Help suggestions for an elderly lady living arraignments
 

First time poster and a recent newcomer to The Villages and I have used this message boards in the past to obtain a lot of good information. I am seeking information for an elderly single female neighbor who lives by herself that asked me to help her secure new housing within The Villages to help her into her older days.

My next door neighbor is a widower, up in age, memory is starting to fail her and she has stopped driving. She lives in a very large house here in The Villages, but she is seeking an assisted living area within or near The Villages to help her with her everyday task. The lady is financially secure, her house is paid and her total living monthly budget needs to be under $9000 ( pension & SS ) for all expenses. Unfortunately her only surviving son is not capable of assisting her and she has asked me for help.

My wife and I are not that familiar with any ALF's in the area. Any suggestions appreciated. Thanks Jose & Maria

I believe Freedom Point over by Spanish Springs has assisted living apartments. Not sure if there are others.

It sounds great to have a neighbor "help" her out, but that is a big ask. Lots of responsibility and some liability.

I agree with GaryWT. If she is financially secure, then a nice assisted living facility would be a far better sollution. Some are VERY nice, complete with activities, live-in nurses and caregivers, transportation to shopping and other activities, maid service, and on and on. The very best is not cheap, but there is a spectrum of types available. I would suggest taking her around to look at some and see what they offer and what the price ranges are in the area.

American house near Pinellas plaza reasonable for what you get

16 Home Care Services for Seniors Serving The Villages, FL

I know nothing about this service other than it is a state supported program.
See the assisted living section for more info.
Would be for your benefit to get some professional advice.
Good Luck.

I'm researching the same thing right now. Freedom Pointe has a "buy in" but I'm not sure the amount.

We are visiting Elan Spanish Springs this afternoon (now called Watercrest, apparently). I don't believe they have a buy in, just monthly fees. Will comment after the visit.

kathy

Hello Mrs. Kathy -
Please comment on your visit to any living facility you may visit. BTW - Be very careful with any buy in @ a living facility. Its like buying a time share, only worse. Those buy-ins @ living facilities make absolutely no financial sense. Tread with extreme caution.

Elan Is a relatively new facility on Rt 466 and Buena Vista. It's not in Spanish Springs. I think Watercrest Spanish Springs is a different facility. Other facilities are Buffalo Ridge, Mission Oaks, and Sumter Grande.

Elan is being rebranded as Watercrest. The 466 facility is changing from Elan Buena Vista to Watercrest Buena Vista. Elan Spanish Springs (down the street from Spanish Springs town square) is now Watercrest Spanish Springs.

Both facilities are still owned by the same entity but they have a new management company (Watercrest). The sign outside the SS location still says Elan and the paperwork is a mishmash of references Elan and Watercrest.

k.

A Place for Mom
 

I’ve used this company - A Place for Mom. They take all info and send out to qualifying living places for elderly. Then those places contact you. Very nice and helpful. Very prompt, too.
Local Senior Care Options | A Place for Mom

My mother is at Sumter Grand on 466A independent living. Next door is assisted and then next to that is Memory Care. She has lived there for over 5 years. I believe they are running a special with the first two months free. They do have a car service to get to appts. Etc. I would recommend visiting a few places here in TV. Best of luck.

My mom lives in Freedom Point near the hospital. (memory care) section.
I researched every place in the area 5 years ago. And I mean visited each one and interviewed the administrators.
Freedom Point was the best by far for memory care in my opinion.
And to this day I can say I am not sorry I picked them to take care of my mom.
Even the facility is the same feel of The Villages in anesthetics.
I highly recommend them.
One tip.....
They will negotiate there cost with you. It's a very competitive market around here.
P. S. Get her sons phone number and tell him to get his A$$ down here and take care of this life changing event for his mother.

Help ideas
 

I believe TV has a service to help people with decisions like this. I cannot recall what it is though. This is a very big decision and she will need to sell her home, etc.

I had to comment on the P.S. yes, the son should get his butt in gear and come down here and get her settled in. Im pretty sure he will come poking around in her final days to see whats left for him to take home. Theres always that one in every family who wont take on any responsibility

That’s so nice of you. I hope you can find a place for her, though eventually whoever has power of attorney will probably also need to become involved.

I have a friend, 86, whose memory was starting to fail, also, though she still drove. Then she nearly died of COVID last fall, and her husband DID die of it. The virus exacerbated her dementia, and after four or five months with a full time caretaker in her son’s home, she was placed in a beautiful new memory care unit, which she loved. Within a week she had found a “boyfriend” with Alzheimer’s and was dragging him into her room several times a day for hot make-out sessions. Good for her! But difficult for her kids.

