Visits with Murray

Text Size: A A

posted by Ted Ryan on June 30, 2014

It wasn’t until recently that my view of senior living facilities started to change. For many years, the mention of a facility would conjure childhood memories of visiting bleak settings where loved ones spent their final years.

I’d think of Murray, who had lived across the street. Despite a 70-year age difference, I loved spending time with Murray and playing on the tire-swing that hung from a giant elm in his backyard. When he moved to a facility, our time together had a different feel. Visits took place in his room, down the hall from a fluorescent-lit gathering space where small groups watched a television set on the wall.

Experiences like this framed my picture of senior living. Luckily, I was not seeing the full picture.

I’ve since learned the importance of planning early and have been to some wonderful facilities – one of which I enjoy visiting to see my grandparents.

Recently, the St. Louis Business Journal published an article about choosing a well-suited senior living facility and contacted us for expert insight.

SHC founder and president, Kit Whittington, RN, provided great advice learned from her 27 years of working with St. Louis seniors and their families. Highlights include:

1. Seek personal referrals. Get input from friends and acquaintances that are currently living in a facility. Pursue the facilities that are given positive reviews.
2. Look for specific amenities you might need and how accessible they are.
3. Visit by appointment and by drop-in. Get a feel for the environment. Are things well maintained? Do residents seem mobile and happy or are they lethargic and depressed?
4. Consider location. It’s nice to be in a familiar neighborhood and close to family. This makes visiting more convenient, and the more a family visits, the better quality care the senior will receive and the better input the facility will get.

At Seniors Home Care, we work with individuals living in, or transferring to or from, many of the senior facilities across the greater St. Louis area. We would love to help you or your loved one thrive wherever they call home. If we can be of any assistance, please contact us.

« $300,000 - The Unseen Costs of Family Caregiving Shhh…A Great Library Service Few People Know About »

Join the Discussion

Seniors Home Care reserves the right to remove anything deemed inappropriate, off-topic or otherwise questionable; however, we have no responsibility to do so.