Lori and I have been waiting for this to happen – the normalization of life in a retirement home.
Netflix has brought us “A Man on the Inside” with Ted Danson, with 70s favourite Sally Struthers. The series examines life in a San Francisco retirement home – the scary Memory Wing, the jewelry gone missing, the gossip that spreads faster than a new meme on Instagram.
The show is delicate with the issues of loneliness, Alzheimer’s, relationships, sex, and the instant community and culture within a retirement home. On loneliness, Ted Danson’s character provides the PSA which tells the viewers “that loneliness is a higher risk to seniors – more than illness and accidents”. Yes, newcomers feel as tentative as walking into a new high school for the first time, but after a week or so they are warmly enveloped into the fabric of the home. It is well done.
Lately, most of our clients have mostly been looking for help in finding the right retirement home. We help seniors find the right fit – and that is the best way to describe it. There are many considerations – from food, to age of the home, décor, and most definitely the current cohort of residents. What the show gets right is the mix of residents, the personality types, the social aspects and the caring nature of the staff. The staff knows you.
Just recently, we celebrated the 90th birthday of a family member at her retirement home. Each person, resident and staff member alike, dropped by our luncheon to wish her a Happy Birthday. It was heartwarming to know that despite the now “smallness” of her world, it was a warm and cozy world.
If you’re curious about how life on the “inside” could be – take a watch. It fairly represents retirement communities.
On another note, Apple TV has entered the conversation with Harrison Ford in “Shrinking” facing down a diagnosis of Parkinson’s. We’ve recently met our own advocate for aging well with Parkinson’s – Ron Begg. Ron has created a list of very practical tips, curated items, classes, therapies, and social activities that are all in service to living life with Parkinson’s, especially useful for the newly diagnosed but also of interest for those with some of the same symptoms that all seniors experience. He calls it Perky – which we love. Ron has embraced the thing – and he defines it in his life, versus the other way around.
The latest edition of his newsletter leaves medical advice to the professionals and focuses on 62 very practical tips and tools for keeping the pesky symptoms in their place! He has links to exercise groups, classes, customized physio routines, all the way to toothpaste dispensers, and the best automatic wine bottle opener. If you are interested in the practical tools and tips and adjustments that Ron and his friends have learned along the way, drop him an email to ronspracticalperkytipsforpwp@gmail.com. Yes, that’s his email address, and he would love to hear from you.
And we would be remiss if, at this time of year, we did not stop and pause to reflect on our amazing clients, and our community of providers and partners. This truly is a collaborative industry. From the caregivers to the suppliers of walkers – to all of our senior advisor associates – we thank you and look forward to continuing the work of making seniors’ lives easier.
Happy Holidays from Lori and Leigh
