FAQ’s
Resident & Family FAQs
Our House
What is your staff-to-resident ratio?
We maintain two caregivers on every shift, 24/7. During daytime hours, we add a third team member focused on engagement and activities, and the House Manager is typically onsite on weekdays. We are fully staffed to support two-person transfers at all times.
If you have questions about the type of care your loved one needs, you should contact our memory care expert. Since every is senior is different, it is essential that you select the best program, and make the proper assessment so that you can find the best care.
How many caregivers are in the home 24/7?
There are always two caregivers inside the home, not shared across locations. At least one is QMAP-certified to administer medications, and one is CPR-trained every shift.
What dementia training do caregivers receive?
Our caregivers receive:
- In-person onboarding
- Online learning
- Hands-on training in the home
- Teepa Snow–based Positive Approach to Care techniques
All caregivers complete an additional 6 hours of dementia-specific training every year.
Clinical & Health
Who manages medications?
Medications are administered by our QMAP-certified team members, who have passed state testing and maintain active certification.
How do you handle falls or medical emergencies?
For urgent medical issues, we call 911 immediately when appropriate. We also partner with DispatchHealth for onsite urgent care visits. Behavioral or cognitive changes are reviewed with our rounding physician quickly.
How do you ensure safety at night?
We use bedside mat alarms, have awake overnight staff, and perform regular nighttime safety checks. Homes are designed to give caregivers clear visibility throughout the house.
Dining, Activities & Daily Living
Are meals cooked fresh in the home?
Yes. We use Grove Menus, a nutrition-based, family-style menu system. Our awake overnight team helps pre-prep meals for the next day. Alternative options are always available for residents who prefer a different meal.
What do daily activities look like?
We offer 2–3 structured activities every day, including:
- Morning exercise or Sittersize
- Creative activities or walks after lunch
- Evening games, movie nights, or mocktails
We focus on movement, joy, connection, and personalized engagement.
How often do residents receive showers, grooming, and laundry?
- Showers: 3 times per week, same schedule for consistency
- Laundry & Room Cleaning: Regularly scheduled and as needed
- Toileting & Grooming: Fully customized according to each resident’s care plan
Cleanliness, Safety & Oversight
Can I see your state inspection report?
Of course. We can provide it in print or online at any time.
How do you handle maintenance?
We have a dedicated maintenance professional who visits each home weekly. Urgent repairs are handled immediately.
How secure are the doors and backyard?
- Patio and backyard doors are alarmed
- Front door is secured by a code system
- Backyards are enclosed by a full 8-foot fence
Culture, Communication & Stability
What is your caregiver turnover rate?
We target 40% or lower, better than the industry’s 50% average. Much of our turnover comes from promotions, schooling, and career advancement, not job dissatisfaction.
How do you communicate with families?
We communicate however families prefer: phone, text, or email. For community-wide updates, we use Carefeed, which sends messages by both text and email.
Who is not a good fit for Applewood Our House?
We cannot safely support residents who are:
- Bedbound
- In need of skilled-nursing-level care
We complete a full assessment to ensure every resident is the right fit for the home.
Common Questions And Concerns About Memory Care
Costs And Insurance Coverage
Paying for memory care can be a significant financial burden for families of seniors with dementia. According to 2021 NIC statistics, the average monthly rent for memory care is considerably more expensive than assisted living.
We accept VA, LTC and Private Pay.
Safety And Security Measures
Our memory care communities prioritize the safety and security of our residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. Our homes are designed with specific features that prevent wandering, which is a common behavior in seniors with these conditions.
Our memory care facilities have secured entrances and exits, monitored visitor access, and alarms to alert staff if someone tries to leave the building unaccompanied.
In addition to facility designs, our trained staff members play an essential role in maintaining a safe environment. They are highly skilled in identifying signs of distress or agitation and intervening before any harm happens.
More FAQs
Services
What types of care are offered at Applewood Our House?
Applewood Our House specializes in Dementia Care. We have all types of Dementia residents from Alzheimer’s, Frontal Lobe Dementia, Lewy Body, Parkinson’s, and Vascular Dementia.
Our main focus is Memory Care and help residents with behaviors and create a normal purposeful home for all.
Employment
How do I apply to work At Applewood Our House?
Click Here to apply for open positions. We celebrate your passion and commitment with competitive salaries and benefits. Seize the opportunity for growth and personal satisfaction.
Amenities
How frequently does the room get cleaned/laundry?
Laundry and room cleaning is done on the same days as showers. They are scheduled 3 times a week, but will be more frequent with accidents.
Do you provide snacks or can we bring in their favorite snacks?
We provide snacks and can even provide your loved one’s favorite snacks.
How frequently does someone help my loved one shower?
We have a schedule of every other day. We offer everything from stand by assist to full assist with dressing, toileting and showering.
What is the quality of the food like?
The food at Applewood Our House is “home made” and freshly prepared every evening by the overnight staff for the next day at that home. We use Groves Menus to generate balanced and nutritious food options daily. (of course, a little treat is part of the plan)
What events take place outside the homes?
