Frederick was in his 80s, being assisted by his oldest daughter who lived in the area, and never thought about assisted living. Well, he had thought about it and other types of elder care in the past but dismissed it. After all, if he had the support of his family and some friends, why would he need something like assisted living?
As time marched on, he began to notice some changes in his daughter’s mental attitude, her behavior, and even her health. In her late 60s, there were limits on what she could do to help him, but she kept showing up day after day. She had raised three children, supported her husband, and was planning on enjoying retirement, but her father, she said, came first.
Initially, he didn’t think much about her sacrifices. She was adamant that this was something she wanted to do, was happy to support him, and wouldn’t have it any other way.
But, in time, it was starting to take a significant toll on her life. That’s when Frederick began thinking (only thinking, mind you) about different types of elder care. One of those was assisted living, but he didn’t want to move into some type of facility. He was concerned it would be nothing more than glorified care of another kind.
He started talking about different options with his family.
He talked about assisted living, but again, kept coming back to this idea of having to give up his own life, his independence. He wasn’t keen on that. He was afraid he was going to be institutionalized, much like the stories of people back when he was a child.
That’s when one of his other adult children talked about respite care. Neither he nor his oldest daughter had heard about that before. They started asking questions and began to realize it might be the perfect solution, at least at that stage in his life.
Respite care, when available, is like a short-term stay option. He could try for a few days a week, a week or two, or maybe even a month at a local assisted living facility. He wouldn’t have to sell his house, pack all his belongings up and ship them into a storage container, or find different homes for them. He could simply give it a try and see how things went.
That’s what Frederick did.
He decided to try for two weeks. During the first few days, he realized quickly it was nothing like what he initially thought. It was a welcoming, warm, comfortable environment. He made friends quickly and easily. There were many activities to enjoy. The entertainment options were robust, but if he didn’t like something that was happening in the common areas, he could simply retire to his room and watch TV or listen to music on his own.
It was, in effect, the perfect solution and he decided that instead of burdening his family for possibly more years to come trying to take care of him, he would settle into an assisted living facility now. And he loved it.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Assisted Living in Glen Carbon, IL, or surrounding areas, please contact the caring staff at Knollwood Retirement Community today at (618) 226-5755
Offering seniors age 65 and older a wealth of amenities to retain as much independence as they are able, with support, in a home-like environment in our supportive living community.
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