabilitation directly to Assisted Living as part of their rehabilitation on a Respite basis and find that they enjoy the lifestyle and the convenience of having help available when they need it and so make a decision to stay.

When will I know that I have made the right decision to move?
Regardless of the “cause” of the decision, we should all bear in mind that the decision to move to assisted living is a process and more than one visit to ones community of choice may be necessary. Visit the community at different times; meal times, late evening and/or early morning in order to get a really good sense of the level of activity and social order. 

When is the right time to look at assisted living communities?
We encourage families and their loved one to visit senior housing options while there is time to make a good decision. A casual visit to a few communities before any change in medical status or living arrangements is highly recommended. It is always best to view your living options without the sense of urgency a medical necessity creates.

Many seniors do not have a clear vision of what an “assisted living” facility is and often there is a perception that it is a nursing home. Others think one must require assistance in order to move and while neither of these misconceptions are accurate, it may be the yardstick many seniors use to decide if they need to move or “stay put at home”.