Even Though You May Not Be Able to Visit a Grandparent in Assisted Living, What About Writing a Letter?

April 13, 2022 by ·

When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone? We’re not talking about email or sending a text. While it can be great to rush home or pull out your phone and see if your new love interest messaged you, these digital forms of communication just don’t have the same impact on life. Handwritten letters are often still treasured, especially among our older generations, even those who are at assisted living.

April is National Card and Letter Writing Month and that means now is the perfect opportunity to sit down and write a heartfelt letter to someone you love, a family member like a parent, grandparent, or even an aunt or uncle who is at assisted living.

 

This past year has been tough on seniors in many assisted living communities.

With the pandemic and cancellation of visitation in many of these facilities, seniors have been more isolated. And they

Assisted Living Fairhope, AL: National Card and Letter Writing Month

Assisted Living Fairhope, AL: National Card and Letter Writing Month

have felt that isolation in ways they probably never thought they would.

Or in ways they worried could happen when they made this transition. Yet, they don’t need to feel as cut off and isolated, even if they aren’t being allowed visitors just yet.

Video chats and calls can certainly help people feel a little more connected to family -children, grandchildren, and others- but for those who grew up in a different time and generation, receiving a handwritten letter from a loved one is still cherished.

 

It is also a rare form of currency.

This isn’t the type of currency you could use to purchase things, but rather to feel rejuvenated in a life that has felt so cutoff from the world they knew. When an aging senior receives a letter from you, what do you suppose will go through their thoughts?

They will read the letter, cherish your heartfelt words, and feel the connection that is hard to emulate through a simple phone call or text or email.

Let’s not forget, either, that many seniors still aren’t connected to family and friends on different digital platforms. They may not have email, know how to text, or care to. That’s okay because even if you are young and never wrote a letter to someone before, you will know how to do it.

Then stuff that letter in an envelope, address it to that senior loved one at assisted living, press a stamp onto the upper corner or the envelope, and slip it into the outbox. You’ll know just how special that was because it took time, effort, and you will have written from the heart.

That’s what makes letter writing so amazing, especially for seniors at assisted living.

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

Filed Under: Social Seniors · Tagged: ,
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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