Author: ecoyne

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Caregiving

How to prepare a parent for assisted living

Older woman and daughter on laptop together

Helping your parents transition into senior living starts with an open discussion that keeps their needs, wishes, and best interests at the forefront of the conversation. This decision can be challenging, but unthreading the intricacies involved will ultimately help everyone feel more stable. Here are some questions for your family to consider:

  • How do your parents feel about where they live now?
  • What are their current care needs, and how much will those services cost?

Perhaps the most important question to address, however, is whether your parents should move into an assisted living community, independent living community, or a nursing home. In this article, we’ll discuss assisted living communities specifically – how to choose the right one, which questions to ask, and how to make the move.

Touring

As you’re researching assisted living communities, one of the first considerations that you’ll encounter is location. What makes sense for your parents? (Do they want to stay in the city where they’ve always lived, or, if you live a few states away from them, does it make more sense for them to be closer to you?) Then research the community that’s right for them in that area. Come up with a few options, and go visit those communities – because even though their online photos will most likely look welcoming, you’ll want to walk the corridors and feel the atmosphere yourself.

Visit at least three assisted living communities. Schedule a tour during mealtime, so you can sample the restaurant fare. Talk to the staff. Mingle with the other residents and sit in on an activity – anything from an exercise class to a lecture series – to gauge how deeply those workshops have been planned and how effectively they’re presented. Ask questions. Take notes. Try to wander off the tour circuit, if possible, observing the gardens, taking in the views and walking around the on-site amenities and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Bear in mind that even if a certain community seems ideal – great price-point, stellar amenities, friendly reception, excellent kKey lime pie – it may not match up with your parents’ personalities. Some people prefer a patio with plenty of sunlight and a pineapple-beetroot amuse-bouche. Others of us are library-and-fireplace people who look forward to rainy nights with a novel and a glass of scotch. Your parents might like the food in one location, the residents in another, and the amenities and ambience of a third. Weigh all those options equally as your family decides which one is ultimately best for them.

Care services

Yes, you want to choose a community that matches your parents’ personalities, but one of the most important considerations to weigh is the community’s care services. You have most likely chosen assisted living, because, while you want your parents to continue their independent lifestyle, you also want them to benefit from living somewhere that can help with activities of daily living (or “ADLs”) if needed – such as bathing, getting dressed, and assistance with medication management. Be sure to discuss how the community will assess the level of care that your parents require. Take time to meet the nurses or caregivers on staff, if possible. Make sure that, if you do move your parents into a certain community, all the services and ADLs that they require will be provided and will be within your budget.

Packing and downsizing

Now that you’ve visited the communities in your area, you’re ready to commit to a decision and complete the transition – which involves packing.

Budget some time for this step, because it may take a while for your parents to consolidate their possessions. Remember how attached they may be to certain items in their house. Pictures or letters they’ve stored away and haven’t seen in years may evoke memories, so listen to them as they decide what they’re willing to part with – and what they want to hold on to. Be prepared to make lists of people to contact in case your uncle or cousin might want an armoire or a children’s book that’s belonged to your family for generations.

As you pack, be thinking about how you’re going to make the move. Will you transport your parents’ belongings to their new community one carload at a time? Will you hire movers? Decide on the date and time of the move, and the resources you’ll need, way ahead of schedule, so that you don’t run into any surprises come moving day.

Getting involved in activities

Once your parents are all moved into their new homes, it may be a good idea to visit them more frequently for the first few weeks or months, just to make sure they’re enjoying their new surroundings. Review their care assessment to stay apprised of any changes to their health. Encourage them to attend events in the community, so they can meet other residents. Talk to the staff and ask how they’re acclimating, and what arrangements or modifications might be made to make them feel more comfortable.

Staying involved

Do whatever you can to help your parents become well -situated, and if the usual 90-day acclimation period has passed and they feel as if a certain assisted living community isn’t the right fit for them, it’s okay to start the process over. Follow the steps we’ve listed above and listen to how your parents feel about the communities you visit. If this process sounds overwhelming, that’s okay, too. Contact us today to talk to a director of a community near you, so we can answer any of your questions about assisted living.

