Is Your Loved One Struggling to Take Care of Himself or Herself at Home? Have You Considered This Could be a Great Opportunity to Start Talking about Assisted Living?

December 23, 2014 by ·

How Do You Begin the Conversation about Assisted Living near Fairhope, AL with Your Loved One?

With the New Year just about upon us, there may be various New Year’s resolutions, a new kind of hope, and even an eager anticipation for what 2015 will bring. If you have an elderly loved one who is struggling to take care of himself or herself at home, who may require help from family members or even home care from time to time, this might be a great opportunity to start having a conversation about assisted living.Assisted Living Fairhope AL

What having a conversation truly means.

The word conversation essentially refers to a two-way form of communication. That means when talking about assisted living, you’ll need to pay attention to what the elderly individual has to say, take those things into account, and give them the opportunity to say their piece.

If you sit down and tell your aging mother or father that it’s time they look into assisted living as an option, and you don’t ask them questions or get any opinion from them, this isn’t a conversation. It’s a speech and a speech isn’t going to do much to convince somebody to look into something they may know little about or be uncomfortable with in the beginning.

Most of the time people may avoid the topic of assisted-living simply because they don’t understand what it can offer. These people may assume that what an assisted living facility had been 50 years ago is the same as it is today. In truth, today’s assisted living communities are very similar to upscale residential communities. You can find an entertainment section, a gym, arts and other activities, a gorgeous restaurant rather than a cafeteria, and transportation services to bring residents to stores, doctor’s appointments, and much more.

Beginning the conversation may seem like a difficult thing, especially if you assume you know what the elderly individual is going to say. However, if you have never talked about it, if you haven’t really looked into the benefits of assisted-living, then you’re allowing your own concerns to get in the way of having this important conversation.

As were about to celebrate the new year, make a resolution to talk to your family members about the prospect of assisted-living. What an elderly individual might be missing out on by living at home alone, they could experience so much more in the right assisted living facility.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Assisted Living, contact Ashbury Manor Specialty Care and Assisted Living near Fairhope, AL 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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