Having Mom Move in Sounded Great at First, but Assisted Living Could Very Well Be a Better Option

November 13, 2018 by ·

At first, the idea made perfect sense. Just have your elderly mother move in with you and your family. Instead of having to drive over to her house after work every day, check in with her, help her do a few things around the house, make sure she was safe, and so on, you could keep a better eye on her right from home.

Assisted Living in Spanish Fort AL: Having Mom Move in Sounded Great at First, but Assisted Living Could Be a Better Option

Assisted Living in Spanish Fort AL: Having Mom Move in Sounded Great at First, but Assisted Living Could Be a Better Option

In most cases, simplicity isn’t always the case.

When people reach a certain age it becomes difficult to take care of themselves. When they struggle with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), they often turn to family. If family lives close enough to be a benefit, they might rely on this family member more and more. It might reach a point where that family member is becoming overwhelmed with stress and anxiety, having no real idea when he or she suddenly became a full-time caregiver.

Moving an aging parent into the house isn’t going to change things. Yes, it can reduce the commute. It can offer some comfort to the family and the senior. However, as people get older their physical capabilities diminish and that’s going to make it much more challenging for them to accomplish various tasks, even things they were once able to do without any assistance at all.

If that sounds like your situation, assisted living is an alternative.

Too many people have this misconception about assisted living. They immediately associate it with nursing homes, even though the two are completely different. Assisted living, depending on the facility, can be viewed as independent living, upscale living with the support of an experienced staff who can help with various tasks, when needed. There’s entertainment, some have fitness centers, many of them have dining facilities that resemble full-scale restaurants, and more of these facilities are providing activities for their residents.

One of the major challenges seniors face, even when they move in with an adult child and his or her family, is companionship. While everyone else is out, working, or taking care of other things, that senior is likely at the house, alone. If they don’t have many friends to spend time with, or can’t get out and visit, they are going to be missing out on a great deal of what life has to offer.

A quality assisted living facility is a far better choice for many seniors. In fact, more seniors quickly realize their quality of life improves when they move in to assisted living.

If you or an aging loved one are considering assisted living in Spanish Fort, 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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