If you or someone you know wants to learn more about Atria, visit AtriaSeniorLiving.com/FindACommunity to discover the location nearest you.

Categories
Making the Decision

What activities can you do in senior living?

Atria Senior Living residents outside and painting together

One of the benefits of moving into a senior living community is the opportunity to stay active and engaged. Communities use an assortment of names to describe these opportunities — “senior activities,” “elderly enrichment,” or Atria’s Engage Life® programs — but they generally refer to a customized calendar of events where residents can connect with each other, pursue their passions and express themselves creatively. Let’s delve into the types of activities you can do in most senior living communities and why they’re vital to the well-being of the residents.

Why activities are important

Recent studies have provided an insight about human behavior that cultures have known (or sensed) for countless generations: People who stay physically active and maintain strong social connections are healthier than people who are isolated or inactive. The more opportunities that we have to connect and get to know the people around us, the better our health, outlook, memory and brain function — and our capacity to continue to learn — will all be.

Common activities available in senior living

The activities offered in a senior living community can differ substantially, but here are a few of the mainstays that you typically find:

 

Exercise Classes and Games

Bowling, yoga, golf, lifting weights, playing bocce, ballroom dancing, taking boxing lessons — a vibrant senior living community should foster opportunities for residents to engage in a range of physical activities.

 

  • Workshops and Classes
    • Participate in a book club. Learn Sanskrit or sign language. Start an embroidery class — or a new discussion group on current events. Residents who love learning, discussing complex subjects, and broadening their skills can enjoy the insight and intellect of their peers with these self-hosted courses.
  • Creative Talents
    • Some of us are driven to create, whether we’re painting a summer garden on the patio or filling page after page with a story that keeps running through our minds. A quality senior living community will provide residents with the space and schedule to tap into their creative energy and connect with likeminded artists.
  • Interaction and Engagement
    • A great senior living community should also support an environment where residents play cards or Mahjong tournaments deep into the night, or enjoy some “grape therapy” — that is, a wine and cheese social — or run into each other at a happy hour in the patio or around the garden.
  • Group Outings
    • Another advantage of being a resident at a senior living community is the opportunity to go on trips to different cities or places of interest — a museum in Manhattan, for instance, or a scenic route through a canyon in California, as well as sporting events, lunches in the park, and shopping trips.

How activities foster community and friendship

Meeting new people, lifting weights, or playing a late-night bridge session help people feel like they belong. That, in turn, can lead to many other positive outcomes — improved self-esteem, peace of mind, and an investment of time into deepening the network of support that improves everyone’s quality of life.

Engage Life® at Atria

At Atria, we consider activities to be among the most important features of a senior living community, but we don’t call them “activities.” Our term is the Engage Life® program, which we’ve set up to foster interactions and bring new opportunities for residents to achieve their goals. Each community at Atria has an Engage Life® director who takes the interests of the residents into account to create a calendar of events and outings tailored to what they want to do. Learn more about Engage Life® and reach out today to learn more about what Atria has to offer.

If you or someone you know wants to learn more about Atria, visit AtriaSeniorLiving.com/FindACommunity to discover the location nearest you.

Categories
Making the Decision

Customer satisfaction at Atria

Image of someone on their phone

The health, wellbeing and happiness of Atria residents and their families are of the utmost importance to us – which is why we take their feedback seriously. To that end, we send out surveys to our communities twice a year to gauge the opinions and insights of the world’s wisest people.

We’re excited to share some of the Atria reviews that we received from five communities who took our Spring 2021 survey, and we’re proud to announce that we earned excellent scores in the following categories:

  • Safety and well-being of residents
  • Courtesy and friendliness of staff
  • Responsiveness of community leadership to concerns
  • Desire of caregivers to accommodate requests

Read on to learn more about the recent senior living reviews, and how our staff and caregivers go above and beyond for the residents every day.

