[Villageswimmer]

Originally Posted by Kirsten Lee

Last year I helped my 95 year old aunt move into a senior complex that offered apartments, catered care, assisted living, and attended care. No nursing home care. Except for the apartments, all the other units provide cleaning every two weeks, weekly bed changes, 3 meals a day, personal alarm pendant. There is transportation to stores. I shop for toiletries and non-prescription medicine every few weeks. Phone and cable is not included. With catered care you can ala cart extra services. She pays $15 per load of laundry with her detergent. She also pays for a weekly whirlpool bath ($50 per month). Usually it cost about $2600 total per month including around $110 in ala cart services. Assisted living would give her $200 worth of care per month and total would be $3500. Attended care would give her 28 hours of care a month. I do not know the monthly cost. If my aunt needs to be upgraded to assisted living she does not have to move out of her unit. I take her to doctor appointments, otherwise she has been quoted $70 just for the ride. I know a lot of people want to stay in their own homes but my aunt has more freedom with no cooking or cleaning or wash. She is more social than she has been in years. Loves eating with others, enjoys the entertainment, and feels safe. Every time I see her she says "I should have moved 5 years ago." A requirement to live in any of these units is to be able bathe or shower themselves with a CNA available to wash their backs and rinse their hair. If she can no longer handle her medications and needs help with them, she will need to be upgraded to assisted living. It took me about 2 months to research and tour places, and 4 months on the waiting list. While we waited, I got her meals on wheels, a cleaning lady, we completed healthcare and POA paperwork (especially important for dealing with insurance companies and mail order prescriptions), and found her a geriatric internist instead of her previous doctor. My aunt says it she is the most thorough doctor she ever had. Everything takes time, do not wait until a crisis.

Your aunt is blessed to have such a caring and forward looking niece. Thanks for your post.

[Kirsten Lee]

Pat, My aunt and I are in Wisconsin. It was not easy to find a geriatric internist. My dad lives in TV and has yet to find a doctor, he really likes.

Villageswimmer, My aunt has no children and was very important in my childhood. She did marry and move to California in her 50's for about 20 years. She moved back here when my daughter was two. She adores my children who are now adults. I appreciate your comment.