There is plenty of information available — both in-person and online — about life in senior living, but sometimes it’s best to hear a review straight from the source.
Author Carol Netzer, a retired clinical psychologist who wrote “Assisted Living: An Insider’s View,” provides just that, detailing everyday life in a senior living community from both a clinical and personal standpoint. Learn more from her about life in assisted living.
An Insider’s View into Assisted Living
“Shortly after I moved into assisted living I started to write down my feelings about it in order to get comfortable with the move…” begins author Carol Netzer, in “Assisted Living: An Insider’s View.” She continues by explaining that there are “few day-to-day accounts from residents themselves,” and that she believes a “resident’s eye is needed” to accurately describe how life is in a senior living community.
Netzer then starts to detail her experiences — from how she adapted to living in assisted living at Cadbury Commons, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to her:
“Content and modest pleasure at living in an assisted living facility today.”
Whether it’s handling the transition of a move into senior living, being received as a newcomer, or discussing the benefits and drawbacks of assisted living, Netzer thoroughly and uniquely covers the topic with her experience as a psychologist and senior living resident.
Overheard in Assisted Living
Although Netzer covers a range of senior living topics in length in her book, in this day and age, it can be easier to digest a shorter form of information.
So, to give readers a quick peek into what the book covers, Netzer also began a blog series describing things she’s “overheard” in senior living.
Some of the best entries include:
“What’s assisted living like? It’s not like a hospital, and it’s not like home… it’s more like living in an apartment with meals provided and medical help if needed. Is it a community? A community is a body of people with something in common, and so it is a community. There is a sense of comfortable enclosure, helping hands and people who care.”
2. Assimilating
“Lillian is a friend of mine from my old neighborhood… She has been visiting periodically since I moved here three years ago. After her husband died, Lillian started finding it hard to manage on her own.
During one of her visits, about two months ago, I suggested that she would probably find life simpler and easier in assisted living. Lillian said that she couldn’t bear to give up her house of forty years, the neighborhood she was fond of, or the shopkeepers whom she knew and trusted. I certainly could understand that, as I had the same hesitations… Normally, Lillian only stayed for dinner, but this time I gave her a mini-tour of the building and introduced her to some of my neighbors. When I walked her to her taxi, I asked, “Was there anything at all positive about the experience?” Her answer: “Well, yes. The natives were friendly!”
Lillian moved in this morning.”
3. Sound Advice
“Everyone you meet here has had a long life with many stories to tell,” Marie, an old resident, told Sylvia, the new one. “And so you’ll always have someone to talk to. It may take a little doing but once you get them talking, you’ll find that it’s been worth it.”
“Florence and Sylvia had lived in the same small town in upper New York State for over 39 years. But they only met for the first time in assisted living, in a city miles away! Of course, they have a lot to talk about.”
“Some people sit by the elevators to watch the traffic and perhaps get in some social action. “This is my Times Square,” Ella said, “and I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
Finding Assisted Living
If you’re interested in finding assisted living, AssistedLiving.com has more than 200 Senior Living Advisors who have knowledge of assisted living in their area, and can send you a list of communities that meet your family’s needs.
Contact us to get started.