Atria Tarzana

Shak Rafat, the Executive Director of Atria Tarzana in Los Angeles, California, ensures that the Atria mission statement is top of mind for each employee at the community, and instills the core company values of trust, integrity and respect into his team. Shak takes the time to get to know each new employee. He also meets every week with the Resident Council president. That way, he can absorb the residents’ feedback and then take that feedback to the community directors so that they can implement it.

For Shak, and the culture that he has helped create at Atria Tarzana, the emphasis is on continuous improvement. Everyone on staff puts in extra effort to provide an optimal experience for residents. Carlos, the valet, dedicated an entire day to helping a widowed resident find his wife’s wedding ring, which had gone missing. That’s just one example of how the staff at Atria Tarzana go above and beyond for the residents.

Here’s a quote that seems to sum up how residents feel about Atria Tarzana: “The people that work there are amazing! They help make Atria a happy place.”

Atria Windsor Woods

Located in Hudson, Florida, Atria Windsor Woods was ranked second among Atria communities according to the recent senior living ratings. Executive Director Janet Brown attributes that placement to the hard work of everyone on staff – and their mindset of viewing feedback as an opportunity to improve. One example of acting on this attitude is the proactive steps that Windsor Woods took after residents discussed the food selection. The new staff members in the kitchen implemented the residents’ recommendations into new and improved menus. Their “Taste of food” scores went up around 10 points.

The quotes that we received from the residents indicate that Atria Windsor Woods is a supportive community. “Everyone is so kind. This is now my home,” said one resident. Another resident said: “During the pandemic, all department heads helped out in the community. Very nice management decision to support front-line staff.”

Atria Forest Hills

For Jill Draggota, the Executive Director at Atria Forest Hills in Queens, New York, customer satisfaction starts with hiring compassionate team members who love what they do. Focusing on the details helps Jill and her team improve lives every day, and has led to results large and small. An Engage Life Director at the community, for instance, worked tirelessly to livestream a resident’s grandson’s wedding during COVID-19. Draggota’s team has also established an open-door policy with the Resident Council to absorb and build upon their feedback on an ongoing basis.

A key quote from the recent survey: “The building is immaculately clean. The activities bring people together. They do everything they can for all of us. I love this place.”

Atria Crestavilla

Brian Keys, the executive director at Atria Crestavilla, follows the same plan whenever he receives survey scores: He asks his directors to report each month on areas where the survey indicated they could improve. Addressing those improvement areas have always led to increased resident satisfaction. The consistently excellent work that Brian’s team has demonstrated, in turn, inspires him to continue going above and beyond.

As an extension of the culture of improvement and open communication that Brian has encouraged at the community, families have access to Brian via his cell phone, and he and his team work to resolve any issues within 24 hours. That approach, it seems, has led to some of these expressions of resident satisfaction: “The people who are part of the Crestavilla Team offer outstanding support. They may have a title, but in addition, these people wear a lot of hats! When an extra pair of hands is needed, they jump right in.”

Atria Rancho Peñasquitos

Spring 2021 was the first time that Atria Rancho Peñasquitos in San Diego, California, was among Atria’s top rated senior living communities according to the customer satisfaction survey, which came as no surprise to Executive Director Quinn Hernandez, who felt like his team shined during COVID. Hernandez witnessed his directors working in different departments, helping out at the front desk, and pitching in wherever they were needed.

Hernandez instills in his team the idea that they are working in the residents’ homes, which helps put everyone’s job – including his – into perspective. He also addresses the feedback from the Resident Council right away and works with his directors to formulate improvement plans.

According to feedback from one of the residents’ children, Hernandez’s assessment of how his staff exceeded the expectations of their jobs is accurate: “The staff is wonderful. They did an excellent job during COVID with keeping the residents and staff as safe as possible.”

Outro

Atria values its senior living ratings because of our commitment to quality and our mission to create vibrant communities where extraordinary older adults can thrive and participate. When you choose Atria, your voice is heard. Learn about some testimonials from residents about their experiences – and contact us today to find a community that listens to you.

If you or someone you know wants to learn more about Atria, visit AtriaSeniorLiving.com/FindACommunity to discover the location nearest you.

