Facts About Cruise Ship Retirement

You've probably heard or read that spending your retirement years roaming the seas on cruise ships is the way to go and that it beats assisted living retirement communities in every way.

To learn the real facts, read "Is a Cruise Ship Retirement Cheaper than Assisted Living?" by Sarah J. Stevenson A Place For Mom.

Before you leave the website, follow the links to other important information. I highly recommend subscribing to the A Place For Mom blog.

How to Avoid Costly Mistakes

I'd like to direct you to A Place For Mom which has an excellent article today, How to Avoid Costly Mistakes in Your Search for Senior Living.

In the panel on the left here you'll find links the A Place For Mom home page and to other good resources to visit frequently.

Do People Who Can Afford an ALC Need Helpful Hints? The Answer is "Yes!"

Shortly after she read my introductory post I received the following email from my best friend, Marylyn, whom I've known and corresponded with since we met the winter of 1969. We took a creative writing class in Sandpoint, Idaho that year. I lived in Montana, and she lived in Priest River, Idaho:

"I forgot to comment on your blog intro. I found it interesting and well written. I have an idea, which may be wrong, that people who can afford assisted living probably don't need helpful hints about how to enjoy their retirement and their luxurious new digs. What is it you plan to put in this blog?"

Marylyn and I often disagree. We both achieved our dreams of becoming professional writers, and although we get together now and then, it's not real often. Nevertheless, we love and respect each other enough that we agree to disagree. This is one of those times.

 

Being financially comfortable doesn't necessarily enable people to know how to get the best out of their retirement years. Irrespective of monetary worth, there is a need for helpful information about choosing and living in an ALC. My previous post talked about choosing. 

Emotional and psychological factors also come into play. Like most of the newer residents here, Art and I are experiencing them. We are lucky to be in a community where so many of the residents, and the staff without exception, always greet us with a smile, a friendly word, and/or ask about our day.

I can't tell you how helpful that is, especially on days when we're feeling apprehensive and need encouragement.

Those who joke and tease lift everyone's spirits, and like everyone else, we look forward to seeing them. And because so many of the jolliest appear healthy and are spritely, during the first weeks we wondered, 'Why are they here?'

Because we're outgoing and friendly, we soon discovered they, too, have serious physical limitations ~ just not obvious ones like noticeable memory loss, or having to use a walker or a motorized scooter. For example, one has untreatable macular degeneration and is going blind, another has terminal cancer.

Often, feelings of loneliness and isolation lead to serious consequences for seniors' health. Here, as in most ALCs, residents are encouraged to participate on a frequent basis in one or more of the social activities offered.
 

Arvy and Richard Monaghan, who joined Broadway Court Estates ALC in May 2014 do that. They shared their story in a Thanksgiving blessing and tenant testimonial, published in Issue 154 of the ALC community's monthly newsletter, TOP HAT & TALES. It shows another point of view, and illustrates the benefits of participating in social activities.

 

Richard & Arvy Monahan at their ALC,

Broadway Court Estates in Spokane

Valley, Washington.

 "We are living life again!"

"Truly it's "Hats Off" to BCE! We married in March of 1952 and were blessed with 6 children. Our cup runneth over with grandchildren and great grandchildren. Rich was employed by Nabisco for 38 1/2 years. Arvy was employed by doctors of Chiropractic for 19 years. We loved and enjoyed our family and RV'ing for 10 years off and on.

"Unfortunately, Rich developed health problems which in turned caused his activities to decrease. We felt it was time to make a major change in our lives and change we did!

"We moved to Broadway Court Estates.

"The change was traumatic but it was just what was needed. And to our surprise, the decision gave us both a much better and healthier life!!

"Rich has joined the Wii bowling team offered here and in November he will excitedly play in his 2nds Wii bowling tournament. Wow! What a marvelous change!

"BCE has given us a whole new life and it's really because they care and give freely to all their tenants.

"Thank you Broadway Court Estates," Rich and Arvy Monaghan.

