Ed,

Thanks so much for the letter, the update, and the inquiry in Assisted Living.

I’ve been able to come up with some “shards of wisdom” regarding Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Nursing Homes.  I don’t know if any of this will help you, but here goes.

I find it a problem with a lot of people not know the differences between Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Nursing Homes.  Most people, when they hear any of the three, have in their minds Nursing Homes and an immediate reaction that it should be “avoided at all costs”.  But when the distinction is made, they are able to consider Independent Living and/or Assisted Living as being much more tolerable.  (Smile)

I also have mobility problems (balance) that makes it necessary to use a walker.  I appreciated the Independent Living facility where my meals, my friends, and my activities were all within a “walker’s” distance.  Even with a cane, I was falling almost once a month.  But in an environment where I could use my walker all the time, I never fell down.

My space was spacious.  It was about 1,000 square feet (about the size of my condo at Vista Royale).  I found the food good.  After being here a few weeks, I made a comment at our table (of four) that I liked the food here in that I was afraid it was going to be bland.  A woman, sitting across from me, made a face as if to communicate, “How can anyone like the food here?”  I looked at her said, “Look, for 15 years I have been a bachelor and this food is definitely better than bachelor food.  (Smile)  Your monthly lease here includes weekly “light housekeeping”.  The “housekeeper” comes in and gives a quick sweep of the floors, cleans the bathrooms and kitchen, etc.  I got to know my housekeeper and her military son better than I did the other residents. 

Because I wanted to be on a strict diet, I opted out of the meal plan (3 meals a day) and was given a $400.00 a month credit.  However, I was the last resident able to use that option.  In fact, had I remained under my next lease, I would have had to have paid that $400 and also the amount of the annual lease.  (I’ve lost over 40 pounds since I went there.) 

I was a little disappointed with the activities, though.  I would have preferred a few more activities that were more intellectually challenging.  Most of the activities were for Bingo, or board games (including Mexican Train).  They had, I felt, good professional musicians in here performing to a non-interested crowd.  (I felt sorry for some of the performers.)  One time Virginia and I went to The Villages to consider those places.  I looked at the “daily catalog” of activities and events, and found the same thing. 

One big problem I felt that you probably wouldn’t mind was social.  There were a lot of social activities, but socially, one only dealt with others on a superficial level.  People were friendly, but not to the point of developing a “friend” relationship.  I find this more a product of our society than the problem of one institution.  I found it at UUFVB, I found it at Rotary, and other places.  You would meet people in the halls, greet them, talk about the weather or what you did last week, and then the planned event would begin and so you never conversed more deeply than that. 

If your problem is mobility/walker, I would recommend Independent Living.  I sold my car after being here one month because I realized I wouldn’t need it.  I order my food from WalMart and everything else from Amazon and everything is delivered to my door.  The only thing I miss with not having a car is going to events like concerts, or plays.  (Or Friday mornings at Panera.)  I thought I would develop “friends” who had car and I could go with them.  But that was not to be. 

Discovery Village has both Independent Living and Assisted Living in two separate wings.  Other than that, all activities and events are mixed so you don’t know if someone is Independent or Assisted.  The difference is that the people in Assisted Living require some form of assistance and their rate will be determined by the level of assistance.  One of the most common needs for Assisted Living is bath.  If you require assistance to take a bath/shower, then you would be an AL.  Other assistances would include the taking of your medicines, memory problems, etc.  Some of the people in AL have their own caregivers come in to give them assistance.  (Some people in IL will also have caregivers come in for a few hours now and then.)  jThis might include people who are wheelchair-bound. 

If you were to look into different Independent Living facilities, my regrets would include questions I’d be unable to research.  Like Reserves.  Just as condos need Reserves to handle capital assets like roofing, pavement, pool, etc. Independent Living facilities are not regulated much at all.  As a result, you cannot view their Reserves although you should be able to. 

Discovery Village is having a lot of problems now with their infrastructure – heating, hot water, air conditioners, pool, etc.  I’m sure that when Discovery Village bought it from Isles of Vero three years ago that no on did a Due Diligence.  I’m sure the DV people thought they would save money by not having a DD or by having their paper-pushers from Corporate do it rather than spend money on an engineering firm.  And now, with all their problems, Corporate is expecting the local facility to take care of all of these issues through their annual budget rather than from their Reserves.  As a result, band-aids are being applied where they need surgery.

But as far as I know, there is nothing you can do to spot a problem area like this in your searching. 

I don’t know if these thoughts have been instruction to you at all, but if they raised more questions than they have answered, please feel free to write me back and ask.

 

David