Making Assisted Living Work for a Fiercely Independent Person

March 6, 2018 by ·

Roger is what people often called a ‘fiercely’ independent person. Widowed in his 60s, he never had interest in dating again. He rarely asked his family or friends for help around the house, even as he moved into his 70s and approaching 80. When he was 79 he was still getting the ladder out to clean out the gutters. At that time in his life, he wasn’t thinking about assisted living.

Assisted Living in Citronelle AL: Making Assisted Living Work for a Fiercely Independent Person

Assisted Living in Citronelle AL: Making Assisted Living Work for a Fiercely Independent Person

But, by the time he was 85, he knew something had to change.

He wasn’t too keen on the idea, but he also couldn’t just simply stand by while his house fell apart around him. With the help of his adult son who lived not too far away, he visited a couple of assisted living facilities in the area and decided on one that seemed to hold his interest. There were a couple of men he had known many years ago living there. They weren’t exactly friends, but recognition was something important to him.

Because of his fierce independence, he had a difficult time asking for help.

Roger was having trouble getting out of bed some mornings. It wasn’t all the time, but when he was stiff, sore, or had a difficult time turning over, crawling out of bed made him nervous. He kept feeling as though he was about to slip and fall down, mostly before he could swing his legs out and get his feet firmly planted beneath him.

Even at this assisted living facility, he couldn’t ask for help.

One afternoon he did slip and fall out of bed. It took him a while to finally call for help, and when staff arrived, the individual asked him why he didn’t call for help when he fell. He really didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t the kind of situation he was comfortable with or had any experience dealing with.

Once the staff at this facility realized his personality, they began checking in with him more frequently. They didn’t do it in a way that would make him feel helpless, but rather empowered. Because of their compassion and incredible experience working with other seniors just like Roger, they knew the best strategies to get him understanding that calling for help had no bearing whatsoever on his ability to be independent, strong, and proud of himself.

Eventually, Roger made the most out of this move and truly felt it was the best decision he made at that point in his life.

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

Filed Under: Assisted Living Citronelle AL · 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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