The Gardens of Carleton

Separate neighborhoods divide the care at The Gardens of Carleton, a community at 12400 Matthews Street in Carleton, Michigan. Magnolia is the assisted living neighborhood, and Willow is the memory care neighborhood for residents living with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia. Distinctive Living operates the community, which also accepts short respite stays. Keeping both levels on the same campus lets a resident move to more support without leaving the community.

In Magnolia, staff supervise activities of daily living such as bathing and dressing, and supervise residents taking their own medications. Trained staff are available around the clock. Full board is included, with 3 meals a day plus snacks served restaurant style, and linen service and housekeeping take chores off a resident's list. The goal is to help with what a resident can no longer manage while leaving the rest to them.

Willow gives memory care residents a separate, more structured setting with care planned around dementia. Across both neighborhoods, the calendar includes group exercise and wellness classes, social events and daily activities. For appointments, ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital and Henry Ford Health Center - Brownstown are both in the wider area, and The Mall of Monroe is an option for outings.

Families comparing senior living in Carleton should ask how a resident moves from Magnolia to Willow if memory changes, and whether the monthly rate changes with that move. A written list of what each neighborhood's rate covers makes side-by-side comparison much easier, and a visit to both neighborhoods shows how they differ in daily pace.