My widowed mother lives in Iowa. She is 77 and physically handicapped. It is getting increasingly difficult for her to get around. As long as she is able to live independently, I agree with her decision to stay where she has her life and her friends. I feel very strongly that once she needs more help, it would be best for her to move to Texas where both my sister and I can help care for her. Obviously, I cannot make her do that, but I would like to become informed about what is available so I can present her with appealing options.
Currently, she lives in a town home on the grounds of a nursing home. Once she is no longer able to live on her own, she has the option of moving into a two room apartment where she will be able to go down for meals & help with laundry. There is a nursing home she can move to from there.
She is very sharp mentally. She enjoys meeting friends for breakfast & lunch daily, so it will be important to find a place in our area where the residents enjoy living in a social community. She does play bridge and has learned to do stained glass where she is currently living.
She is in the "nicest" place for my small Iowa home town, but it is so old that the building does not have central air. She can have a window unit when the time comes for her to move to one of these other living situations, but hallways, dining areas, etc. will not have AC. Plus, we won't be able to look after her as much.
I know NOTHING about this sort of service in our area. My mom is pretty adamant that she does not want to move to Hell, rather Texas. :-) I want to do some research though so that if it comes to a point where she just is not physically able to drive/get groceries/etc. and needs to move to the assistive living center, I want to have already located pleasant places here to live and be well informed about amenities, prices, etc.
Thanks for any help anyone can offer. I don't know anyone else with elderly parents who live here, so I really don't know where to begin. I live in Allen & my sister is in Plano, so that general area would be our first choice to start looking.
Thanks, Mamas-- daughters of elderly Mamas! :-)
A.
My parents lived at Atria Carrollton for 1 year and half before their Alzheimers required a nursing home. We were very pleased with them as far as it being assisted living. There is also a directory you can pick up at any area nursing home or assisting living that gives you an idea of what is available. Also check out AARP.com for some guidelines. Depending on how much you have to spend, the list is endless.
A. -
You may want to check out Highland Springs (Frankford/Coit)http://www.ericksoncommunities.com/index.asp.
My Mom and several of her friends have looked at it as the assisted living option once they are no longer independent.
Best wishes,
A.
I work in a nursing home, you can get good info from medicare.gov or the state of texas aging and disability website. they can give you info about state surveys etc.
some places in plano are the waterford, collin oaks, the madison on marsh (carrolton), the meadows health and rehab (nursing home in dallas near presby dallas, hospital), also check out www.lifestyle.com, they would have many listings of facilities in the area and the surrounding area, they can break it down by your criteria and needs. Good luck, ask lots of questions, look beyond the outer appearance.
Hi A.,
My husband is a Nursing Home Administrator and has helped quite a few of our friends and family with placing loved ones in the right place :) There can be long waiting lists for the nice nursing homes/assisted living. So, I would start looking at homes and determine the best environment for your mom. When you walk in the homes, you'll have a feeling whether or not it's an appropriate place for your mom. The Social Worker at the facility would be the best person to talk to - she/he will ask about her finances/Medicare/Medicaid, etc... so you will need to have that information before you go shopping for a home (that way you'll be able to compare costs). If you have any questions, please feel free to email William (my husband) or myself at ____@____.com
Hope that helps,
A.