Categories
Senior Aging & Health

Billie Jean King’s memoir chronicles defining moments

Image of Billie Jean King talking with an Atria Senior Living Resident

At Atria, we admire sports icon and champion of equality Billie Jean King not only for her spectacular achievements in sports, but for how her indomitable spirit inspires us to create a more inclusive world. Her beliefs and life experience make her the perfect spokesperson for our Next Chapter series that explores how older adults are redefining aging.

Now a New York Times bestseller, Billie Jean’s new autobiography, All In, is a spirited account of her life’s journey filled with insights and advice on leadership, business, activism, sports, politics, marriage equality, parenting, sexuality and love. Here are a few highlights that show how living honestly and openly can have a transformative effect on relationships and happiness.

Meeting Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, tells a story of resilience, grace and resolve – one that Billie Jean holds dear. So, when she received a call one morning with an offer to meet the world leader, she jumped at the opportunity and hopped on a plane to Johannesburg.

Mandela embodied qualities that Billie Jean cherishes most: Kindness. Generosity. Freedom. Equality. Forgiveness. She also shares his belief in transcendence and redemption.

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion,” Mandela wrote. “People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can learn to love.”

At their meeting, Mandela talked about his imprisonment at Robben Island. Despite the difficult living conditions, he sought out the humanity in his captors. Through persistence and humility, he managed to break down barriers and convinced the guards to make the prisoners’ lives less onerous.

It was a wonderful experience, and Billie Jean still marvels at how Mandela “reimagined the country in ways people had doubted were possible.” She goes on to say, “For me, nothing has compared to meeting the man himself and walking in some of the same places he tread.”

Making Black lives matter in the 1970’s

Motivated by her childhood admiration for Althea Gibson, Billie Jean worked with her former husband, Larry King, to make tennis an equal opportunity sport. But despite the efforts of the Kings and others, it was still an uphill climb for the players of color on the Virginia Slims Tour in the early ‘70s.

“Our crowds in Philadelphia were filled with American Tennis Association members (a Black-run organization) who gave them a warm reception,” recounts King. In Houston, the Black staff told the players they’d never seen Black women play professional tennis before, and it made them proud. But a stop in Florida was a different story.

To the players’ dismay, they saw Confederate flags flying from every other flagpole around the grandstand at Miami’s Jockey Club. Ann Koger, one of the tour players, climbed the pole that evening and removed one of the flags. After informing Tour Director Peachy Kellmeyer that the remaining flags were an insult to the players and every other American, the flags were all taken down.

Tournament housing also became an issue. Available rooms suddenly disappeared when Black players showed up at the tournament desk. Billie Jean approached the desk and, in a calm but direct manner, said, “You know, there must be some mistake. My friends here told me that you have no housing for them. And if that is true, I can assure you that I will not play in this tournament. And neither will anyone else. So, what are you going to do about that?”

Moments later, rooms were found at a nice hotel.

Billie Jean King’s legacy of equality

In All In, Billie Jean writes, “Sports consistently reminds us how talent comes from all places, and how much we can achieve together, especially when we can accept each other without prejudice and recognize that our differences make this a richer world.”

Billie Jean is creating a legacy that will endure and shape future generations. Working with others, she has helped create the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, a non-profit undertaking that promotes equality and inclusion and advocates for equal pay.

She says that we must continue asking ourselves whenever we consider any undertaking, When this is done, will we have helped make this world a better place? She feels we should define success as both doing well and doing good.

Ed Woolard, Billie Jean’s dear friend and business mentor, helped her refine three guidelines to help us do well – and do good – by becoming happier, more successful human beings.

  • Be a problem solver and an innovator, and realize that once you identify a problem, it’s important to be a part of the solution.
  • Never stop learning, and never stop learning how to learn.
  • Relationships are everything.

For more insights into these and other stories, read All In, available here. And for inspiring stories about how older adults are breaking personal barriers, visit our Next Chapter website where you can watch Billie Jean interview Atria residents about how they are redefining aging.

