Example Of Senior Living Visit Essay

While many believe it is a non-essential part of aging, facilities that provide continuing care through retirement are crucial the comfort and healthy lifestyle of many older individuals. Piedmont Triad Regional Council, located in Kernersville, North Carolina strives for these things. The Area Agency on Aging, the home that I visited, is part of a larger network of homes all governed by the Piedmont Triad Regional Council, who are concerned with the long-term and short-term assisted living needs of the elderly. They and their other homes, make sure the staff is able to assist residents recovering from stroke, heart attack, and other conditions until they are able to return home to their families. Staff on site is also able to assist residents with tasks that are more difficult due to aging, and can do so until the person dies.
My visit to the assisted living facility was eye opening, to put it lightly. I was unaware of how many elderly individuals required help, as well as how much help they required. The site seemed adequately staffed, but the needs of the residents kept everybody very busy. With it being the Christmas season, however, it could have had something to do with everybody being in a relatively god mood. I visited on Wednesday, December 10, as discussed with Barbara, the facility’s director. She told me that any time between 2pm and 5pm would be good to come to the facility and speak to staff, as well as residents, because these were the liveliest hours. Residents who were able often emerged from their rooms to converse and play simple card games in the small rec room, and the facility remained double staffed during this time as shifts began to change for the day.
The weather was very cold, and partly cloudy for the first half of my visit. The sun began to shine prior to my departure. I met Barbara and the head nurses upon my arrival. They were very helpful in explaining the schedule the facility ran on, as well as what the facility tried to provide to residents who would be staying a short while and those who would be staying longer. One of the head nurses, Janine, showed me around the facility, where I was introduced to several of the residents. The facility itself was not in detrimental disrepair, as many assisted living facilities are painted to be. It was not a very fancy place, but it was adequately warm and there were not major health or safety violations that I witnesses. The walls, floor tiles, and carpeting were all very drab. I wondered if they could not spare some color to bring the place to life. The fluorescent lighting also made the rooms look slightly like sad caves, but many residents had attempted to make each room their own depending on their length of stay. At least one fourth of the residents were confined to wheelchairs, or unable to walk long distances, but the grounds themselves provided ample walking room. The grass was neatly mowed, and though there were no leaves on the trees, there were many. I am sure it is very pretty during the right time of year.
Throughout my time at the facility, I learned that the residents are not miserable, as they are sometimes painted to be, while staying there. Much of popular culture makes assisted living seem like a fate worse than death, but many of the residents I met were content for the moment. Two elderly residents, Ernest and James, have become good friends in the few weeks they had been living there. Both at the assisted living center after recovering in separate hospitals for strokes, they had many things in common and were able to relate quickly. When I asked another resident, Clara, about her stay at the facility, she said she also enjoyed the comradery. Evidently, the individuals placed in assisted living are able to relate to one another very well. They have been through similar experiences and are currently undergoing similar battles right now. They form bonds and support systems for one another. Another resident, Sophie, said though she would be happy to get back to her family and do more things for herself again she would be a little upset to leave behind the friends she had made. This surprised me, but I was also happy to learn that while assisted living is painted in such a negative light, the residents find happiness and positivity there.
There were not many positive aspects of the setting. A few dirt patches outside serve as flower gardens during the spring and summer months. When it warms up, I am sure the trees also add to the aesthetic. On a more functional note, the entire facility is wheelchair accessible, and every bathroom I observed had handrails, bars, and “help” buttons next to each toilet, as well as in each shower. Call buttons were also placed next to the beds. The aesthetic appeal of the inside of the building was bleak and dismal. Everything appeared yellow and monochromatic. I also noticed that some patients did not have phones by their beds, but across the room instead. Some of these patients were unable to get in and out of bed themselves. When asked about this situation, Barbara stated that residents must bring cordless phones from home if they wanted phones next to their beds; the phones all had cords and the phone jacks were all across the room from the beds. This did not make sense to me. I wondered why the beds could not be moved, or why money could not be used to buy cheap cordless phones. Aside from that, much of the facility appeared to be in good shape. If I were 85 and needed assistance with recovery, or just with living the rest of my life, I would not mind living in this facility. The paint job is terrible, yes, and I would need to get a cordless phone, but the staff was caring and attentive, and the residents were all friendly and supportive, which is more than most receive in many assisted living facilities.
In sum, my experience at The Area Agency on Aging, a division of The Piedmont Triad Regional Council, was educational and enlightening. I saw that not all assisted living facilities are the hellish nightmares that are depicted on dateline. The AAA provided many necessities to the residents for living a full life in old age, such as wheelchair accessibility, call buttons, and handrails in the showers. The staff and residents were also all very friendly and caring. While the aesthetics of the building left something to be desired, I began to realize during my stay that old age, even in assisted living, is not something to dread, but simply another part of life.