The first thing to look at is how safe are your parents in their current environment. Are they falling? Are they eating regularly, are their meals healthy or do they forget to eat entirely? Have they had weight loss? Do they forget to turn the stove off after cooking a meal? Are the bills piling up without being paid? Getting cut-off notices? Scratches and scrapes along the bumpers or side of their cars?
It is difficult to really know, isn’t it? After all, they generally don’t want to be a burden and they will hide their challenges for fear of discovery of how they may be struggling to survive on their own and that their independence could be in jeopardy. Any one of these is problematic, but if several of these things are occurring simultaneously, you should consider the fact that your parent’s safety is in danger.
"Her days became an endless schedule of activities in which she could easily participate. Those activities became accomplishments. Your staff became her friends that she looked forward to interacting with daily. With no more anguish over the struggles of washing, cleaning or cooking, she could focus on getting the most out of what she still had the ability to physically do, as opposed to just waiting for the next day to be the same as the last. And her fears lessened. From our perspective, you extended her life in a way no other option for her could have."
"St. Francis Villa really is a home, in the family sense of the word. I am most grateful for the excellent care, the warm and caring attitudes, consistent cooperation (no matter what the needs) and the lovely (and clean) facility and grounds."
