Ep.# 132: Katrina Blanchard, Monarch Estates Senior Living

We sit down with Katrina Blanchard from Monarch Estates in Auburn to break down what independent senior living really offers and how families can bring in the right support without losing autonomy. We also talk candidly about advocacy, misconceptions around care levels, and the real costs that catch families off guard. 

• what Monarch Estates is and why the remodel and amenities matter 
• Katrina’s path from New York into senior living sales in Auburn
• how independent living differs from assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing 
• what “aging in place” can mean in practice and why licensing affects moves 
• advocating for loved ones when they cannot advocate for themselves 
• pricing realities in the Auburn area and how a la carte services can lower costs 
• how to tour Monarch Estates and ask better questions early 

www.monarchestatessl.com

334-502-0977

1550 East University Dr. Auburn, AL

Transcript

Welcome To The Good Neighbor Podcast

SPEAKER_00 0:00

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Susanna Hodges.

SPEAKER_01 0:12

Welcome, and with me is Katrina Blanchard. Katrina is the director of sales at Monarch Estates in Auburn. Welcome, Katrina.

SPEAKER_02 0:22

Thank you. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01 0:23

Tell me about Monarch Estates. What do you guys do there?

SPEAKER_02 0:27

So this is an independent community for seniors 55 and up. They do have, in addition, actually support services here in place. So you can age in place within our community. Only requirements to be here are just age, 55 and up. Other than that, come as you are, and we will help you to make sure that you've got everything needed in terms of home care. If you need home help or hospice, we can help arrange any of those. So you can uh be very comfortable here, but we do provide all of um the meals and utilities, everything all in one place.

SPEAKER_01 1:07

So, how long has Monarch Estates been in Auburn?

What Monarch Estates Provides

SPEAKER_02 1:10

Um, they've been here for over 25 years.

SPEAKER_01 1:13

Wow, okay. Well, I had the pleasure of seeing your facility a few days ago, actually. I attended the chamber event there, and it's absolutely beautiful. Uh it's just uh well maintained and it looks great, and the uh dining area is wonderful. So uh I really enjoyed uh seeing the place.

SPEAKER_02 1:32

Yeah, I was very surprised coming here. We had um I I've been here for several months now, but coming in, my first impression it had just been bought out by Provincial Senior Living, and everything has been remodeled, um, brand new everything. So they've got you know new fixtures and and everything, but the dining hall is my favorite because they've got the big fireplace in there, so it just makes it feel homey.

SPEAKER_01 1:54

It sure does. It makes a difference to have little touches like that, you know, in in an assisted living because you you really want it to feel like home.

Katrina’s Path Into Senior Living

SPEAKER_01 2:03

So let's talk about you for a minute. Uh tell me about your journey into assisted living. How did you get to Monarchy States?

SPEAKER_02 2:11

So a little bit different. Um, I actually am from upstate New York. I've only been down in Alabama for four years now. Uh, came down here, was trying to find a whole new avenue. Uh back home, I was running, we owned and operated a wedding venue. Um, and we had uh done that for about 10 years on our property. Also had done uh owned a couple different marketing firms. Uh so we've kind of a diverse background, but it's always been in sales. Uh so coming down here, when I started trying to find a new job, I automatically gravitated towards this. Um I have my oldest daughter's actually um on the spectrum. She's autistic, and trying to help her uh before we left, we end up having to, she was placed into a state home. But doing all the research and trying to find help and assistance when you are looking for placement for anybody that needs help is very challenging. So as a parent, I'd already gone through that with my own daughter, um, and I know I'm gonna be going through it with my own parents as well. Um, so I just wanted to make sure that I could be a resource more than anything else to provide assistance and to help guide people throughout that journey. So getting into um the senior living end of it was a perfect fit for me. Um actually I'd been doing real estate classes already. Um so I was looking into getting into real estate and really love doing sales and being out in the public. But then when I got down around the Auburn area and I was trying to find a new job, um, I'm like, well, why can't I do real estate? I'm still selling. Um now I get to work with the families and help them actually find placement for those that they care about most. It just was just a perfect fit for me.

SPEAKER_01 3:55

It sounds like it. It definitely sounds like a good fit

Travel And Life Outside Work

SPEAKER_01 3:58

for you. Well, what do you do for fun when you're not helping people uh find placement in assisted living?

