Our Extended Family in Baltimore: Personal Care in a Rowhouse Setting
Our Extended Family is a small licensed assisted living facility in Baltimore that serves eight residents in a converted rowhouse, focusing on morning and evening personal care support rather than 24-hour nursing. It sits between fully independent living and traditional assisted living communities, designed for people who need help with bathing, dressing, and medication management but do not require continuous medical oversight or skilled nursing intervention.
What Our Extended Family Actually Is
The facility operates as a Level I assisted living home licensed by the Maryland Department of Health, the lowest regulatory tier for assisted living in the state. The setting is residential—a Fells Point rowhouse rather than a purpose-built community—with private or semi-private rooms on two floors. Staff includes a full-time administrator and part-time caregivers who arrive for morning personal care (6 a.m. to 9 a.m.) and evening care (6 p.m. to 8 p.m.), leaving residents independent during daytime hours. The model works for people who move out of their own homes specifically because they need structured support twice daily but want the feel and autonomy of living in a neighborhood rather than a campus.
Services and Pricing
Our Extended Family provides assistance with activities of daily living: bathing, dressing, grooming, and medication reminders. Staff do not administer injections, manage catheters, or provide wound care. Meals are prepared on-site and included; residents eat together in a shared dining room, though the menu can accommodate dietary restrictions within reason. Laundry is included. Transportation to routine medical appointments is available for an additional fee; staff do not accompany residents to appointments.
Monthly cost is approximately $4,500 for a semi-private room and $5,200 for a private room, based on current rates. Both tiers include the two daily care visits, meals, utilities, housekeeping, and laundry. This is notably lower than full assisted living communities in the Baltimore area, which typically range from $5,000 to $7,000 monthly; the savings reflect the smaller scale, rowhouse setting, and absence of 24-hour staffing or dining options. Verify rates directly, as they adjust annually.
No entry fee or deposit is required beyond the first month's rent, which reduces barrier to move-in compared to many continuing care communities.
How It Compares to Other Baltimore Assisted Living Options
Most assisted living in Baltimore divides into two categories: large licensed communities with 30 to 100 residents, 24-hour staffing, dining programs, and activity schedules; and small family-style homes like Our Extended Family with under 10 residents and part-time caregiving.
Larger communities such as those affiliated with the Charlestown or Weinberg Village systems in the Baltimore area offer more structure, more social programming, and often onsite nurses or medical coordinators, making them better suited to residents with complex medication regimens, cognitive decline, or frequent medical needs. They also cost 20 to 40 percent more.
Our Extended Family is the right fit if you want neighborhood living, lower cost, and independence during daytime hours but need structured help with personal hygiene and medication. It is not appropriate if you live alone and require evening or nighttime assistance beyond the scheduled 6-8 p.m. window, or if you need skilled nursing input.
Who It Suits and Who It Does Not Suit
Choose Our Extended Family if you are mobile and continent, can manage your time and engage socially during the day (or have daytime caregiving arranged separately), and need only basic ADL support. The small household size also suits people who prefer intimate settings over campus environments and who value living in a neighborhood over a purpose-built community.
Do not choose Our Extended Family if you have advanced dementia, require nighttime assistance, need skilled nursing or physical therapy, or would benefit from structured social programming and regular activities. The facility does not have the staffing or environment for those needs.
First Visit and Intake
A prospective resident or family member typically tours the facility and meets the administrator, who assesses capability and fit informally. There is no formal cognitive screening or comprehensive medical evaluation, though the administrator will ask about medications, baseline independence, and reason for move. If a fit seems possible, a one-week trial stay can sometimes be arranged to ensure comfort with the schedule and household.
No physician referral is required to apply.
Hours, Location, and Logistics
Our Extended Family is located in Fells Point. Staffed care runs 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays; weekend hours may vary (confirm on application). The rowhouse has a small parking area; street parking is also available in the neighborhood. It is not near public transit and is not wheelchair-accessible on all floors, so mobility limitations should be discussed before application.
The facility is not licensed to hold controlled substances on behalf of residents, so those who take Schedule II or III medications will need arrangements with a local pharmacy for supervised medication management.
Why It Works in Baltimore
Our Extended Family fills a cost and lifestyle gap in Baltimore's assisted living market. It proves that small-scale personal care, without 24-hour staffing or community campus overhead, is viable at a price point reachable for middle-income older adults and those transitioning out of independent living on modest pensions or income. It also anchors assisted care in an existing neighborhood rather than segregating older adults to a specialized setting, a model Baltimore's aging population is increasingly seeking.
