My 99 year old Mother is well & back home

Thanks for all your interest in my 99 year old mother. As I said in an earlier post, she needed rehab after a short hospital stay. 

We brought her up to The Glenridge, to stay in the Carrol Center. She was thrilled with the skilled nursing care she got at the Carrol Center. 

Shannon and I were also thrilled to have mom just a block away. We stopped by a couple of times a day. 

You should see the Carrol Center. It's not like any nursing home I've ever seen. There is a huge aviary in the center which is filled with finches. We were among the many folks who spent time just watching the action among the finches. 

Besides being beautiful with delightful distractions, it was impeccably clean. Instead of the normal linoleum tiles, there was carpeting everywhere. There was no odor. The rooms were beautiful and the fitness center was wonderfully complete. 

Best of all, the nurses and staff were delightful, patient, and caring. If I ever need skilled nursing care, there is no place I'd rather go.

Anyway, Mom is fine and much stronger for the rehab. She pushes a mean walker, and there isn't a hint of weakness or stumble. Unfortunately, the assisted living section here at The Glenridge, is reserved solely for members, so mom had to return to her assisted living facility in Venice. It's nice, but nothing like the assisted living facility in the Glenridge. If only mom and dad had made the decision to move to a continuing care retirement community when they were younger and able to walk in. 

We learned the value of making a choice while we could qualify. Perhaps this blog will help other retirees see the merit in making an early choice. 

Yours for a healthy retirement,

Ken Johnston 

99 year old Mother suddenly needs skilled nursing care.

I've mentioned before that my mother is 99 and lives in an assisted living facility in Venice, just south of Sarasota. A couple of weeks ago, she spiked a temperature and the assisted living folks sent her the hospital for what turned to be only a bladder infection. Thank goodness. 

The doctor was a nice young fellow and kept in touch with us daily. After three nights in the hospital, the doctor told us he was releasing her to go back to her home. 

Knowing how quickly one can lose muscle tone while in bed, we asked if someone had been getting her up and walking every day. He said, "Oh, that's a good idea," as though it hadn't occurred to him before. 

The next morning, the physical therapy folks gave her an evaluation and recommended that she be sent to a skilled nursing facility for physical therapy before being released to go back to assisted living. They estimated it would take mother 10 days to 2 weeks of therapy to be strong enough to walk unassisted with her walker. 

The nursing home they wanted to send her to was adjacent to her assisted living facility. Both of my sisters have spent time in that nursing home, and we hated the place. The nurses were cranky and unpleasant. The place smelled bad throughout, and everything was very institutional, in our judgement. 

We quickly checked with The Glenridge, the CCRC (continuing care retirement community) we live in, to see if they had room in their skilled nursing section, called the Carroll Center. They did, and we quickly had mother moved there, right down the street from us. 

Frankly, I had never seen the inside of the Carroll Center, but had heard great things about it.  I was dazzled by it. The room was private. Each room was decorated like a bedroom at home would be, and the nurses were delightful and caring. Mother got outstanding physical therapy sessions every day, not just weekdays. She loves the place. She doesn't want to go back to her home. 

Unlike other nursing homes, the Carroll Center had no odors, no feeling of being institutional, and delightful surroundings. I hope I never need skilled nursing, but I know now, if I do, I'll get the best care possible. 

Mom's still in the Carroll Center, and if we can, were trying to get her into the assisted living portion of The Glenridge. Normally, they only have room in assisted living for Glenridge members, but this is the first time a Glenridge member's mother requested space, so they might be able to work something out. I'll let you know how that goes. 

Yours for a happier, more stimulating, more exciting retirement,

Ken Johnston

P.S. If you're interested in discovering more about living in a CCRC, check out The Glenridge web site and see what you want to look for for your retirement community. 

Retirement in a CCRC. Peace of mind for your life.

Retirement is an incredible adventure. In our recent move to a CCRC (Continuing care retirement community) we discovered America's First Life Fulfilling Community. Everyone here agrees that it's one of the best places to retire to. 

This blog is about retirement, retirement living, senior housing and healthcare for the young and elderly retiree. We'll tell you some secrets it's taken us 15 years of retirement to discover. You'll learn about independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care. 

You'll learn that lifetime learning and discovery can make the elderly feel young again. 

We'll share some funny retirement poems because humor makes retirement life delightful. We'll give you the real dope on elderly sex. 

We'll show you how a CCRC can make you worry free about healthcare expenses because it offers the most complete nursing care plans. 

We'll introduce you to one of the world's friendliest retirement communities and the people that make it so friendly.  

Thanks for your interest,

Ken Johnston

P.S. For a fantastic example of a CCRC check out our new resort like home: