Senior Living Facilities
New Senior Living Options Make Sense in Arizona
The “New Old Age,” which is one of my favorite blogs, includes a recent post about a new idea for senior housing, in which they describe some homebuilders’ experiments with prefabricated cottages designed to be erected in the backyard as stand-alone residences for elderly family members.
We all know families that are struggling with the decision of where our parents should live when they are no longer safe in their own homes. Even if their children are willing to have them live with them, their homes may not be suitable. And while our parents may acknowledge the need to leave their current homes, they don’t want to relinquish all of their independence and privacy.
Here in Arizona, many homes have separate “casitas,” or guest houses, which many families have converted to “mother-in-law” apartments. The ideas described in this post specifically address the needs of seniors who may have issues with mobility or otherwise be in declining health that are definitely worth exploring. http://nyti.ms/JQxef6. It seems to me that it is another way in which good ideas for our seniors could also be good business.
Bullying: Elders Are Victims Too
Bullying as it relates to young people is back in the news thanks in part to the recent school shootings in Ohio. But were you aware that bullying is not just common among adolescents, but something that is experienced by our older adults? According to Robin Bonifas in her article in the latest edition of AARP Bulletin (www.aarp.org/bulletin), 10-20% of residents in senior care homes are mistreated by their peers. She cites examples of name calling, bossy behavior, loud arguments, and even cases of physical violence. Senior centers, assisted living and long-term care facilities can become a “forced” communal living situation with a mixture of personalities and ways of relating to others that are lifelong behaviors. Some facilities and centers have adopted strategies to preempt aggressive behavior, including:
- Signing a code of conduct to treat peers with consideration and respect with written reprimands or other penalties if the code is not followed
- Resident ambassadors to help transition newcomers into a community
- Coaching by staff on how to cope with snubs and aggression
- Teaching elders empathy for the physical and cognitive difficulties of others.
In another article, Sara Hacala provides a “civility tool kit” to help reverse the trend of escalating rudeness in our society. Two of these tools that can have great impact within a senior community are: 1) making a habit of practicing kindness, generosity and gratitude towards others, and 2) nurturing social relationships (balancing the impersonal nature of the Internet with phone calls and in-person contacts).
We can all act as positive role models for each other and hopefully create a cultural shift away from bullying and rudeness and towards better connectiveness.
Should I Just Stay In a Hotel?
Why not just stay in a hotel?!
Someone sent me a cute email this morning, in which the writer suggested that, for the daily cost of a nursing home, she might just as well stay in a hotel. The daily cost would be about 1/3 of what the nursing home would charge, leaving plenty left over for meals (even room service) and tips for the helpful staff. The hotel probably has a free fitness center, pool and business center, and you can either use the washer/dryer on your floor or, for an extra charge, leave your laundry in the plastic bag on your doorknob for the hotel to take care of for you. You could use the city bus for your errands, and for a change of scene, you could take the hotel shuttle to the airport, and shop and eat there. You can call down to the front desk for security by just pressing 1 key on your phone, and the maid who comes in every day to clean would check and see if you were ok.
This definitely sounds appealing, and even cost-effective. Frankly, it would also be a lot easier than sorting through the confusion about what level of senior living facility might be right for you. 25 years ago, pretty much every residential facility for seniors was called a nursing home. Now, that term refers only to a “skilled nursing facility” (sometimes referred to by the acronym “SNF”), which provides hands-on care to people being rehabilitated from an injury or illness, or are unable to perform at least 2 of their “activities of daily living” (ADLs) – feeding themselves, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, transferring themselves from bed to chair and getting around without help. Unfortunately, a person who needed to be in a nursing home would probably not be able to get in and out of the hotel’s tub, dress herself or use the bus.
For seniors who are still healthy and active, there are a lot of residential choices that are a lot like hotels! These might be age-restricted communities like Sun City, or independent living facilities that provide private apartments, restaurant-style meals and lots of activities. And in between, there are assisted living facilities that provide hands on assistance that is not necessarily medical. The possibilities are almost endless, and very confusing (which is another reason why staying in a hotel is so appealing!) An excellent resource to help navigate the various options is the Area Agency on Aging. The Area Agency in the Phoenix, AZ area can be found at http://www.aaaphx.org, and their national organization, which can point you to the Area Agency in your area, is at http://www.n4a.org
