Return to Simple Joys: A Cup of Coffee, Conversation, and Cards

By Danielle Kuss, Admissions Specialist, The Heritage

It’s rewarding to see … people start new lives against a backdrop of safety and community.

Danielle Kuss, Admissions Specialist, The Heritage

It’s a big decision to move into a senior living community after living independently for decades. The good news is that community living and independence for older adults go hand-in-hand — and the change can benefit everyone involved.

Cold temps are coming, and older adults are susceptible to the blues just like the rest of us. However, issues like isolation and anxiety can powerfully impact older adults’ overall physical and mental health. Consider these wintertime worries:

Concerns over heating bills, timely snow removal, or other logistical challenges that may become bigger issues if a person is left alone to fret about them.Lack of sunlight, which not only affects one’s energy level, but also contributes to vitamin D deficiency. The vital nutrient helps boost mental health and prevent osteoporosis.Poor nutrition that can contribute to feelings of lethargy and disinterest.Anxiety over leaving home because of fear of falling on the ice, poor driving conditions, or extremely cold temperatures that can snowball into isolation and chronic loneliness.

Moving to a senior living community is always emotional. I often meet people who are so determined to stay living in their homes, they don’t realize they’ve isolated themselves.

At The Heritage, it’s rewarding to see those same people start new lives against a backdrop of safety and community. They’re finally free to focus on what they enjoy doing, including in-house restaurant-style dining, outings to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, trips to Door County, and regular shopping excursions. We also have a chapel, putting green, beauty salon, and beautiful walkable gardens.

If a person doesn’t want to go out (or just needs a quart of milk), our residents run an onsite general store and a lending library. Couples can live together and bring their cars if they drive. Residents move in all their own furnishings, so it really does feel like home.

When my husband passed away, I was going to stay living on my own, for sure. But two years later, I said, ‘I can’t do this,’ and I started looking for homes. My kids were really happy that I was doing this on my own and they didn’t have to tell me or push me into it.

Grace, 87, a resident at The Heritage

We Accompany Our Residents

The Heritage has independent senior apartments and assisted living apartments. As a person’s needs change, we offer an a la carte program of supportive services for needs like personal care, medication management, housecleaning, and therapy. Residents pay for the number of hours of assistance they need each week, and all services are brought right to their apartments.

Children might be hesitant to discuss such a move with their aging parents. Please remember, it’s difficult to predict the progression of natural aging or chronic disease, and a fall or health emergency at home immediately narrows your family’s options for getting your parents care in a setting of their choice. A decision to help loved ones move into a safe, comfortable apartment is acceptance of this serious reality. Put another way, you don’t want a broken hip to make these decisions for you.

It helps to do your homework. Tour several senior living communities and ask plenty of questions. Check the facilities’ state records for infractions. Speak to people around town and get their opinions. This process may sound daunting, but quality senior living communities will be eager to share their qualifications.

“But I made a promise …” Did you mean you would always care for your parents, never abandon them, and keep them at the heart of the family they helped create? The decision to help your aging parents find a new safe place to live is in keeping with the spirit of this promise. In fact, it can go a long way to preserve a loving parent-child relationship. You won’t be exhausted and exasperated from the demands of worry and caretaking and can once again visit them for the simple pleasure of a cup of coffee, a conversation, or a card game. The newfound joy and relaxation you share is a promise kept.

Contact me to learn about current vacancies at The Heritage, schedule a tour, and inquire about move-in specials. My phone number is (920) 454-6853

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