Agree. Call a place for mom. They know which would be the best. Free service

You sound like a kind, caring neighbor for attempting to assist your elderly neighbor. However, being new to TV, you have not lived near this neighbor for any length of time, so be very careful what you are stepping into. There are legal ramifications to what you are attempting. I’ve seen this situation with others who helped because the adult child/ children, niece or nephew couldn’t until the $$ were now involved. They swooped in and claimed the helpful individual took advantage of their “loved one” and stole from her because she was confused. I agree. Get the son’s phone # and tell him to get down here quick before his confused mother spends all his inheritance. She’s sitting on a gold mine in that big home.

Trinity Springs behind the 466 Walmart is a beautiful facility as well. People might forget we have that here. They have a Facebook page. I've heard good things about it plus Buffalo Crossings.

the original Elan now located in Spanish Springs

And sometimes there are very good reasons why sons are daughters do not want to interfere with their parents lives

There is a new facility,
A Banyan Residence at
12427 County road 101 that is just lovely for residential living and memory care.
Call 855-490-0406 and ask for Jennifer Hutt and tell her Nan told you to call.
Call me at 9547769010
for more info.

One of my neighbors researched a lot for her father and chose Sumter Grand on 466A.

Try A Banyan Residence at
12427 Co. Rd. 101
Call 855-490-0406
New buildings and lovely for someone needing assistance and memory care. Very reasonable pricing.

Alf
 

Trinity behind Walmart on 466. Friend moved in over year ago. Spacious one-beds, wide sin-filled hallways, great dining options

sun-filled NOT SIN

We just placed my mother at Veranda Village. It seems very friendly.

You need an Attorney or should I say She does!

Find out if she has a Will. Then tell her the loving person mentioned in the will she is leaving everything to should be the one to give her the help she needs.

Maybe, but I was surprised to find out that most attorneys will not become your power of attorney because of liability. You need to designate a relative or friend that you trust to make financial decisions.

Suggest she contact Kathy Haviland, 551-1260, she's an expert in placing people & is very knowledgeable of all ALF's.

While it would be great if family members could/would live up to their expectations, many just don’t. She may not actually want her son to help. He might be an unpleasant, unhelpful person. She may not want her closest family to be involved in her important decisions.

While it would be great if family members could/would live up to their expectations, many just don’t. She may not actually want her son to help. He might be an unpleasant, unhelpful person. She may not want or trust her closest family to be involved in her important decisions. Sad, but not so unusual.

Try "A place for MOM."

As a person that is familiar with at least 30 Assisted Living places around Central Fl over the years via family members experiences and other people I would totally recommend a thoroughly checked out "live in" caregiver with a driver's license. This is way way cheaper and when you find one that really cares about her, she can go many many places and live like she wants. The other way gives you a menu you may not like, a bed, people you might not to live with you can't get rid off, and many sicknesses you would not otherwise have. Not to mention constant theft. Yes, I mean the most expensive ones as well!! Do FBI background checks, license checks, and good interviewing techniques. Your third one will be the charm.

The Villages has several assisted living and memory care options, you can try Sumter Grand on 466 to start. Also, you can just call The Villages 800 number and I’m sure they will give you other suggestions. If she can live on her own, maybe The Lofts would be another avenue. They rent month to month. She could set up a conservatorship with her attorney to take over paying her bills and other financial issues. She really needs to consult an attorney to get another relative on her accounts if the son is not capable.

Oh, I forgot. Never hire a "company" that supplies live in caregivers. They charge a fortune, will hire the dregs, will send anybody, and I mean anybody over, and they pay the people actually doing the work an insulting amount which means they never have good people. I know of situations where the caregivers of the "companies" were doing meth on the job, pot on the job, show up drunk, having sex with their boyfriends with the patient in the room, having multi visitors over, etc. Just get ONE with references that you actually visit and interview them also.

We toured Elan & the others. Elan is my favorite. Very bright cheery atmosphere

Our neighbor is moving to Buffalo Crossing with his wife.
Seems nice but would check more out. Ask for price and
how often, every year or so is the rent going up. And is
there a Dr. or at least a RN 24hour on duty. How often to
they check on people if they don’t show up for breakfast,
Lunch or dinner?

Contact a attorney before you do anything else! Make sure her house is in trust etc.so she does not lose all her assets, you don't want to be responsible for her losing everything she has and ending up in a dump somewhere.

I sincerely appreciate everyone's guidance and after talking to our neighbor, we have all made a decision to visit her attorney next week in Tampa and have him provide guidance to my neighbor's predicament. Her attorney appeared very willing and concerned over the phone and indicated that he would have her evaluated and after conferring with her physician, the attorney will secure an appropriate safe living arraignment for my neighbor. For the time, her attorney will provide her with a part-time aid to assist her with her daily needs. I had no idea there were so many levels of care facilities based on the individuals needs. Also had no idea how expensive some of the facilities are. Regarding her son, he will not be able to assist his mother as he is currently on a federal paid vacation and won't return for another eight years.

My wife and I thank everyone for their assistance and I had no idea how difficult it is to secure housing for an elderly lady who needs a little help. I wonder why this country can't help their elderly citizens a bit better. THANKS