SPEAKER_02 4:05

Uh so usually my family and I on the weekends, especially my husband, he's my best friend. We'll be married 30 years coming up soon here. Um we do a lot of traveling. So usually, especially coming down here since we're so new, every single weekend we try to find new places to go and check out. We'll do antiquing, we go to the state parks, we'll go do hiking, we'll do um, you know, we'll go out on the kayaks, we we go everywhere. We're very outdoor people. Um, so if we're not on a skeet range or out in the woods hunting or, you know, out hiking somewhere, I'm usually in a downtown going through all the historic areas, um, little museums, or you know, shopping in all those little uh home downtown home places. Uh, it just makes it fun. We get to learn about the culture, the environment, and see new places every weekend.

SPEAKER_01 4:55

Yes, that sounds wonderful. Get out of the house, get out and enjoy, you know, visiting places. I like it.

Independent Versus Assisted Living Explained

SPEAKER_01 5:02

Well, you've been in uh with Monarch for a while now. Tell me a little bit about some misconceptions you've come across uh with uh people looking for an assisted living place. What are some of those things you'd like to clear up?

SPEAKER_02 5:15

So there's a couple different things. There's so many differences between independent assisted memory care and then skilled nursing. And most people don't understand that there is a difference at all. Um, it's not all one building, it's not all one license. There's a lot of different offerings in the area. So the main thing, um, if you are going the independent route, you have to understand that wherever you are living, they do not hold a license and they are not going to be responsible for any of your health care and that accounts here. However, because this building is set up a little bit differently, they have support services already in the building that are here and available, or we can help provide assistance to obtain any of those services that would be needed. Um, when you go to an assisted living, you now have to meet minimum qualifications uh for the state of Alabama, and you have to keep in mind that Alabama does not have age and place laws. So when you go to a licensed community, you are now going to be at their mercy on if, when, and how long you're going to be able to stay there. If you can get in and you meet their minimum requirement requirements, which in the state of Alabama simple is 55 and up, you have to stand pivots, you have to be able to self-propel, um, but then you have to be able to continue to do so, and you also have to be able to read your medications and understand your medication labels. Um, so you have to be coherent enough in order to be able to do that. When you are living there and you have any sort of decline, if you no longer meet those qualifications, the state will get involved and they will make you leave. You will be given a 30-day notice and you'll have to transition to a higher level of care, whether it be a memory care or a skilled nursing unit. So you do not have the luxury of necessarily aging in place and staying where you are. You are going to have to make those moves.

SPEAKER_01 7:09

So now I understand what age in place means. Correct. You don't have to move to another facility as you get older and get different types of problems.

SPEAKER_02 7:18

So your needs, depending on your needs, if you are in a licensed community, they are going to be required to keep continuously moving you to fit your current needs. Okay. So if you get to the point of decline in assisted living where maybe you're showing signs of Alzheimer's or dementia, and you can no longer understand your medications and be able to read those labels and take them without some assistance, you would then be transferred to a memory care. Memory care if you decline where you can no longer get up, stand, pivot, do those types of things, again, you're going to end up having to move to a skilled nursing. So there's a lot of transitions.

SPEAKER_01 7:56

So there's a value in a and in monarchist states in that you guys are an age in place facility.

SPEAKER_02 8:03

Correct. It I mean, we can't really claim claim that so much as the fact that we, because it is independent, no, no different than if you stayed in your own home.

SPEAKER_01 8:14

Right.

SPEAKER_02 8:14

You are allowed to bring in any types of services that you need to render um you know everything to help you stay in place. So because we're independent, you can bring in your own options for home health, home care, hospice, or you can use our in-house, in-building third service providers to do so. That way you don't have to worry about transitioning. You can literally stay in one place as long as you have those services there. The only time that you would ever be um asked to leave an independent living facility is if you are putting yourself or someone else in danger. And as long as you have those protective services already established and uh providing, you know, all of your um services for you, you won't have to do that.

SPEAKER_01 9:02

Okay, that sounds awesome. Well, you know, one reason I do this podcast is to encourage people to do exactly what you did, just kind of follow your dream. And

Advocacy Lessons From Real Life

SPEAKER_01 9:13

when you got to Auburn, you said, Hey, I think assisted living, and you and so you made that step in that direction. So, you know, when people are making decisions in their career or even into entrepreneurship, you always have obstacles. There's always life challenges that you have to overcome. And so I like to ask everybody, what are some of those things, uh obstacles that you overcame, either personally or in your career, that made you a stronger person or made you a stronger worker?

