Let’s be honest, no one is exactly ‘over the moon’ to move from home to senior living. Even if it’s the best practical decision; a change this big can be scary and emotional. What’s more, if your loved one is moving to traditional senior living, the institutional feel and large campus can be such a stark change from home the transition may be even more daunting. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Residential care offers an alternative. See how it blends the best of home and senior living.
Common Fears for Seniors
Behind that hesitancy to leave home are some very real fears. Regardless of where, it’s important to understand what this move represents for your loved one as it relates to getting older. The most common fears for seniors are:
- Loss of independence
- Running out of money
- Having to depend on others
- Not being able to drive
- Being isolated and lonely
- Falling or becoming incapacitated
Let them know it’s OK to open up to you. Your empathy and patience will give them comfort and may even strengthen your relationship. It can most certainly help you gauge the senior living setting in which your loved one will be most comfortable.
Residential Care Defined
Much like it sounds, residential care is provided in a home. We refer to it as boutique senior living because our homes blend the amenities of traditional communities, but have the comforting feel of home through the personalized care and lifestyle we provide. You see none of our homes have more than 16 residents and we offer a nearly unheard of 1 to 5 caregiver to resident ratio. This allows for more personal attention as well as a more familiar, family feel than traditional senior living.
Blended to Ease the Transition
There are a number of ways that residential care can help to ease the transition from home for your loved one.
Same types of care, but more personalized –
We’re licensed for assisted living and memory care like a traditional senior living community. But instead of staff stretched thin caring for up to 20 residents, our 1 to 5 caregiver to resident ratio gives your loved one personalized care 24/7 by caregivers who really ‘know’ them and their unique needs and preferences. Also like senior living, doctors visit regularly and a nurse oversees the daily plan of care implemented by our experienced CNAs and caregivers to ensure the highest quality.
More than ‘homelike’ –
Many in traditional senior living tout the efforts to make their communities feel like home. In a residential care setting, we don’t have to do that because your loved one will still be in a single-family home! From the décor to the layout to intimate settings like family-style meals on a handmade farm table to a charming, neighborhood location in a Midwestern town, the setting will be much more familiar and comfortable. But you won’t lack for space as our homes are at least 4,000 square feet and even offer private accommodations.
A Comfort Zone –
If navigating a large campus with multiple buildings and/or high-rise structures, not to mention 100s of new ‘neighbors’ in some cases, isn’t something your loved one is used to, it can be overwhelming. The smaller, more comfortable feel of residential care along with familiar caregivers and residents can help your loved one thrive. While we offer activity programs similar to traditional senior living like daily exercises, socialization, cognitive stimulation and immersive activities as well as group outings and live entertainment, that comfort zone may have them taking advantage of even more opportunities than they would have otherwise!
Amenities without the Crowd –
While traditional senior living offers tons of amenities, how would your loved one feel about sharing their morning coffee in a crowded dining hall or having to miss the group outing they’ve been waiting for because it’s already booked? Our residents get to skip that stress while still enjoying all the options like beautifully landscaped grounds and home gardens, three home-cooked meals and snacks daily, flat-screen televisions with basic cable, laundry and cleaning services, complimentary Wi-Fi and transportation for appointments, shopping and scheduled outings. And we have plenty of room for the family to visit anytime – our yards are perfect for your regular barbeques!
You can rest assured that our entire team is committed to easing your loved one’s transition too! In fact, it was the experience of our founder, Brandon Schwab’s, father-in-law in a boutique senior living home in Orlando, FL that inspired him to create Shepherd Premier and bring the concept to Illinois.
For more information on boutique senior living at Shepherd Premier or to schedule a virtual tour, call (224) 333-6247 to speak to a team member.
