Ocean Ridge Assisted Living focuses on community | Local News

The event included a performance by Sea Breeze Harmony Chorus, an appearance from Miss Coos County, and even a face painting and caricature artist.

“One of our residents had the idea to do a hat fashion show, because everybody loves hats,” said Ocean Ridge marketing director Katherine King.

“And another resident said let’s make it an auction and we will decorate the hats,” King said.

The residents got together to vote for which cause they wanted to support, and landed on Casa of Coos and Curry Counties.

“It’s a small idea that has grown into community project and we’re really excited about it and supporting such a worthy cause,” King said.

“It’s meaningful for our residents, and it’s fun in this time we’re in after the pandemic. We need to have more joy in our lives,” she said.

The Ocean Ridge Assisted Living spokesperson said that staff enjoys providing opportunities for residents to get together, whether it’s through in-house activities like Bingo, exercise classes and story readings – or events for the entire community.

“One of the big ramifications of the shutdown with the virus was that a lot of seniors really were isolated and they declined. That’s true even when they lived in assisted living, because we couldn’t continue the same events and activities and visits. Even our staff had to be careful in interacting,” King said.

Now that the virus levels are a lot lower, the staff feels comfortable letting the public back in for regulated events – and it’s a return to normalcy for residents, she said.

“Our residents are all like a big family, and it really benefits them to interact with our community partners that come in,” King said.

One of the goals of Ocean Ridge is to provide senior citizens with the opportunity to socialize in many different capacities, whether it be with each other, through family visits, or community events.

“We want them to have a full life where they’re experiencing everything that they would experience if they stayed at home,” King said.

She said assisted living communities like Ocean Ridge fill a need in society for seniors to be cared for.

“When people are no longer safe or they’re no longer comfortable living at home, it fills that need in the community. It also provides assurance to loved ones to know they are well cared for and their needs are being met,” the Ocean Ridge staff member said.

While transitioning from a home to an assisted living facility can, understandably, be difficult, King said one of the favorite parts of her job is helping residents through this transition.

“When seniors get to the point where they really do need assistance, they have a lot of worries around that and insecurities. It’s such a big life transition, and it’s a difficult one to accept for most elders in our society,” she said.

When they begin to realize that their basic needs are going to be taken care of, they settle in, and realize they don’t need to think about it anymore.

“A lot of their worries are released and people generally improve, and they enjoy getting engaged in activities and events,” King said.

Residents at Ocean Ridge Assisted Living are able to get medical care. They are fed well-rounded home cooked meals, and reside a comfortable living space designed especially for senior citizen’s unique needs, she said. They are also allowed to have family overnight guests and have options for pets.

While living at Ocean Ridge, residents have light maintenance and housekeeping services, programs that are tailored to a variety of interests, coordinated transportation to shopping, events and restaurants, and wellness programs. The facilities are staffed 24-hours per day.

The care and living options are tailored to each residents’ level of need, King said.

Ocean Ridge Assisted Living is located at 1855 SE Ocean Boulevard in Coos Bay. For more information, visit oceanridgeseniorliving.com.