Transition from Independent Living to Assisted Living / Memory Care

THE FAMILY CHALLENGE

Mrs. VG, 93 years old, was living in the Independent Living section of a retirement home.  Over the past two years, her physical and cognitive issues were becoming more of a concern for the family and the management team at the retirement home.  Her mobility was limited and the symptoms of dementia were becoming more and more prevalent.

The retirement home told the family that Mrs. VG could no longer be a resident at their facility and that she would have to move.  The family did not want to put Mrs. VG in the public system so they hired Lianas Services to find the ideal private senior community that would meet their needs including care levels, amenities, geographic limits and budget.

NEXT STEPS

A Lianas Senior Advisor met with the family to perform a full needs assessment of Mrs. VG.  Through this process, we mutually determined the ideal parameters including geographic location, level of care, budget, meal requirements and most importantly, the ideal environment for Mrs. VG so that she would feel comfortable and happy.  This was not an easy step for her as a move would be disruptive especially considering her memory care issues.  Another important factor was that Mrs. VG had a cat that was an important part of her life.  The chosen senior community needed to be pet friendly.

THE SEARCH

The Lianas team performed a thorough search of all available options.  They have a database of over 1800 senior communities and retirement homes in Greater Montreal, Greater Toronto and Ottawa.  In this particular case, the search centred around an English and Italian speaking environment offering full memory care services.  An initial list of over 10 possible options was narrowed down to three locations.

Tours were scheduled and visits were completed with a Lianas Advisor accompanying the family on the tours.  From these visits, one senior community was deemed to be the best candidate that met the needs of Mrs. VG.  The Lianas team and the family members worked together to find the ideal accommodations that met the memory care and physical care needs of Mrs. VG.  And of course, finding a senior community that would accept her beloved cat.

THE TRANSITION

A lease was signed and Mrs. VG moved into the senior community that specialized in Assisted Living.  The family did not require the services of a downsizing company or real estate broker as they were able to handle the move on their own.

The sales director and her team welcomed Mrs. VG to their community and assured the family of a smooth transition.  Moves involving residences with assisted living and memory care issues can be very challenging.  However, the combined effort of the family, the Lianas team and the wonderful staff at the senior community made it as smooth and transparent as possible.

COMMENTS FROM THE FAMILY

Ms. AG, daughter of Mrs. VG, commented: “The team from Lianas was compassionate, understanding and patient.  The tours which were arranged and accompanied by a Lianas Senior Advisor were excellent and very well organized.  We were able to get answers to all our questions and we were able to get the real picture.  My brother and I now have the peace of mind that our mom is now in a safe, secure and caring environment.  I would absolutely recommend Lianas for families that are in a similar situation”.