Categories
Making the Decision

Continuing to “Sleeve Up” with COVID-19 booster shots

Older woman receiving a vaccine from a nurse

At Atria, protecting the well-being and safety of our residents and staff has always been our highest priority. We were among the first senior living companies to provide the COVID-19 vaccine when it became available in late 2020. Now, in partnership with CVS, we’ll be offering both the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 booster shot to Atria residents and employees at on-site clinics as soon as the booster becomes available.

Currently, 99 percent of employees and residents have received the COVID-19 vaccine. Depending on when the COVID-19 vaccine booster shot is approved, it will be offered during our upcoming flu shot clinics, or we will schedule a separate CVS clinic dedicated to the COVID-19 booster vaccine.

Why it’s important to sleeve up

“Sleeve Up Atria” – the name of our COVID-19 vaccination initiative – was created to generate excitement, encourage participation and stress the importance of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. We believe vaccines are critical to the safety and well-being of everyone who lives and works in our communities, and that’s why we again want to make “sleeving up” as safe and easy as possible.

COVID-19 cases are rising nationwide, and the flu is an ongoing seasonal threat. These vaccines go a long way to keeping us all healthy.

For the more than 21,000 residents who call Atria home, the success of “Sleeve Up Atria” has translated into the confidence to enjoy meals and programs together.

“Knowing we are no longer in the thick of it and that we’re getting back to normal makes me sleep better at night,” Beverly, a resident at Atria Rancho Peñasquitos in San Diego, California, stated. “I’m still staying safe, but now getting out and about again, and feeling freer.”

High-dose flu vaccine will be offered

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 3-11% of the population falls ill with the flu every year, and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized with flu complications. Older adults are especially vulnerable, which is why Atria is committed to helping residents stay healthy during flu season.

This year, we’ll once again offer residents the opportunity to receive the high-dose flu vaccination for seniors, though the normal flu vaccine will also be available.

Atria is at the ready

While details of what regulatory officials will recommend for the COVID-19 booster shot have not been finalized, the White House has pledged to make long-term care settings – such as nursing homes and senior living communities – a priority. Said Atria Chairman and CEO John Moore, “The bottom line is we’re ready to go as soon as formal approval happens.”

Editorial note: This blog has been updated to adjust errors that appeared in the original version.

Categories
Making the Decision

Benefits of senior living vs. living at home

Group of three Asian senior friends sitting and talking in cafe, laughing and having fun
Group of three Asian senior friends sitting and talking in cafe, laughing and having fun

Currently, around one million Americans live in some type of senior living community – a figure that’s expected to double by 2030, in part because senior living communities provide abundant mental, physical and emotional benefits that often allow older adults to thrive. Let’s walk through the process of deciding between staying at home or living in a community and touch on some of the benefits of making the switch.

Staying vs. moving

Weighing your options regarding whether to live at home or in a community can feel daunting. For that reason, it’s helpful to consider those options side by side to think through what the important aspects of your life will be like at home or in a community – aspects such as your social life, your dining options, your exercise routine, or the emergency assistance that you’ll be able to access.

Take, for instance, something as simple as housekeeping. At home, you may dedicate a lot of your time to household maintenance, whereas at a senior living community, the staff may provide all the housekeeping and linen services for you.

A change for the better

Once residents move into senior living communities, they often discover that they’ve made the right decision. Listen to Claudia, an Atria resident, who shares her story about how the stresses of being at home convinced her to move into a senior living community – and she’s loved it ever since.

“I don’t have to worry about anything, because everything’s taken care of for me,” she says. At home, she mostly watched TV. At Atria, she engages with other residents, enjoys “five-star meals,” and says that her daughter never worries about her. In Claudia’s words: “Come to a place where, anything you can think of, you have right here in front of you.”

The cost of waiting

Moving into a senior living community is a serious decision, and it only makes sense to be selective when it comes to choosing the right community. But waiting too long to arrive at a decision can also come with certain costs. Once residents and their families weigh the benefits of moving into a senior living community, the conclusions that they reach tend to point them in the direction of moving, after all. Benefitting from ongoing support and professional caregiving tends to revitalize residents and help them thrive.

