Why We Chose Independent Living
As of the Spring of 2015, our mother had been living in her own home or apartment for the prior 22 years. She had, however, recently suffered two broken bones and her health had been gradually deteriorating. She determined that, in anticipation of eventually needing a higher level of care, it was an appropriate time to transition from a traditional apartment setting into a senior care facility. As we looked for a place for mom, we felt it was important to find a facility that provided three important features or services:
- Independent living with the ability to transition to assisted living within the same facility
- Daily Check-in Program to know that someone had seen or heard from her each day
- Transportation service, housekeeping, meals, etc.
Independent Living vs. Assisted Living
Diane cherished her independence. It was important to her that she live in a place where she would manage her own life but with the assurance that someone would check on well-being every day. An independent living facility seemed to the be perfect solution. It would allow her to continue to care for her own home and for herself while also providing her and her family with the peace of mind that came from knowing the facility staff would be able to provide assistance if she needed it.
Assisted living can be a great option for individuals who have difficulty with daily activities needed for living independently. Assisted living typically provides more personal care and support for a range of daily living activities. We knew our mom would eventually need assisted living arrangements, and at Commonwealth Senior Living, she had the option of moving from independent care to assisted living care as her need arose.
Daily Check-in Program
During a tour of Commonwealth Senior Living - Charlottesville, prior to moving in, the facility staff described the facility’s Daily Check-in Program to Diane and her daughter. The fact that the Commonwealth Senior Living was licensed to operate part of the building as an assisted living facility led them to believe that the staff had a reliable program of high integrity in place to ensure that the well-being of their residents was confirmed every day. The Daily Check-in Program, as described to Diane and her daughter, as well as in her rental contract, is as follows:
- The resident understood that he/she was supposed to call/check-in at the front desk daily by 10:30 a.m.
- If the resident was not accounted for by 10:30 a.m., the front desk would call the resident’s apartment.
- If the resident did not answer the phone, the receptionist at the front desk would then perform a physical check of the apartment.
Daily Check-in Call Log
Commonwealth Senior Living used a Call Log to track which residents had checked in and which residents had not. The log was a form, kept in a binder at the front desk of the facility.
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