Senior resources.
My company had us fill out a 'Soul Purpose' form stating why we do what we do, and take a picture with it. I thought it only fitting that Michael* be included in my picture because he's up there on my I-don't-have-favorites-but-I-sort-of-do list.
I truly believe that Independent Living (IL) and Assisted Living Facilities (ALF) are fantastic places for seniors to be, but I also understand that ‘when is it time to move’ is a common question. There’s no right answer or right time, unfortunately. I’ve had seniors move into my ALF who don’t need any assistance and are seemingly ‘early,’ and on the reverse I've had seniors who hesitated to move and are now in worse health than they might have been had they moved earlier.
What about that gray period of time when Mom and Dad aren’t ready or willing to move, but you’re starting to get nervous about their current living situation? What if they fall and can’t reach a phone? What if they’re eating frozen waffles for every meal because they forget it’s not breakfast time and are consequently starting to lose weight? What if they’re becoming withdrawn but don’t have an outlet to be social because they can’t/won’t drive anymore? What if they're telling you on the phone they're taking their medications, but when you visit, the pill bottle is full?
If you answered ‘yes’ to several of those questions for one of your parents, it might be time for them to consider a senior living community, whether they feel ready or not. But if you only answered ‘yes’ to one, maybe we can find a temporary solution that enables them to stay in their home for a little longer.
Here are a few examples of the many resources that are available to seniors:
1. Store-to-door or ClickList: Store-to-Door takes phone orders and delivers groceries, prescription medications, and household items to seniors and people with disabilities. ClickList allows seniors to shop online and have their orders brought to their car, instead of navigating the store themselves.
2. Visiting Angels – This is an example of an in-home care company that provides non-medical senior services. Their main function is companionship that comes to your door. I have a resident who lives at my ALF who gets lonely, so Visiting Angels comes and provides the one-on-one companionship that my staff don’t have time to give.
3. TriMet - TriMet is our local bus service, and they have a special pass for seniors who qualify which allows them to pay a reduced rate for bus rides. The bus is equipped with a mechanical lift for seniors who are in a wheelchair or have difficulty navigating stairs, and it will come pick up at your doorstep.
4. Senior Center – We are lucky enough to have a fantastic senior center just down the road that offers educational classes, a gym, and recreational activities including ping-pong and poker tournaments. A Silver Sneaker membership (which our senior center includes) provides access to senior-oriented fitness.
5. Meals on Wheels: A little different from Store-to-Door, Meals on Wheels provides full, nutritional meals to seniors delivered directly to their home. This also provides regulation in nutrition intake, as well as a small form of socialization.
6. Life Alert: Life Alert is probably the most well-known medical alert system for seniors, thanks to their corny ‘I’ve fallen and I can’t get up’ ads. However, the ad is accurate, and this is a good tool for seniors who are a fall risk and might not be able to get themselves up off the floor on their own.
I think of these services as a sort of band-aid between being fully independent and living at home, and moving into a community. They are great resources, but my only caution is that they are not a long-term solution. Some seniors drag out using home care when they should really be in an IL or ALF and receiving 24-hour care and oversight. In the mean time, however, there are fantastic options available to seniors wherever they live, and I recommend bringing in one or more of these services to get the 'mom, you need some extra help' ball rolling.