Why moving makes sense

Residents who move into a senior living community often find that they enjoy the advantages that a home offers without having to shoulder the burdens of homeownership. Contact us today to learn why Atria might be the right option for you.

If you or someone you know wants to learn more about Atria, visit AtriaSeniorLiving.com/FindACommunity to discover the location nearest you.

Categories
Family Dynamics

Senior life lessons from Atria centenarians

Three Atria Senior Living residents celebrating their 100th birthdays together

Ruth, Edith, and Lorraine, the centenarian “Golden Girls” of Atria West 86 in the Upper West Side of New York, have received a lot of media attention since celebrating their 100th birthdays together. Featured in People, ABC News, the New York Post, and other major outlets, the three friends raised three glasses of champagne together – commemorating the occasion, as well as having lived through the pandemic safely. As Ruth told People: “I think I was born under a lucky star. We’ve gone through this together. I’m just thankful I was here to get a vaccine.”

We decided to sit down with Ruth, Lorraine, and Edith to learn their secrets to leading a long happy life.

Ruth

After graduating from NYU’s School of Education, Ruth worked as an elementary-school teacher. Later in her career, she studied braille and taught visually impaired and disabled children. She’s passionate about golf, travel, opera, ballet – and all that New York City has to offer. Since she’s been at Atria West 86, Ruth has made lots of friends with both residents and employees alike. (“The staff is great!” she said.)

When asked about her greatest accomplishment, Ruth said, “My two children, of course.” Ruth – a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother – moved from Florida to Atria West 86 to be closer to her family. During the celebration at the community, which featured banners, balloons, a giant cake, and the Atria staff singing multiple renditions of “Happy Birthday,” Ruth was reunited with her son, Andrew, who flew in from California and saw his mother for the first time in two years because of COVID-related travel restrictions.

Ruth never misses an Atria West 86 social hour on the penthouse terrace, and she loves marveling at the New York skyline. This social butterfly’s senior lifestyle includes outings to concerts, guest lecture series, and opera recitals. “Life goes by too fast, so enjoy each day to the fullest,” Ruth said. “You have to laugh!”

Edith

Edith (AKA “Mitzi”) graduated from Brooklyn High School and the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn. She started her career as a secretary in the office of her future husband, an attorney, and is a lifelong lover of theater, traveling, concerts, and museums – especially the Museum of Natural History in New York.

Edith advised to not waste any time complaining. When asked what her most cherished accomplishments are, she answered immediately – her two daughters, who she said are devoted, kind, and loving. To Edith, family has always been her top priority.

Lorraine

An accomplished mezzo soprano with the Metropolitan Opera chorus in New York for 20 years, Lorraine performed with all the top singers of her day – including Robert Merrill, Renata Tebaldi, and Luciano Pavarotti. Today she remains an avid bridge player. Like Ruth, Lorraine is grateful for all the friendships she’s made at Atria, including with her Resident Services Assistant, Felicia, who she refers to as her “angel.”

The centenarian celebration also afforded Lorraine the opportunity to reconnect with her niece, who, due to the pandemic, she was only able to talk to over the phone or via Zoom. Lorraine also enjoyed going to a birthday lunch that her friends from the New York tennis circuit threw in her honor.

So what’s Lorraine’s advice? “Do what you love, what you’re passionate about, and commit to it – it should bring you tremendous joy!” she said. “It’s been a wonderful life.”

If you or someone you know wants to learn more about Atria, visit AtriaSeniorLiving.com/FindACommunity to discover the location nearest you.

Categories
Making the Decision

The benefits of right-sizing for older adults

Older couple enjoying breakfast together

It’s the entryway into the American dream – a home, a mortgage, a yard with a fence and hydrangeas blooming in the shade. Houses are now becoming harder to afford in many U.S. counties, so anyone who has put 20% down on a house and paid it off should feel proud to sit atop a lifetime of equity. The idea of right-sizing might seem counterintuitive, but right sizing can provide many benefits to older adults and their families. Read on for just a sampling of those benefits.

