Do you remember your first speech class, where you were assigned a topic and had to develop an argument for or against the subject at hand? Where you realized that there really are two sides to everything regardless of wanting to believe there is only one? My view of the pros and cons of Assisted Living facilities is a mixed bag. I could argue for it in some instances. There are times when, for an older adult, relocating to a residential community it a good thing measured by the person’s happiness in doing so. I usually prefer to argue against it. It most often feels like living in a big hotel. When I visit one of these places, I always talk with the residents, some pushing their walkers around; sitting alone on a bench outside, or in the elevator going up. I ask them…“How do you like living here”? Ninety nine out of one hundred times, the response is “It’s okay; it’s not like home though”, or “What choice do I have”? I thought that was an answer I would have liked to sit down and discuss for many days: What choice does an elder have and how are their choices made? Sometimes, a person is moved into an Assisted Living facility when their memory fades into the horizon enough that they are at risk to live by themselves any more. Other times, the children have a big influence. It’s a difficult choice and one that should not be made lightly. Family finances play a big part in the options available. It can be very expensive to hire a full time caregiver and, in California, aging in place is still a private pay affair. Relocating into an assisted living facility is no bargain either. Solution: Plan for your long term care with your own manifesto of how you want to be taken care of when things no longer are what they used to be.
By Gerontologist Debra Johnson
Debra is a national certified Professional Care Manager and a Professional Gerontologist. She holds a Master's degree in Gerontology from San Francisco State University where she specialized in geriatric care management, and a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of San Francisco.
She provides care management services for the elderly and persons with Special Needs, a calling of service that comes from a deep commitment to doing what she can to support an individual's quality of life, independence, and dignity. In addition to her service of providing care management, she is an advocate for Aging in Place. As a member of the National Aging in Place Council, Debra works tirelessly in assisting families to evaluate their capacity to remain in their own home.
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