The BCE Wii bowling team brought back their 3rd Place trophy along with a traveling trophy from their latest tournament, November 9, 2014 ~ a symbol of achievement that all residents can feel good about.

As long as the trophies are displayed in the foyer, expect residents to stop and admire them, chat about team members, and maybe consider joining the team as bowlers, cheerleaders, or spectators. It provides an opportunity for new residents to get acquainted, and for everyone to share camaraderie.

Achieving happiness whenever a lifestyle changes unexpectedly is challenging, as Rich and Arvy  attest, and it's a topic I plan to explore more in future articles.

Basic Services of Assisted Living Communities

My husband and I had never been renters. Nevertheless, our daughter-in-law and I started out intending to tour the five ALCs recommended by our A Place For Mom personal contact. However, instead of scheduling a tour for each one on a separate day ~ as we should have ~ we crammed them into that day.

By the time Vickie parked at the last one just before dinner time, I was shaky from exhaustion. We stayed only long enough to be shown the one available apartment, which I declined.
 

I shared my enthusiasm about the first ALC with our family:

• Dad can rent a garage to use for his woodworking projects. It's convenient to him using his Jazzy wheelchair.
• Meals options, housekeeping, an assigned parking spot, and a garden plot are included.
• A heated indoor pool, therapy, entertainment and activities. Transportation provided.
• There are rentable accommodations for guests and a cabana on the landscaped grounds for private parties.

A few days later, when Art and I toured the community together, it still seemed a perfect choice. I couldn't imagine him saying the wonderfully arranged two bedroom, two bath apartment, situated as it is in the building wouldn't be agreeable for this change in our lives. Elevators seemed well placed in the three-story complex, and suitably sized for his power scooter, plus spacious enough to also accommodate a resident using a walker, and one or two more people. 

 

During subsequent meetings with the sales manager we'd asked for and gotten everything we'd need. Even though our contact at A Place For Mom sent us the standard list of questions to ask, instead of heeding the advice, we ignored it, confident that we'd covered all the basics.

We were extremely lucky and didn't reap disastrous consequences. 

  

Mimi's kitten portrait. She's elderly now, like us.

Our pet was welcome, too! For a non-refundable fee of $375, Mimi, our precious cat could share the apartment and its private balcony with us.

 

The little plaque, "It belongs to the cat. We just pay the mortgage", would hang above the apartment door knocker, with Mimi's portrait below.

 

We did however learn we should have done more than casual inspections before signing the apartment rental agreement. During our tour, we'd focused mainly on the floor plan, which was adequate for Art's motorized scooter. We overlooked things we should have noticed. Fortunately, they were minor, easily resolved, maintenance issues. 

 

The apartment had remained vacant for two years after being renovated, when the first and only renter moved out. New appliances were installed in the laundry room and the kitchen, attested to by boxes still awaiting removal when the apartment was offered to us. New carpeting was freshly vacuumed. 

 

When the maintenance crew replaced washing machine hoses that had been 'borrowed', we all laughed when they said, "This apartment became 'the go to supply' when something was needed." 

 

As I said earlier, we were lucky. Nevertheless, don't count on getting lucky. Do your homework before deciding which ALC is right for you.
 

At A Place For Mom, here is where you can learn about the differences between the variety of assisted living accommodations available today, plus an explanation of the basic services. scroll to General at the bottom for a list of links to options.

 

It is particularly important to check out the type of license they have, level of care, and/ or services provided. Equally important is understanding the limitations of provided service, as well as what is not provided. Allow yourself plenty of time, and visit and inspect more than one assisted living community. 

 

Print a copy of the checklist, provided at A Place For Mom, of questions to ask. Make a copy to take along to  each ALC you visit.

Assisted Living Federation of America, ALFA, is an online website that can also help you avoid disappointments, and potentially very costly mistakes. Scroll to the end here where you'll find a link to print a .PDF copy of the website's checklist of things you can ask about. Take time to study it, and write out your list of questions.

 

Make a copy to take along to each ALC you tour and consider.

 

Caring.com is another excellent resource for people looking for assisted living information and options. You'll find five additional important questions, with expert answers, here.