THE PEAKS, A SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY

The Peaks, A Senior Living Community is a licensed assisted living center on North Winding Brook Road in Flagstaff, Arizona, operated by The Goodman Group. State licensing records from the Arizona Department of Health Services list a capacity of 92 residents and approval to provide directed care, the highest of Arizona's three assisted living service levels, which allows the community to serve residents who are unable to direct their own care, including many people living with dementia.

The Peaks has served Flagstaff since 2000 and is managed by The Goodman Group, a Minnesota company with more than 60 years in senior living. Apartment homes come with a la carte services and views of the San Francisco Peaks. Its continuum of care includes The Peaks Health and Rehabilitation, an adjacent community for rehabilitation and long-term care. In Arizona, assisted living centers serve eleven or more residents and are licensed by the Department of Health Services at one of three service levels.

Supervisory care covers general supervision and help in an emergency, personal care adds hands-on help with activities such as bathing, dressing, and medications, and directed care is for residents who can no longer recognize danger or direct their own care. Knowing a community's level helps families judge whether it can keep meeting a loved one's needs over time. Assisted living suits people who want help with daily routines such as medications, bathing, and dressing while keeping their own apartment and as much independence as possible.

Someone who needs daily skilled nursing or intensive rehabilitation may be better served by a skilled nursing facility. Arizona rules require an assisted living facility to prepare a written service plan for each resident that describes the care and services to be provided, and to review and update it as needs change. Families can ask to take part in that review and to learn who to call when something in the plan no longer fits.

Families can look up a community's license and inspection history on the state's AZ Care Check website before a visit, and reading recent inspection reports can show how a community has responded to any past findings. The Flagstaff address keeps the community within reach of the area's hospitals, shopping, and services. Good questions for a visit to The Peaks, A Senior Living Community include how care needs are assessed before move-in, how medication help is handled, what overnight staffing looks like, and how often families hear from the care team.

Comparing communities takes time. Local Senior Advisor is a free service to families; if it would help to talk through The Peaks, A Senior Living Community alongside other choices in Flagstaff, reach out whenever it suits you.