An Improved Outlook Through Assisted Living

May 10, 2016 by ·

Assisted Living in Pascagoula AL

Jordan had been living alone for more than six years. Before that, his best friend and he were roommates and that had been going on for about 15 years, ever since Jordan divorced from his wife of Assisted-Living-in-Pascagoula-AL40 years. At that time, when Jordan first had to live alone again without anyone there with them, it was a difficult transition. He wanted to remain in the same house he lived in most of his life and never even considered the prospect of assisted living.

As the years marched on, Jordan became more and more depressed, anxious, and lonely. He was moving through his 80s and most of the friends he had spent time with through the years were either moving into assisted living, nursing home care, or passing away. It was a harsh reality he had to face; he was feeling more alone than ever.

The first time he even considered the prospect of assisted living was when his daughter brought it up to him. At first, he dismissed the idea completely. There was no way he was going to leave the home he had known most of his life, turn it over to someone else, most likely a stranger who purchases it, to end up in a place where “old people wait to die,” which is how he viewed it and mentioned that to his daughter.

After a while, when he visited several facilities in the area with his daughter, his impression of these communities changed dramatically. He saw them as places where he can meet new people, pursue new outlets, including doing art or even possibly learning a musical instrument.

He became excited about the prospect and chose the facility that was closer to his daughter and her family. In the first weeks and months after he moved in, Jordan’s mental outlook and enthusiasm for life improved tremendously. May is National Mental Health Month and if the senior is living at home, struggling with their health, feeling isolated and alone, they may be dealing with depression, stress, and anxiety.

It’s important to get the proper care, whether that means visiting their doctor or a mental health professional, but changing one’s environment, meeting new people, and having the opportunity to explore new areas of interest may be just the ticket to help them see life in a new light.

Jordan realized that just because he was 87 years old life wasn’t over; in fact, the moment he moved into this assisted living facility, he felt like a much younger adult waking up to new possibilities for his future.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Assisted Living near Pascagoula, AL, contact Ashbury Manor Specialty Care and Assisted Living at 251-317-3017.

 

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About Cindy Johnson

Ashbury Manor’s Administrator since 2008, Cindy Johnson is a long-time expert in the assisted living field. Prior to her arrival at Ashbury Manor, Cindy managed acquisitions and crisis management for existing and new larger senior care project developments for eleven years. As regional manager for an Oregon-based assisted living management company, Cindy was directly responsible for operations for five 50-65 bed assisted living facilities. As manager during the transition to new ownership, Cindy reorganized internal operations and conducted leadership training for Executive Directors. As a result of her management and expertise, one of the company’s facilities (in Ocala, Florida) received a deficiency-free survey, resulting in the lifting of a moratorium on operation.

A nurse for 36 years, senior care has always been Cindy’s passion. Desiring to work more closely with residents, Cindy became a Category II Administrator in 2005. As Ashbury Manor’s Administrator, Cindy understands the complexities associated with dementia and cognitive impairment and she has fallen in love with seniors with dementia or cognitive impairment and their families.

Cindy is Treasurer of the local “Senior Coalition” chapter. She enjoys mentoring new candidates who want to become administrators.

As a 16-bed facility, with Cindy's training and experience, our residents and their families can be sure Ashbury Manor’s carefully selected staff provides the expertise of a larger facility while maintaining the individualized personal care of a small special needs home.
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