Community Impact interviewed McKinnon and Lamanna to provide families additional knowledge while considering a transition. Answers have been edited for length, style and clarity.
In your professional experience, why might someone choose to transition to senior living?
McKinnon: Ease of life. One thing that we’ve found with our clients is they might be trepidatious about making the decision to move. But once we get them in the facility, they wish they would have done it five years before. It’s just the ease of life to them.
Lamanna: It’s the emotional pull to stay where they are even though they know it’s time to move. And once they make the move, it’s a whole different feel for them. I don’t think we’ve had one client that’s been disappointed with it for sure. But the reasons really are managing a home and being around other people. Having less maintenance. Your daily needs are met when you move to senior living.
How can families determine if senior living is a good fit for their needs?
McKinnon: If someone is having a hard time functioning at home, meaning running errands, being able to get meals prepared. Are they able to walk freely?
Lamanna: Are their physical needs being met? We also run into loneliness or their ability to maintain their home from a maintenance perspective. That becomes an issue a lot of times with seniors.
What are common misconceptions families may have about senior living?
McKinnon: It’s not a nursing home. There’s freedom in that lifestyle. Once a parent is established in a new community, they get more independence rather than less independence.
Lamanna: Letting go of the memories. It is very difficult, but there is some freedom behind it too. We have various [tips] that we can introduce them to that will help them carry those memories through [if the item is] a piece that they can’t bring with them.
What challenges might families face that they may not expect during their transition?
McKinnon: How much work it’s going to be. Moving from your forever home is difficult no matter what age. What most families struggle with, we find, is just getting started.
Lamanna: Until you start the process, you don’t really realize how much it takes to make a move, especially if the parent or the senior has lived there a long time.
What logistical advice do you have for those transitioning from a long-time home into senior living?
McKinnon: If somebody has lived in their house for 40 years, there’s often maintenance on the home that hasn’t necessarily been kept up with. We come in and document what should be dealt with and what we can just sell as-is, or would it be worth investing in some repairs?
Lamanna: The key to it is just getting started and having someone that can help them sift through the things. It could be belongings, it could be paperwork. We’ve run into it all.
Are there any other aspects to senior living that people should know more about?
McKinnon: It’s less clutter, it’s less stuff to maintain, it’s less stuff to deal with. It’s amazing when you do [transition], while it is cumbersome to get through it.
Lamanna: It simplifies their life so that they can enjoy the rest of their life and do the things that they’ve always wanted to do.
