Many times, families of our prospective residents ask: “How will mom or dad adjust?” They are concerned that their parents will be miserable away from familiar surroundings. And we get it. But, we’ve got your back.
Transitioning to Assisted Living
Many senior adults are overjoyed at the thought of never having to mow their lawns, fix their dishwashers, or clean their windows ever again. However, others miss their familiar neighborhoods, even if they haven’t been able to get out and participate in years. We’re familiar with the anxiety they feel when moving to a new place. And, we’ve already established procedures and activities that make the transition easier. To begin with, every staff member knows every resident, so when a new person arrives, they are prepared to go the extra mile to make him or her comfortable. Someone from maintenance helps them hang pictures and make any needed adjustments. Housekeeping will stop by to discuss when they’d prefer someone to clean and do laundry. And, our Activities Director is likely to stop by to drop off an activities calendar and invite them to attend a fitness class, tea party, or seminar. The goal of every member of our staff is to assure your parent’s happiness. As soon as our staff members learn your parent’s name and what she likes to be called, she will frequently hear her name as she goes about her daily business.
Welcoming Residents
The welcome doesn’t stop with our staff. Our residents also love to meet new people. Your parent may meet new friends at the beauty salon/barbershop, during dinner, or while taking a walk. Before you know it, they’ll be mentioning names you never heard before.
Building Design
Even our buildings are designed to help residents feel at home. We’ve got comfortable chairs and couches for lounging, reading the newspaper, and using our Wi-Fi to check Facebook. Our pub offers complimentary snacks and beverages 24/7. Our dining room tables seat four, so it’s likely that one or more residents will join your parent or invite her to sit at their table.
Programs to Get to Know Each Other
We can’t tell you how many of our residents have become fast friends by participating in one of our programs, but it’s a lot! If your parent comes down to listen to live music, you can be sure that she will be surrounded by other music lovers eager to introduce her to everything The Arbors offers. Our residents and the van driver love chatting while visiting nearby attractions or going shopping. We’ve never heard of any resident who hasn’t contributed to the conversation, and we doubt that we will. Most Residents are Satisfied Although we’d like to say we’re better in this respect than most other Assisted Living communities, the truth is that most residents are content. An Assisted Living Federation of America study found that:
- 86% of residents report staff care about them as a person.
- 87% say staff are qualified and well trained.
- 94% are satisfied with their overall quality of life.
- 93% of residents are satisfied with the level of independence afforded by the community.
- 90% report satisfaction with the quality of care they receive.
- 93% say they’re satisfied with the amount of attention they receive from staff.
How Can You Help Your Loved One’s Transition to Assisted Living?
We know that you want to do everything you can to help your parents transition. We have found these expert tips to be helpful:
- Take your parent to visit the community frequently before the move. You can tour the community several times before you make a commitment. Once you’ve made a decision, your parent is welcome to attend entertainment, educational, and other programs, and they can even experience a meal in the dining room.
- Bring personal items to decorate their space. Bare walls are enough to make anyone feel down. They can bring furniture, photos, and anything else that makes them feel comfortable.
- Promote activities. Add your voice to those of our activities assistants. You can even attend activities with your parent if they’re nervous about going alone or the assistant can find a resident to accompany them.
- Let your parent help out. The quickest way to know a community is to volunteer. Most communities appreciate the work of resident volunteers, and it may help your parent fit in.
- Don’t hover. If you call your parent or stop by all the time, they may not consider other alternatives. Let them be independent.
Don’t Be Alarmed Unfortunately, there is one drawback: Your parent may have a little too much fun. The relatives of several residents over the years have called us to make sure they were okay because the resident was never home! We’re actually kind of proud of that.
The Arbors Welcomes You
The Arbors Assisted Living Residential Communities welcome you to stop by and meet our friendly staff and happy residents at any of our communities. If you have questions about how The Arbors can help your parents live independent, active, and fulfilling lives, please contact us.