As people age, standard living situations like a traditional house or apartment may no longer be sufficient, either due to costs, a need for assisted living or a combination of factors.

Independent senior housing

At Rocky Mountain Manor in Powell people can begin moving in at age 55 and director Cindy Ibarra said the manor is home to a wide variety of residents. Some are still working, some travel constantly and need a low maintenance housing situation and others enjoy being able to still live independently while also having access to the activities and community that Rocky Mountain Manor provides.

Ibarra said until recently they had a resident who was living independently at 100 years old. 

“We’ve got a huge, diverse group of people. It’s always changing and everybody has a different reason [to live at the manor],” Ibarra said. 

Rocky Mountain Manor’s mission statement is to “provide a comfortable and safe living environment for all residents. We are committed to meeting the needs of the elderly by providing quality affordable housing supplemented by support services and programs that promote safety and self-sufficiency.” 

The manor has 52 rooms and 19 of them can be paid for with housing assistance. The apartments are unfurnished with a full sized refrigerator and sink, while some even have balconies. There are a variety of rooms including two bedroom, two bath options or efficiency rooms that are similar to the size of a hotel room. Ibarra said that the manor does have a service coordinator provided by a grant. This position allows Rocky Mountain Manor to help residents coordinate outside home health, housekeeping and other needs. 

Rocky Mountain Manor is a nonprofit that tries to keep costs low in order to help residents live independently for as long as possible. Rooms start at $478 a month; currently Ibarra said that there is a six month waitlist. 

Assisted living

If people need a little more attention, they can look at an assisted living community like Absaroka Senior Living in Cody. Community Relations Director Pia Brauser said that at Absaroka Senior Living they prefer to think of it as a community, not a facility.

“It’s a community, these are people’s homes and their apartments. They’re not rooms, so it’s really home based,” Brauser said.

With this community mindset Brauser mentioned that Absaroka Senior Living is undergoing an “internal renovation.” By this she means that they are focusing on providing a sense of community as well as life enrichment activities and services.

Life Enrichment Director Stephanie Weed has been focusing on providing opportunities and amenities to residents, including an upcoming smoothie bar and increased physical fitness options. Brauser added that they are also looking into putting in a pergola where residents can be together outside.

“We’re flipping the mentality from a person coming here and ‘what can we do, are your needs,’ etc, etc. We do that assessment, but our goal is focused on what you can do,” Brauser said. “Not what do you need, but what can you do to live a beautiful life to really, you know, just have these years of your life, the golden years, be very special.”

The common area at Absaroka Senior Living also has a recently donated baby grand piano from a combination of churches. Weed also organizes Cody and Powell trips for residents where they may go see the cranes at the Willwood Dam, tour the Buffalo Bill Center of the West or have a meal at the Lamplighter.

Outside of activities Absaroka Senior Living is all inclusive. Meals, life enrichment activities, cleaning laundry, transportation and care are all included in the price which starts at $4,200 a month.

“We have a full staff of people including the clinical team,” Brauser said. “So I think our count is about 25 to 30 … people that are full time or part time focused in this community and how they can keep it running at the highest level of care as possible.”

Brauser added that no time is shared with nurses at the hospital which makes the community fully self sustaining. Part of this she credits to their maintenance employee Paul Cannizzarro who goes above and beyond to hang decorations and aid residents in addition to his regular duties.

“But it is all about home improvement, making their home very special and making it feel like home a community of people that you can trust, you can engage with, you can share your ups and downs with,” Brauser said.

New senior center will change locations but still offer great services

Powell Senior Center is eyeing a move and a new building to be able to continue to provide their important services to community seniors.

When fully funded the senior center will be near Rocky Mountain Manor, and Administrative Office Assistant Mandy Anderson hopes that being in a more visible location than their current spot on North Gilbert Street will allow them to serve more seniors. She added that the larger space will allow for more fitness classes and hopefully room for a telehealth center as well.

Anderson said the new center will be a safe place for even more seniors to come for meals, tax help, fitness classes and other activities. 

She added that from 1-5 p.m. on May 1 the center will have a bake sale fundraiser for their services and the new building. There will be assorted baked goods and refreshments.

“There are so many seniors out there that you wouldn’t know this is the only meal that they get and that’s what we’re here for. We’re here to take care of them, we are their first stop before they end up in a nursing home,” Anderson said.