She's all moved in to ALF!

[Buckeye]

Today was moving day for my neighbor, Mary. There is another post about our hunt for just the right ALF but I am too tired to figure out how to find it.

After a long search process, we found the perfect place 1.2 miles down the street. Great room, great food, great location, great price ($2600 base fee/mo), and great staff.

Over the last two months, Mary has done a great job of culling her possessions to fit her new dwelling. I measured her furniture and her new room and made a layout on graph paper. I played with the little paper furniture and found the perfect arrangement for the space.

The layout was the best thing we could have done. The whole move became relatively painless because we knew what to put where at the new location. I can't even imagine what chaos would have ensued without a plan for where to place everything in her new digs! We are only talking 335 square feet but we made the best of it creating both a 'bedroom' area and a 'living room' area.

It took about two hours for me, DH and two ALF guys to move Mary's possessions. It took an additional 4 hours for Mary and me to organize everything but all the boxes are emptied and removed. Everything fits and the place looks great! When maintenance puts up her pictures tomorrow, it will look like she's been living there for awhile.

She is pleased as punch to be in her new place! I was happy to eat lunch and dinner with her at the ALF because their food is great. I will call her at 9 pm to make sure she is awake to take her med because both of us were pooped!

I am sad she is not in the neighboring building but I'm very excited she is in her new home and it's only a hop, skip, and jump away!

 

[Walt34]

Wow. The world needs great neighbors like you.

 

[LOL!]

If this place is so close, why was it "a long search process"?

My mom saw the writing on the wall and sold her home and moved to an ALF while she was still capable. She even put her name on the waiting list a couple years before she moved. When she was at the top, she always had first-right-of-refusal when an apartment became available. She made many, many friends there and had a great time up until she died.

 

[Buckeye]

Wow. The world needs great neighbors like you.

Well, technically I am just her neighbor but, in fact, I know Mary is really my grandmother who died about 8 years ago.

I spent summers with my grandparents when I was a kid but after I graduated high school, I didn't see them often. In the last years of my grandmother's life, I saw her twice a year when I visited Seattle (home). Not enough.

Now, I get to see her all the time and I get to do the things for her I wanted to do but couldn't because I lived so far away!

 

[mtheulen]

Sorry, no politics intended.If our world had more wonderful people like you, we would not need so much government assistance

 

[Buckeye]

If this place is so close, why was it "a long search process"?

My mom saw the writing on the wall and sold her home and moved to an ALF while she was still capable. She even put her name on the waiting list a couple years before she moved. When she was at the top, she always had first-right-of-refusal when an apartment became available. She made many, many friends there and had a great time up until she died.

Like your mother, Mary made the move before she had to. She was still living independently in her own apartment but at nearly 94 she could see the handwriting on the wall.

We did not find this place until recently because it did not exist! I think they got their license at the beginning of June. We actually toured and she committed to moving in before they had their license. It's actually a rehabbed small office building. Everything is brand spanking new! She is the first person to live in her room.

Mary heard about the facility from the lady who gives her communion at home. It is affiliated with the Catholic church but quietly. Mary is very Catholic so this is an added bonus. They don't broadcast their affiliation so as not to deter people from considering the facility but it's fun to watch them check each other out to determine if they are Catholic.

There was a staff member today who came to visit Mary who asked some gently probing questions and when Mary said she was Catholic, it was game on. I am not religious at all so it's very interesting to watch this dance take place.

 

[Buckeye]

Sorry, no politics intended.If our world had more wonderful people like you, we would not need so much government assistance

Yes, but government grants and subsidized student loans allowed me to go to college so I could make lots of money and retire early so I had time to help my neighbors.

Also, subsidized daycare allowed me (and my sister) to get good early childhood education while my single (divorced with an infant and a toddler) mom went to work. The excellent (and nearly free) daycare helped me be well-prepared to enter school and do well so I had the grades to get into a good college.

 

[LOL!]

Thanks for the note Buckeye. My mom was very Catholic and also was the treasurer of the Ladies Auxiliary of her parish for a number of years. Lots of fun stories about church finances and what different priests did.

 

[powerplay]

So nice to hear that your friend is settled in her new place and also still close enough for frequent visits. I'm sure your help made her transition so much easier. You deserve a big Thank You!

 

[Buckeye]

I talked to Mary this morning and she was just bubbling with happiness over the phone. She had French toast, scrambled eggs, OJ, and watermelon for breakfast. Hot food she didn't (and couldn't have) have to prepare for herself!

There was a staff member making her bed and they had brought her a pitcher of ice water. She said she felt spoiled! She whispered into the phone that they keep checking on her to see if she's okay. I reminded her that many people go kicking and screaming to ALF so they want to make sure all is well.

I'll go check on her later this afternoon to make sure she has everything she needs.