Less stress

Right-sizing can help you rescale so you no longer have to wrestle with the burden of home maintenance. In a senior living community, all of that work is taken care of for you, so you spend every day doing the things that bring you joy, whether that might be painting, playing cards or visiting with friends and family.

A safe lifestyle

One of the burdens of living at home is that it may become unsafe. A rambling, multilevel corner house where your kids grew up can now seem intimidatingly vast once those kids move out – and if you need to climb those stairs, the risk of a fall or an injury might go up. Right-sizing can help you move into a new space that’s more accessible and better suited to your needs and level of mobility.

 An organized space

Live in a house for thirty years and it’s easy to fill up hundreds of bankers’ boxes of memorabilia – letters, wedding photos, toddler rocking chairs. You’ll want to keep some of those things. But right sizing can help you rescale so you have just what you need. Throwing out clutter that piles up in rooms can help you rediscover the clarity that comes from living in a simple, organized space.

The benefit of senior living communities

When older adults are ready to right size, many of them choose to move into a senior living community like Atria, which provides all of the benefits that we’ve already mentioned – and more. Contact us today to learn why Atria might be the right option for you.

If you or someone you know wants to learn more about Atria, visit AtriaSeniorLiving.com/FindACommunity to discover the location nearest you.

Categories
Caregiving

Sometimes a short time is just right

Senior woman painting

Diane worried about leaving the hospital. She’d been admitted, again, for losing consciousness due to a health issue that caused her blood oxygen level to drop.

“It’s scary to wake up on the floor and not realize what happened,” she said. “Since I live alone, my family and I decided I should recuperate at Atria to make sure the new treatment plan from my doctor works. If not, somebody will be there to help.”

Diane is staying at an Atria community while she recuperates. Short-term stays offer older people like her an excellent way to receive the care and support they need while recovering from an illness or surgery. Short-term stay guests enjoy a furnished, private apartment plus all the same services, amenities and social opportunities available to Atria residents.

A short-term stay is also a great way to see what senior living is like.

A better outcome

When an older person is discharged from a hospital or rehabilitation facility, their recovery depends largely on following doctors’ orders. Are they taking medications properly? Adhering to their new diet? Keeping follow-up appointments?

For people who live alone, no longer drive and may possibly be dealing with a number of chronic health conditions, compliance is often a struggle. As a result, their recovery can suffer and they risk a setback, which could lead to another hospital or rehab stay.

“A lot of short-term stay guests come to Atria due to health issues,” said Karen Devaney, Atria’s National Director of Care Management.

“Short stays offer a way for people to recover with trained staff available around the clock to make sure they’re doing everything they need to do,” Devaney added. “We also provide their meals, housekeeping, drive them to appointments and offer opportunities to connect with others.

“Short-term stay guests go through the same initial care assessment as residents before move-in. The care coordination they receive is also the same.”

So, instead of juggling instructions from numerous healthcare providers, a short-term stay guest can focus on recovering while Atria manages the rest. Care coordination also makes sure everyone involved in a person’s well-being is on the same page – from doctors, nurses and physical therapists to caregivers and family members.

A quick solution

A short-term stay often comes to the rescue for families facing a sudden or unexpected situation. An older family member may be discharged from the hospital or rehab sooner than anticipated and needs a place to recover. Families may discover an older relative’s living environment is no longer safe.

“Our door is always open,” stated Pamela Filby, Atria’s Vice President of Sales. “When a person needs to move quickly, a short-term stay provides a furnished apartment on short notice, with support available around the clock.”

Knowing their older relative is safe and cared for gives family members time to more thoughtfully explore their options.

A welcome change

When it comes to taking a break, short-term stays go both ways.

Caregivers occasionally need time off to rest and recharge. Maybe they’re planning a vacation with their spouse and children and need to make arrangements for Mom. Since short-term stay guests enjoy the same services, dining options, amenities and social opportunities as residents, the break can be a welcome change for her, too.

