Given the fact that both parents were in their 80’s with mild dementia and other chronic illnesses, we selected a new independent living community which initially represented that they would be adding assisted living within 6 months to a year of opening. When we gave them our down payment, they assured us they had applied for an assisted living license and were just waiting for the survey results.
It is now nearly two years since we helped our folks move into this independent living community about 45 minutes north of our home. The building filled up rather quickly and has done a fine job creating a social environment for the residents and preparing excellent meals two times a day.
However, the community withdrew their plans to add assisted living, determining the cost was too great to operate. This means all the residents who now require assisted living must either move to another community or bring in home health services on a regular basis.
The assisted living signage was taken down after the building reached decent occupancy. In hindsight, we should have required compensation for another move in the contract if the community did not add assisted living despite the representations they made during the sales process.
The move from living in their home, despite the initial reluctance from our folks, was a wise decision that they agree they should have made earlier. Both of our folks have gained weight due to nutritionally sound diets. They have fun social activities throughout their day and are no longer isolated in their homes on cold dreary days in Seattle, stuck in front of the TV for company. When they have needed emergency services, someone is close by to at least call 911.
However, each of our folks could now benefit from varying degrees of assistance with activities of daily living and medication management. To make another move to assisted living would be incredibly disruptive at this point and would force them to re-familiarize themselves with their environment, make new friends and adjust to a new cultural equilibrium that has become the stabilizing force in their lives. In hindsight, we would not have relocated our folks into a CCRC to enable them to age in place to have prevented the need to move them again.
Let ours be a cautionary tale. Do not make decisions based on the promise of features to be offered down the line without some proof or compensation should plans be changed.