Have You Been Thinking About Assisted Living Solutions?

A few years ago,after the death of her husband, my elderly neighbor, Mrs, Magee, decided to move to an assisted living facility. Since our families have been good friends for many years and her only son lives in Washington, she asked if I would take her choice, The Renaissance. I reluctantly agreed, I work closely with the senior community though generally not on this end. My job is simply to provide a free services to assist seniors in downsizing, decluttering, and removing unwanted items. Facility visits and coordination efforts are handled by professionals, Senior Move Managers. I could only imagine what I had in store for me, a dark little building with no windows? Would some unhappy senior slip me a note that read, "Take me home with you?" I can't believe all the misconceptions I had about Assisted Living Facilities.

Do you remember that wonderful 80's sitcom, "The Golden Girls," the long suffering adult daughter,"Dorothy," was always threatening to send her cantankerous old mother, "Sophia," to that horrible Florida nursing home called "Shady Pines?" Shady Pines is the outdated vision some of us have of Nursing Homes; bad food, old people in a vegetative state, big mean nurses with even bigger needles in hand, and lonely. bare rooms with a television and a cot. Realistically, I knew my image was antiquated,yet, I was shocked and pleased just how much. Retirement communities are now chic, vibrant and designed to meet the many needs of the Senior Citizens they serve.

Mrs. Magee, though quite active for 84 did have limiting health issues but not constant assistance. She found that an assisted living facility would work best, they offered assistance but only when needed. This is a great solution for seniors who require limited daily assistance with grooming, bathing and eating. They offer many valuable amenities such as; laundry service, transportation, emergency assistance, nursing staff, and 24-hour care. There are also many planned activities that keep seniors active and their minds as sharp as a a tack.

As we arrived at our destination of Draper Lane I wasn't expecting much. However, my first impression was, "this place is gorgeous." I then thought to myself, "so, it's beautiful on the outside but how does it look inside and how does it smell? As we opened the door, I was taken aback, the sitting room was quite elegant and smelled as good as it looked. The furnishings were very chic and up to date, the clients happily chatting away and all well dressed. Mrs. Magee was greeted by several of the ladies and seemed to fit right in. The staff were all quite engaging, kind and quick to offer assistance.

Being ever the cynic, I thought, "Sure make the obvious places that our seen by the public look good but I bet the rooms all have hard little cots and are the size of a shoe box. I was pleasantly surprised again. The rooms were actually charming one or two bedroom apartments that included the winning combination that most clients search for, the comforts of home, the luxuries of a five star hotel and the security of having around the clock staff. Forget Mrs. Magee. I wanted to sleep the director a note that read, "I am only 40 but, can I stay?"

Mrs. Magee had originally chosen the Renaissance because she liked the information in their literature. She'd appreciated the fact that it was close to her beloved church and several of her doctors. She also like the fact that the staff promised to give their clients the royal treatment. They are focused on being there for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, making sure your every need is met."

She'd diligently researched their amenities, from luxury of chef-prepared meals to the added convenience of housekeeping service and found that this was a solution that appealed to her. She'd also found comfort in the fact that The Renaissance also offered several travel programs to daily social activities in and around the local area. From their gorgeous location to their wonderful professional staff, Mrs. Magee was quite impressed and so was I.

Sadly, Mrs. Magee passed suddenly and was never able to move into the Renaissance but I will never forget the time and effort she put into finding the right living solution. Her decisions were based on her needs; social, financial and geographic. She also paid great attention to what the facility offered to enhance the quality of her life.

There are many wonderful Assisted Living Facilities around the city of Austin and the Renaissance is definitely one of the best.

Here are a few facts about the Renaissance of Austin,Tx.

Year Established: 1978

Funding: Profit

Capacity: 190

Cost/Month: Call for rates .

 

Here Are A Few Helpful Links!

Seniors for Living www.seniorsforliving.com

National Association of Senior Move Managers www.nassm.com

North Central Texas Council of Governments www.nctcog.org

Senior Community Services www.srcommunityservices.com