Spring Arbor Living Blog

The decision to move your loved one into an assisted living facility is not an easy one. As your loved one ages, they may need more help with daily activities like bathing or remembering medication. Moving to a facility that provides some assistance, without sacrificing independence, may be an option. This type of assisted living environment such as Spring Arbor, is a great option for long-term care.

What should you consider when looking for an assisted living community? First, think about what activities you or your loved one need help with. Here are some considerations to help guide you in your search.

What is most valuable in your loved one's life? What gives them purpose and meaning? Think about where their doctors, church, and family are. The assisted living facility should be near the things and people they hold dear. Seniors need to remain connected.

Think about current and future needs. If a progressive illness is involved look for a facility that can accommodate as mobility changes. Ask questions like: What are the levels of care offered? Are there ramps located throughout? Is the room or apartment fully accessible if a wheelchair is required in the future?

Also, if dementia is involved, there is a risk of wandering; is there an Alzheimer’s area that is safe and secure? When a loved one has Alzheimer's or a related dementia it can seem as though few options are available. As needs progress, the constant care and attention required can seem overwhelming. To meet this need, Spring Arbor offers  "Special Care Cottages" programs that are custom designed for residents with these unique challenges.

Get referrals. You will be surprised at how many people you know or how many people you can be connected with who have done this research. Also, contact your local agency on aging to find out if they can provide a list of facilities they'd recommend in your area.

Visit a few times beforehand. Stop by the community at least twice and take at least one guided tour. Show up unannounced for some other visits in order to see what happenings on a regular day. A nighttime visit is important because most of the staff has likely gone home.

Talk to current residents. If is it possible, talk to residents you meet during your on-site visits.

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It is finally time to make the difficult decision that you have dreaded for so long. Your elderly parent or parents are not able to live in their own home anymore and they must move. Realize, while this will be challenging for you, it will be difficult for them to make the move. There are four very prevalent reasons or emotions that make it difficult for your aging parents to move out of their old house, and it is important for you understand where they are coming from and how they feel. When you understand their challenges and difficulties you will find it easier to relate to them and easier to talk to them about the move.  When you are able to talk and communicate about it, the entire process will be easier for you and your family.
 
Grief is a very strong emotion which is difficult to handle and is very common in seniors whenever they feel as though they are losing something that they value.  When an elderly parent has to go through losing what they have always thought of as their home, they will experience grief. They are not only moving away from their home, but also their neighborhood and many of their possessions that were a part of their lives for many years.

Of course they are also experiencing a loss of independence and control. As long as your mother and or father lived by themselves they were independent and had control over how they ran their lives. Inevitably they will feel anxiety over their perceived loss of that control when they move out of their homes, regardless of where they move too. This is very difficult for them to deal with, but once moved into an assisted living community, this emotion will pass more quickly.

All of this is very overwhelming. Moving, at any age, is one of the highest stressors. Inevitably it entails throwing things out, selling things, closing bank accounts and selling their home. Combined with all the other emotions, this gives them a sense of ‘where do I start?”

Understand and remember that this is not only hard on you and your family or siblings, but it is very hard on them as well. There are many reasons emotionally and physically why it is difficult and for elderly parents to move out of their house.  Once you understand the reasons you will be able to lessen the difficulties that your parents are experiencing.

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This is actually not true. For today’s seniors, moving to an assisted living community is one way they can make the most of their retirement income now. There are many economic benefits of living in senior communities.  These range from free local transportation – which eliminates or minimizes costs for fuel, maintenance/repairs and auto insurance – to eliminating expenses associated with maintaining a single-family residence.

Assisted Living communities eliminate such expenses as routine maintenance, lawn care, pest control, snow removal and more. Homeowner’s insurance, always an expensive companion to home ownership, can also be removed from the monthly budget. This represents a huge savings in Virgina, for example, where property insurance has increased dramatically.

Our assisted living communities provide residents with fixed monthly costs, which cover local transportation; rental or purchase of an apartment, villa home, or cottage; and two or three meals prepared daily by professional chefs. Contact us today to learn more about our residencies or if you have any questions regarding assisted living.

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Spring Arbor has some exciting new locations opening up in the Virginia and North Carolina area. Be sure to contact us for more information regarding our new facilities. Below we will share which places are opening up and when they will be available!