On the other hand, perhaps an older family member would like to enjoy a long visit with relatives in another state but doesn’t want to stay in a hotel or the family’s home.

“We have regulars,” said Filby. “We jokingly call them ‘frequent fliers.’ It’s a nice way for them to get to know the community.

“We even have couples who book short-term stays at communities in Florida, just to get away and have everything handled for them.”

A toe in the water

“Sometimes a family is reluctant to make a move and sell the home, even if they’ve started to realize their parent needs more care,” Filby explained. “We suggest families try a temporary stay while sorting things out.”

For active older adults who don’t need daily support but are ready to downsize and let go of the cooking, cleaning and home maintenance, a short-term stay is an ideal way to try out senior living. After a short-term stay, many realize how much more fulfilling their lives can be when surrounded by daily opportunities to pursue new interests and hobbies in a community of friendly neighbors.

“I hope more families take advantage of short-term stays because the benefits can be tremendous,” said Filby.

If you or someone you know could benefit from a short-term stay at Atria, visit AtriaSeniorLiving.com/FindACommunity to discover the community nearest you.

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Making the Decision

Caring for the world’s wisest people

Atria Senior Living resident and employee smiling together

Atria Senior Living’s care services are backed by our industry-leading quality standards. In our communities that offer care services, the Resident Services Director – who is also a licensed nurse – assesses each resident’s physical, emotional and functional needs prior to move-in, and then on an as-needed basis following that initial care plan.

How assessments work

Because the well-being of residents is our top priority, we pride ourselves on the rigor with which we conduct assessments. Here’s how the process works:

  • Prior to a new resident moving into Atria, a licensed nurse will visit the resident to review medications and develop an essential drug list.
  • A physician will review the assessment before it’s shared with the resident and his or her family. Atria will conduct another assessment the day the new resident moves in, and add it into our system to help caregivers organize their days and meet residents’ needs.
  • Following those initial assessments, Atria will conduct further assessments to determine whether a decrease or increase in care services is needed.

Discreet care is available 24 hours a day, and services generally fall into these three categories: personal care (bathing, grooming, getting dressed and safety checks); medication assistance (reminders, consultations with physicians and pharmacies and ongoing reviews with a nurse); and incontinent management (daytime and overnight assistance).

Some Atria communities also offer memory care, geared toward older adults experiencing the challenges of Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. Memory care neighborhoods are located in thoughtfully designed, secure spaces within a community.

Care and Engage Life®

The Engage Life department adds another layer of support to the licensed nurses and caregivers within an Atria community.

“Engage Life and care and social work – they’re all interlocked,” Beth Levi, Engage Life Director at Atria Forest Hills, said. “In my role, I have the opportunity to monitor residents through the activities they’re doing. I see them on a daily basis. So if I notice a change in condition, I can coordinate with the care team.”

Engage Life Directors create programs and workshops that enhance residents’ lives through social connection and lifelong learning, which is one reason Levi is looped into the part of the assessment process for new or prospective residents: She learns about a resident’s care needs and assistance levels, and then personalizes the community events calendar so that there are plenty of opportunities tailored to each individual.

“When a new resident moves in, I take all the programs we offer, and then I go over it with them,” Levi said. “They pick out what they like and we make a personalized schedule, so when they move in, it’s all set in their minds – ‘This is what I’m going to be doing.’ The calendar is adaptable and changeable, and based upon their interests and needs.”

The Atria advantage

“The differentiator in Atria’s care is our preparation, our response, our protocols, our internal Quality Enhancement review process,” Joanna Mansfield, Atria’s Senior Vice President of Care and Life Guidance, shared. “We have stringent guidelines. We have checks and balances to make sure residents’ needs are being fulfilled.”

Those stringent guidelines are the result of being so attentive to residents’ well-being. When it comes to a community’s Resident Services Director, Atria only hires nurses with a clinical skill set and management experience who are also familiar with working with older adults. That attention to detail required in their jobs helps give nurses and caregivers the structure necessary to provide the best care for the world’s wisest people.

Discover how empowering the right care can be at Atria Senior Living at ExploreAtriaCare.com.