FAQ

Since we are small, we can tailor our activities to the needs and interests of our residents. In addition to daily exercise and late afternoon trivia, we offer book club, word games, art classes with local artists, live entertainment and outings to local attractions and shops.  And if a group of residents wants to do chair yoga, play Name that Tune, form a walking group, or do some gardening, we make that happen.

Read our newsletter and see samples of our activities calendars here. 

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Our chefs create delicious and nutritious meals every day, 3 times a day for our residents. Because we are small, they can respond to each resident’s individual dietary needs — and should a resident not want a planned menu item, there are always options available.

Breakfast is served from 7 to 9:30 AM and is resident’s choice. French toast, scrambled eggs, cereal, toast, whatever a resident wants, they can get.

Lunch is the main, heavier meal of the day here. Residents enjoy fresh, chef-inspired entrees including fish, poultry, or beef along with carefully prepared complimentary sides of potatoes, pasta, grains, and most days, salad. There is always a delicious homemade dessert!

Dinner is served from 5 to 6:30pm. This lighter fare includes homemade soups, salads, sandwiches, stews and casseroles.

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Decatur House has 38-private apartments of varying styles and sizes.  Each apartment has a private bathroom, kitchenette and technology designed to enhance safety and peace of mind for residents and their families.

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Steve and Linda Austin own Decatur House. Linda grew up in Sandwich, and together with Steve, they raised four children just down the street in Sandwich Village. Needless to say, they are intimately involved in care decisions, staffing, and even the flowers on the table in the dining room.

Decatur House is operated by Linda and Steve, with help from their daughter, Sarah Tribuzio who joined the family business in 2018.

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Linda and Steve converted the formerly private residence into an assisted living community in 1999.

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At Decatur House it’s all about meeting seniors where they are at. Our assisted living services range from minimal assistance to end of life hospice. The highly personalized care we provide includes help with bathing, dressing, medication monitoring, queuing, and care coordination. Ideal for the person who cannot live safely at home alone but does not need skilled nursing care; assisted living is a residential model of providing care for seniors.

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No two stories are the same, yet many similarities do exist within those seeking assisted living. Largely, lifestyle burdens such as an inability to drive, physically care for oneself or for their home, and manage household activities on a daily basis warrant a senior’s need for assisted living. But choice is also a reason.

For example, mom living at her daughter’s house may seem appropriate for the daughter, but mom is lonely during the day and feels a lack of independence being in a house she cannot maneuver as well as she used to. Assisted living can help a senior regain independence.

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Assisted living is largely private pay, which means residents pay for the services and their monthly rent from their private funds. Decatur House does not offer any state or federal subsidy. We do assist families with finding additional funding sources to help defray the cost of care.

An example of this would be accessing a Veteran’s Benefit or long term care insurance.

Residents at Decatur House pay a one-time entry fee upon move-in and an ongoing monthly rental fee. The entrance and monthly fee varies depending on the apartment type.

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We take great pride in the staff at Decatur House. Our staffing ratio is approximately 3 caregivers to 12 residents. With just 38 apartments, and several of our residents not requiring personalized care,  residents who need care have tremendous access to personalized care 24 hours a day. Our staff is awake overnight. In addition to certified nurse’s aides, we have companions who spend time with residents. All are trained, experienced, and compassionate.

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Our concierge team at your request will coordinate appointments and communicate information as needed. Included in the monthly fee, this service is not an added cost to the family.

Other communities will offer this service as an additional cost. We do not charge for transportation within the town of Sandwich. Outside of this, there is a nominal vehicle charge.

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Decatur House is certified by the Executive Office of Elder Affairs.

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