Cambridge, Massachusetts
Assisted Living
Assisted living communities provide organized living communities and aid for your loved one who may require a helping hand with everyday activities such as mobility or dressing. Services provided often involve assistance with the activities of daily life. Residents may be kept under supervision and assessment. In certain instances, communities may provide respite, Alzheimer’s care, or continuing care. In Massachusetts, the annual median cost for an assisted living community is around $67,680 . Massachusetts has specific rules associated with this type of community. The Executive Office of Elder Affairs licenses this type of community. This community has a number of provisions concerning food and diet which include communities must provide up to three regularly scheduled meals daily, residence must provide or arrange for the availability of food selections that would permit a resident to adhere to a diet consistent with the most recent edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans, qualified dietitian must counsel residents regarding therapeutic diets and other dietary issues, and a qualified dietitian must review the residence’s dietary plans at least every 6 months. This type of community is required to have a staff member on duty 24 hours a day. There must be one toilet for every 1 residents and one bath or shower for every 1 residents. Public assistance is available through Medicaid 1915(c) Waiver program. Before a resident is accepted, they must go through a service plan screening to make sure their needs are going to be met. This screening includes a number of areas of interest such as a comprehensive mental and physical assessment, assessment of residents need for assistance in emergency situations, assessment of residents ability to manage medications, and assessment of allergies and dietary needs. Staff are required to receive education in a number of fields. These include: Review of the aging process, 7-hour general orientation , financial exploitation, and communication skills. This community type has a number of provisions pertaining to medication assistance. These provisions include observing residents while they take the medication, reminding residents to take medications, and opening containers and pre-packaged medications. This type of community is required to offer a number of services. These include assistance with activities of daily living , management of self-administered prescription or over-the-counter medications, assistance with instrumental activities of daily living, and timely assistance with urgent or emergency needs.
Cost of Living
The total cost of living is a motivating factor when deciding which destination is best for you or your loved one. The rent burden for Cambridge is around 18.4% of the average monthly income. Per month, the median cost of rent in Cambridge is $1,989 and the median home value in Cambridge costs around $670,281.
Demographics and Values
Based on gender, 50.9% are female and 49.1% are male. The median age of Cambridge is 30 years old. Of the population of Cambridge 8.9% have a high-school diploma, 76.4% have a college degree, and 47.4% have a graduate degree. Demographically, Cambridge is 0.1% Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 0.2% Native American, 8.8% Hispanic, 15.7% Asian, 4.2% mixed race, 2.1% other or not specified, 66.9% white, and 10.8% black. In Cambridge, 1.9% of the people are veterans of the United States armed forces. Out of the total population of Cambridge, 6.8% have some form of disability, 69.5% participate in the labor force, 2.8% are widowed, and 13.5% live in poverty. Cambridge has a population density of 6,862 people per square mile. Currently, the population of Cambridge consists of 113,630 people.
State Information
An overview of Massachusetts
The quality of life enjoyed by the average Massachusetts citizen is ranked 8th nation-wide. Additionally, Massachusetts is ranked 2nd by standards of healthcare. The state of Massachusetts has a cost of living index of 133.8 where a score of 100 is the national average, and anything above 100 is considered more expensive than the average. The state has a grocery index rating of 113.9 and a housing index rating of 170.3. Based on natural beauty, Massachusetts ranks 26th in the nation. There are 78 general hospitals and 129 health centers that provide care for 6,941,273 Massachusetts residents. Cape Cod Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and New England Baptist Hospital are among the top three highest ranked hospitals in the state.
Social demographics of the state
In terms of religious values, 23% of Massachusetts’s population regularly attend some form of service and there are in total 4,200 different congregations. The top three non-Christian denominations in the state are Jewish-3%, Muslim-<1%, and Buddhist-<1%, with the most common Christian denominations consisting of Evangelical Protestant-9%, Mainline Protestant-10%, and Historically Black Protestant-2%. In Massachusetts there are 27 masonic lodges. In terms of diversity, Massachusetts ranks 16th in the nation and is considered very LGBTQ friendly. The state has a median age of 39 and 30% of its population being over the age of 55. In the last presidential election 60% of Massachusetts residents voted Democrat and 33% voted Republican.
State-wide weather information
During the summer, the average temperature in Massachusetts is around 68F. The average high summer temperature is around 85F in the month of July. In the summer, the average low temperature drops to around 50F during the month of June. The average temperature in the winter falls to around 28F. The average high winter temperature is around 45F in the month of January. The average low temperature during the winter drops to around 7F in the month of December. The average humidity across the state is 71%. The highest monthly average humidity rating is 71% in the month of December. On average, the state receives 4.04 inches of precipitation a month. The most precipitation occurs in May with an average of 6.10 inches of precipitation a month. On average, Massachusetts has an air quality index rating of around 38.9 AQI. The highest seasonal air quality index rating occurs in the month of May with a rating of 47.5 AQI. While residents of Massachusetts mostly enjoy pleasant conditions, it’s important to be aware of inclement weather as well, which in Massachusetts can include hurricanes, earthquakes (moderate), and and tornadoes.
Wildlife to be found in Massachusetts
The state of Massachusetts has a diverse array of plant and animal life. Local plant life can consist of White Spruce, Sycamore, American Beech, and Eastern Hemlock. While venturing throughout the state, you might see animals such as the Lanceleaf Coreopsis, the Spike Gayfeather, the Blue Flag, or the Cutleaf Coneflower . The state animal of Massachusetts is the Woodchucks.