Spring Arbor in Leesburg,VA will offer "Special Care Cottages," programs that are custom designed for residents with the unique challenges of Alzheimer's related disabilities. Our future facility opens the next chapter of Spring Arbor Living in February 2011! The location for this facility is 237 Fairview St., NW,
Leesburg, VA 20176

Spring Arbor of Hendersonville, NC independent and assisted living facility is located at the southern edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains and was incorporated on January 7, 1847. Spring Arbor of Hendersonville has the ideal front porch for enjoying the spring and fall weather. Sit in our comfortable rocking chairs and visit with family and friends or just watch the view. OPENING SOON: The Cottage of Spring Arbor of Hendersonville Alzheimer's and dementia care center. Call now for the latest update! We are located on 1820 Pisgah Drive Hendersonville, NC 28791

Spring Arbor of Kinston is located in a city rich in history and in the geographic center of eastern North Carolina that makes it an ideal business, industry, and agriculture. This facility has the ideal front porch for enjoying the spring and fall weather. Sit in our comfortable rocking chairs and visit with family and friends or just watch the view. OPENING IN FEBRUARY 2011! The Cottage of Spring Arbor of Kinston Alzheimer's and dementia care center. You can find us at3207 Carey Road Kinston, NC 28504

Coming Soon--The Oaks of Thomasville Alzheimer's and Dementia Care "Cottage"! Call for the latest update. 915 West Cooksey Drive Thomasville, NC 27360

Finally we have our future Spring Arbor Facility Scheduled To Open in September 2011 in Greensboro, NC. We do not have a set location just yet, but please contact us for more information and we'll be glad to help.

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When is it time to admit the need for assisted living services? There are a couple of questions and signs that you can tell if mom or dad is needing more help. Dealing with Alzheimer's or dementia is a serious task and takes a lot of time for just one person. Which is why Spring Arbor is here to help out these individuals and be there for these people. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself and some signs to tell whether or not it's time for a caregiver's help.

• Frequent calls during the day to the same person can indicate a sense of memory loss. Does Mom or Dad discuss a hesitation to get out of bed? Are there mobility issues that impede maintaining an active lifestyle?
• Frequent falls. Has Mom or Dad expresses their fear of leaving the house often due to a fear of falling?
• Indication of depression. Is your parent or loved one lying about eating? Or are they unwilling to seek medical help or assistance? Remembering to take medication as prescribed by a doctor are always a help, if they forget or refuse then there might be an issue.

There are many questions that can be asked and it’s definitely hard to determine the right time. But it is always better to know that Mom and Dad are safe and sound when you are not around. Spring Arbor can assist you in these matters and we can be there for the elderly when they need the help they deserve. Just by simply taking a little time to talk to them about assisted living homes or elderly care can make all the difference. Be sure to check out our locations for a home near you and contact us today should you have any questions regarding senior care.

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Visiting someone who has Alzheimer’s is not a painless experience.  You want to show this person that you care and you still want them in your life, but it becomes difficult to interact with them when they sometimes don’t remember who you are.  Many people struggle with how to spend their visits.  Here are some suggestions below that may help.

One reason why it is difficult to visit your loved one is because you don’t know what to do in the time that you’re there.  Having an activity planned is a great way to spend time with them.  Bring something with you that your loved one likes to do.  For example, reading a favorite book or poetry is a great way to spend time together as well as listening to a favorite artist or composer.  If you can play an instrument, the piano for instance, the experience will be even better.  This will be not only entertaining for your loved one, but for others as well.   

Another suggestion is to bring some treasured items from the past such as pictures.  Talk to your loved one about these items and about the people in them.  You may be surprised about how well their memory is for things that happened years ago.  You can even share stories that happened in their past, they will enjoy reliving these moments.

Games are another fun activity to do with your loved one.  Cards, or even the “brain games” that are made specifically for those who have Alzheimer’s, are a great way to spend your visits.  Even something as simple as painting their finger nails can be enjoyable.  Perhaps you can check with the community and obtain the monthly event calendar.  Plan your visits around the events the community already has in place.  It will be a great way to interact.

Additionally, sharing a meal with your loved one may also be a great way to spend time with them.  This will give you both something to do and not put so much pressure on you. The most important thing here is to keep trying things and find out what works best for the two of you. Don’t spend your time focusing on the things your loved one can no longer accomplish, instead find some fun activities and simply enjoy spending time with one another. Contact us today should you have any questions about Alzheimer's or caring for elderly.

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