SPEAKER_02 9:44

Uh being a mom of a disabled child. Um absolutely. That's been the biggest struggle, and I would never wish it on anybody. It's a blessing, but it's it's it is a challenge. Um, you have so many different obstacles and so many different hurdles that you have to overcome trying to be the best advocate you can for your family member because most of the time they do not have a voice of their own. You have to speak on their behalf and you have to stand up for them because most places or people, businesses, schools, they're more worried about budgets. They're more worried about you know having to provide all of those extras than they are the person that they're trying to supposedly serve. So it's always going to be um, you know, very difficult to find help and guidance when you're in those situations. Most people tend to walk away and not reach out to the families that need that support. Um, so I think for me as a parent, having already been through that with my own daughter, um, seeing other parents going through that, or now children with parents that they have to go through those exact same scenarios and be their advocate, be their best friend and you know, the voice that they might not have, it's challenging, but it is so worth it. I mean, you're gonna be the only one that can actually make a difference in that person's life. You can't expect anyone else to do it for you. Things will not ever be handed to you. You have to work for them.

SPEAKER_01 11:10

Absolutely. And I think your experience definitely helps. I think you can anticipate their needs before they can really articulate it, right?

SPEAKER_02 11:18

And most of them don't even know when they come in, they're already so overwhelmed just being in the situation that they don't even know what questions to ask anymore. Um, so just being able to help guide, um, offer suggestions and giving them all the insight and the answers before they even know what to ask is just a huge blessing. It it helps them and it helps me uh, you know, to be able to uh be in this role. I I know what kind of challenges to expect, I know how to navigate the system now and definitely learning my way around. And if I don't know it, I've already been networking enough now where I know who to go and ask so we can make sure that they have everything that they need.

SPEAKER_01 11:58

Wonderful.

Cost Savings And Flexible Care

SPEAKER_01 12:00

Well, what is one thing you wish people knew about monarchist states that they may not uh realize?

SPEAKER_02 12:07

Um, I'm gonna say right now, probably uh the the thing I hear all the time, oh, well, you're independent. We're not qualified to come there. We need help. You're more than qualified. If you're 55, you're qualified. Yes. Um that's really all it takes. You have to understand here, even though it is independent, if those services can be brought in, we can help you find them. But we can also do it at average areas right now when it comes to pricing for assisted living in the area. They're gonna typically be four to eight thousand dollars a month per person. Um, and you're gonna have all of those exact same things here right now. Our pricing would be between two and five. And then even with your add-on services, because we have Angels of Mercy here in our building to offer um any type of home care that might be needed, they can do it a la carte. So that is a huge savings. So if you just need somebody to come in and do a standby, you know, three times a week for 15 minutes, they can do it. It'll cost maybe $10 or $15. Where if you hire from without and you have a home care agency coming in, then you're gonna be looking at a four-hour minimum, $25 to $35 an hour, $120 to take a shower, to have somebody stand there by your side for 15 minutes. So we have a ton of options and a lot better flexibility to help within budgets than anybody can realize. And that was the one thing coming in here. I was just blown away at the structure because it is more convenient, it's going to be financially more feasible for many more families. Um, but most people just don't know that it's here and that we offer those support services in place. So you're averaging right now about three to five thousand dollars, and you're getting all of the same services in our building.

SPEAKER_01 14:03

Well, that's a that's a real value there, absolutely. Well,

How To Tour And Get In Touch

SPEAKER_01 14:07

how can people learn more about monarch estates and maybe get in touch with you?

SPEAKER_02 14:10

Um, a couple different ways. Our office phone number here is 334-502-0977. That'll take you to the front desk. Um, they will put you in the right direction. So if you need you know questions on business, if you want the executive director or if you want sales, we're all here. Um we'll all you know be transferred right to each and every one of us. Uh, you can also swing by. We're at 1550 East University Drive here in Auburn. It's right on the corner of Glen and University, right next door to the Lakeview Baptist Church. I'm sure you can always swing by anytime. Anyone that's here would be more than happy to walk you around, show you the community, um, everybody's family. So whether it's a resident or one of our staff, we're all here and we all have open arms at all times. I can tell you that. Um, but you can also go to the website as well, and it's monarchestatesl.com. Um, so it's monarchestates with an S, S L for senior living.com. So you're always welcome there. And they do have floor layouts and things like that on the website as well.

SPEAKER_01 15:14

All right. Well, thank you so much for being with me, Katrina. I've enjoyed learning more about you and Monarch Estates. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 15:20

Appreciate your help. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 15:23

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast Auburn. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpauburn.com. That's gnpauburn.com. Or call 334 429 740.