As we quickly move through the year, with fall upon us in the Southeast, and I enjoy my children talking about pumpkins and what they will be for Halloween this year, I did take a few minutes to think about how quickly the year has gone by. Times such as that, when one is reflective, we realize that nothing ever stands still, that nothing ever maintains its current state for very long. Interestingly enough, my mind transitioned from our natural environment where all of nature cycles through seasons of change, to the many changes, transitions and transformations we all go through during our lives.
With my head and heart always thinking about seniors, the quality of their lives, the quality of their care, helping them still find purpose in their life, regardless of their limitations and finding every way we can to help their families feel good about choosing Phoenix Senior Living as the home for their loved one, I began to think about our seniors and how we help them transition gracefully and comfortably into their new home and new life at Phoenix. A very big change for seniors and their families.
After many years in the business, I do know one of the most important things we can do for seniors in our communities is help them manage through the change of transitioning into a senior living community. The teams at Phoenix Senior Living are not insensitive to this difficult process, both for the seniors and their families. We understand many seniors see the move as a loss of their independence, they can’t imagine a life in their new home and are overwhelmed by the process. We also recognize they often feel like they are losing so much – friends, a sense of community, freedom, taste buds, mobility, just to name a few. That is a lot to give up – regardless of your age.
Our teams help our new residents quickly acclimate to their new home – not just their personalized suite. We help our residents get a sense of their new surroundings by offering them a comprehensive tour of the community and grounds. It is important to focus on the main areas, resources, staff and all the key information about the community. We want them to get a real sense of the fact – the entire community is their home. Meal time can be challenging and all new residents are partnered with other residents we feel they can connect with. We often see new, enduring friendships blooming very quickly. By gathering life story information from the seniors and their families, we know what their interests and hobbies are. Our programming teams, armed with this knowledge, quickly assimilate seniors into our multi-faceted activities program, which is deeply rooted in the National Wellness Institute’s Six Dimensions of Wellness. We see many seniors developing new interests and hobbies through our vibrant programming options. It all starts on day one when a new resident makes Phoenix Senior Living their home. We are an organization who truly understands, “When it comes to your loved one, everything matters and it matters to us”.
I always smile when I hear families say that their loved one is so busy at the community with their new friends and activities, the families feel like they need to schedule visits on Mom’s calendar. I always remind them, “That is exactly what you had hoped would happen. She has her life back. That is a good thing!” I had to remind my own Mother of that fact when my Grandmother’s social calendar took on a life of its own at a senior living community.
