Senior Living Isn’t Like McDonald’s
We’ve written before about how it’s better to be too early than too late with regard to making the move to senior living. One of the reasons we outlined is that once your in a retirement community’s “system” it’s easier for you to receive additional services when you need them. Most retirement communities give priority access to people who already live on their campus and John Knox Village East & Meyer Care Center is no exception. If you’re living on campus and you have a need for our assisted living, skilled nursing or therapy services, you’re going to receive access to those services before someone not living here does, all other things being equal.
Much too often, I’ve seen people think senior living is kind of like McDonald’s – you have a need (get hungry) and you drive up to McDonald’s and go through the drive-thru and have your needs met (get a meal). Senior living isn’t like this. If you wait until you have a need (need a senior living apartment, need rehab services, need assisted living accommodations), it may not be as easy to meet your needs.
For example, at John Knox Village East & Meyer Care Center, we lease independent living apartments, provide assisted living and skilled nursing services and offer in-patient and outpatient rehab services.
Let’s say the house you’re living in is just too much for you….you struggle to keep up with the home and yard maintenance and other duties of home ownership. You may live there by yourself and are looking to combat isolation. Perhaps your memory is not what it once was and you need some help remembering to take your medication properly. These are all some of the reasons people come to live in our independent living apartments. But, if you wait until all these scenarios unfold you may be boxed into a corner and have to take an apartment that isn’t your first choice because you need to make a move NOW. You won’t have the same options as if you planned ahead.
Imagine you have an assisted living need. Perhaps you struggle to get dressed on your own, can’t manage your own medications or maybe you aren’t eating the way you should. Time is of the essence and you need to make a move before a fall happens or you get undernourished, but there’s only one assisted living unit available and John Knox Village East & Meyer Care Center has an existing resident who needs it at the same time as you. Now, you’re scurrying around trying to make a decision in a chaotic situation to figure out where you can go….none of us make the best decisions amidst chaos.
A little planning goes a long way. Come check us out before you need us. Pick out an apartment. Pick out an assisted living unit and ask to be placed on the fist to contact list. Just because we call you doesn’t mean you have to take it, but the further you kick the can down the road the more likely you will meet one of the scenarios described above.
About the only thing John Knox Village East & Meyer Care Center has in common with McDonald’s is both of our customers can say, “I’m lovin it.” Call us at 660 584 4416 to find out more about what we offer and how we can help plan for the unexpected.