- We have a calendar of events that take place throughout the year. This includes:
- Trips to the Aquarium in Denver
- Bowling at a small bowling alley to make it calm and easy for the residents
- A big evening at the local Wheat Ridge Circus Tent in late summer
- Fishing up at the trout ponds in the mountains
- We also have a big Harvest Festival in the fall with chili cook offs, face painting , museums, shopping and ice cream parlors
We love our families to participate and help us come up with more fun idea.
What Transportation options are there at Applewood Our House?
We have our own shuttle bus to use for activities and fun. Most of the residents do not require to be away as our services of physicians and PT and other needs are brought into the home.
What are the pet policies at Applewood Our House?
We do allow pets and have to review the size and needs for the pet to ensure we can care for them properly.
It is a decision made by the administrator at the time of the assessment. We do have a house dog at our homes as well.
What is the staff to resident ratio at Applewood Our House?
The ratio is one caregiver to every six residents, plus a manager at the homes. **one to eight at the big houses**
Does our loved one have to leave at the end of life when living at Applewood Our House?
Your loved ones at Applewood Our House do not have to leave at the end of life, we age in place and offer Hospice Services of your choice to come to comfort our residents until the end.
How many staff members do you have working throughout the day?
We have two caregivers around the clock, plus other support staff such as the House Manager, activity and cleaning staff.
Costs
What are accepted payment options?
We are private pay for our services, licensed by the State of Colorado. We accept VA, LTC and Private Pay. We offer ACH and e-Checks, which makes payments very easy.
Do you have an auto pay or credit card option?
We do not take credit card payments.
What is the cost and what is the move in fee used for?
$6,500 – $7,500 for a companion room and $7,800 – $8,800 for a private room. The move in fee is used for the maintenance of the room after and before someone moves in.
Paint, carpet, music, TV, mood color light because we want the best for each resident and family.
What other items are not covered in the cost?
Beauty salon, medication co-pays, doctor co-pays and foot care nurse.
Health and Safety
How close is Applewood Our House to a hospital?
Each home is at a different location but the hospitals are within 5-10 minutes of any of them.
What medical services are offered in your homes?
We have physician services provided weekly. A doctor comes in to visit the residents and determines the needs and levels of care with services and medications. We have physical therapy that may be brought in, and we also have Hospice care while our residents can age in place.
Is the staff awake 24 hrs?
Yes.
Do we have to bring in the prescription medications?
We contract with a pharmacy that delivers the medication directly to our facilities.
Do we have to continue to take our loved one to the doctor?
We have a doctor that comes once a week to the building and takes most insurances with the exception of Kaiser and some VA patients. We can have our Kaiser patients put on a rounding service as well, but sometimes it takes a little time to accomplish.
General Questions
What is your visitation policy and how do I visit my loved one?
In person visits please wear a mask and get your temperature checked upon coming in. Also if you are not vaccinated please distance from the residents.
Face-Time, Phone Calls, and other virtual visit options – These visits are arranged through the house manager at each one of our homes.
Our engagement team member will help with the technology set up and support your loved one during the visit.
At what point would we have to move out?
We age in place, which means that we bring in other outside services whether that be physical therapy or hospice to ensure your loved one can remain here through the end of life.
What behaviors would you discharge my loved one for?
We typically do not discharge for behaviors. We try to find the cause of the behavior, a medical condition, anxiety, sundowning and/or a multitude of other causes.
Are there other people in the community that would have shared interests with my loved one?
Our residents become friends, some are roommates and do enjoy the company and relationship of having a close friend with them day in and day out.
We have shared interests from painting to cooking, we do learn about our residents lives and honor those interests and bring them back in some fashion for each one.
What’s the lifestyle like – what does it feel like?
The lifestyle and feel of the Applewood Our House homes are warm with today’s feel of flooring, nice updated kitchens and bathroom, a great backyard to walk, grow vegetables and enjoy sunny warm Colorado days.
We try to ensure when our residents can help, we offer options for them to participate with daily needs and also to have activities, walks and relationships with other residents and care staff.
How can Applewood Our House help or improve my loved ones well being?
Our communities offer a small residential environment with heartfelt caring relationships from the caregivers, the other residents, and the doctor that comes to visit.
Our residents become friends with each other and the caring staff. With our small homes of 12 or 16 residents this is an opportunity that is well supported and becomes a natural growth organically with our communities.
We have hearing aids, how do we make sure they don’t get lost?
Insure them.
How close is the Applewood Our House community to friends that my loved one visits with? Can they come visit?
Our homes are in Golden, Lakewood and Arvada, we typically can ensure your loved one has a convenient location for you and friends to visit.
Do we have to provide the linens or furniture?
We provide the linens unless there is a specific bedspread you would like to bring. The furniture is a family preference. We can provide the furniture or you can provide the furniture.
When looking for senior living for loved ones, why is Applewood Our House different?
We offer heartfelt compassionate care.
Our caregivers have a passion for the elderly, love to learn from them, care for them and have a relationship with them.
We create moments and memories together with our families.
What are the size of the rooms?
Our room sizes vary a little at each house but the typical dimensions are 140 square feet. Typically as 12ft by 11ft or so space.