Orchard View Care Home

Orchard View Care Home is a six-bed assisted living community on Orchard Lake Road in Farmington Hills, Michigan, where the home-style setting replaces the long corridors and large dining halls of a bigger building. With only six residents sharing the household, caregivers and residents come to know each other's routines, preferences and daily rhythms in a way that a larger floor plan rarely allows.

Rooms are furnished, and each one includes a telephone, so residents can keep in touch with family from their own space. Both shared bedrooms and private rooms are part of the home, which gives households some choice in how they would like to live. A dining room offers a place to gather, while a garden and walking paths on the grounds give residents a place to enjoy fresh air whenever the weather allows.

Because the home is small, the furnishings, the dining room and the garden all sit within easy reach of every bedroom, so residents who use wheelchairs or walkers can move through the household without long walks between spaces. Meals are served on a scheduled basis in the dining room, and all-day dining is available so residents are not limited to a single sitting. The kitchen can prepare diabetic, gluten-free and allergy-sensitive options for residents who need them.

With a household this small, a cook is able to learn favorite dishes and adjust the menu to match what each person enjoys eating. Mealtimes become a shared part of the day, with residents seated together in the dining room and caregivers close at hand to offer help with eating or to adjust a plate when needed. Care follows the assisted living model, with round-the-clock supervision and hands-on assistance with bathing, dressing, transfers and other activities of daily living.

Medication management is part of the daily routine, and the home coordinates with residents' healthcare providers so that appointments and follow-up needs are handled together with families. The home is wheelchair accessible and is set up to support residents who need help moving around. Because the household is small, caregivers notice changes in appetite, mood or mobility quickly and can talk through them with a resident's family and providers as part of regular updates.

Each day includes scheduled activities, and movie nights are a regular part of the calendar, giving the household a shared evening to look forward to. Residents who enjoy company can join the group at the table or in the common spaces, while those who prefer quiet can spend time in their rooms or out in the garden. Laundry and housekeeping are handled by the home, which leaves residents free to spend their time on the things they enjoy.

Spending time in the garden or along the walking paths is a simple way to add gentle movement to the day, and caregivers are close by to accompany anyone who would like company on a walk. An emergency alert system adds to the safety of the setting, and parking is available for visitors who stop by. The home can also arrange transportation to appointments and outings, and its move-in coordination helps families plan the transition one step at a time.

Because the household is small, relatives who visit can easily see how a loved one spends the day and talk with the people providing care. The home sits in a residential part of Farmington Hills, and Corewell Health Farmington Hills Hospital is about 3.5 miles away, with Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital about 4.5 miles away. Pharmacies, grocery stores and everyday errands are a short trip from the house, which keeps routine shopping and medical visits manageable for relatives who help out.

People looking at assisted living in Farmington Hills will find that this home suits those who prefer the feel of a private house to a larger building. Visiting the home lets families see the rooms, meet the household and learn about availability and the details of a typical day.