One of the reasons people move to elder communities is that they begin losing their ability to handle the necessary chores of living: cooking, dishwashing, laundry, shopping, and transportation to multiple medical appointments.
This makes it crucial to know before we move exactly how much help we can expect with these small daily activities. Asking all of the pertinent questions before we move in is imperative.
I can tell you what is provided in the model place in which I live.
Once every two weeks, on the same day of the week, I have a housekeeper. She strips my bed and puts on the clean sheets (which I must lay out in preparation). She vacuums the carpet, sweeps and mops the other floors. She cleans my cook stove, the microwave and sink, using cleaning products provided by the administration. She does a little dusting, wiping exposed surfaces, but she is not permitted to handle my things, such as vases, candle holders, even books. (Organizing and making the apartment neat are my responsibilities.)
Sometimes I might like to give my housekeeper something: a tip, a birthday gift. This is forbidden, and if I offer something she will refuse to take it. I know she is paid well, because she has been here for ten years.
The halls, lounges and all public places are cleaned by other workers. Not only is the place a model of cleanliness, but it is redecorated for every season and occasion.
In the kitchen area of my apartment I have a washer and dryer set. The machines are adequate for my personal laundry, a bit small for other items, but we all have laundry service for big things like sheets and bath mats. I put these into the mesh bag provided, which bears my apartment number. I include a simple form, listing items I am sending, and put the bag outside my door on the designated evening. It comes back the next day with everything washed, dried and folded.
In addition to all this there is a set of machines, plus an iron and ironing board, in a community laundry room on the hall, giving me options. I can use my own iron there, if I choose.
Because I am still managing in “Independent Living,” I need a few grocery items now and then. Once a week a bus takes residents to a nearby store. The driver waits for us and helps people load the content of their carts onto the bus and off again at the door to the halls where we live.
On Sunday mornings a bus makes a regular run to all the churches, delivering residents to the one of their choice. Transportation is also provided to popular local events, such as concerts and plays.
The institution also has cars that take individual residents to appointments with doctors or trips to the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions. They can’t wait for us, but they come back to get us when we call. This turns out to be one of the most important advantages of a retirement home.
Now I confess that there is a parking lot full of cars owned by residents. Many are still capable drivers and have a right to bring their vehicles when they move in.
The home has a small post office to which our mail is delivered to private boxes, and the “Out-going Mail” slot completes the service. Since our boxes are small, packages are delivered to the front desk, and the person on duty notifies us with a phone call.
All of these services are available to residents in Independent Living, as well as those in Assisted Living or Memory Care, and are covered in the basic monthly “rent” along with electricity, tv, internet, heating and cooling.
In addition, all residents have meals prepared and served in a semi-formal dining room, and the monthly charge covers one main meal a day. In the Assisted Living department three meals a day are provided in the basic financial package. In both sections, every apartment has a very small kitchen with at least a microwave and small refrigerator, so residents are prepared to keep food and prepare meals. Some cook big meals, make cookies, bake cakes, and continue to have their home cooked favorites. Others choose to rely more on the dining room. I, for instance, make omelets, quick sandwiches, and an occasional pot of a favorite soup, but I always go to the dining room for dinner. This gives me the opportunity for a variety of food choices, and it is a social occasion. That’s where I meet newcomers and make friends.
I really like the fact that I can bring guests to the dining room. This gives visiting family members and friends the opportunity to meet some of my resident friends and experience an important part of my life.
Finally, here is something I never thought about when I was planning to move. In a retirement home, as anywhere, things break. A washing machine develops a wobble, light bulbs expire, a knob falls off a cupboard door, or maybe you just want to hang curtains or another picture. A fleet of workers: mechanical engineers, plumbers, electricians are one phone call away. And they are paid to take care of you.
The availability of such vital services vary from place to place, so ask all your questions before you choose a home.