Help moving to assisted living in Greenwich, CT. When is it time to go?

Help moving to assisted living in Greenwich, CT. When is it time to go? I am a volunteer for a fine group called Stay at Home in Wilton, aka SAHW. The group is, as the name implies, dedicated to allowing our town's older citizens, the option of aging in place, remaining in their homes as the grow older. Through them we provide rides around town to shopping, doctor's appointments, social engagements etc... to those that can no longer drive. We also do small home handy tasks such as changing light bulbs and clearing walkways of ice and snow. Very often with just a little bit of assistance, seniors can remain in their own homes for many years.

When does that arrangement become unrealistic?

Yesterday, I met with a executor client in charge of a Greenwich, CT. estate. The elderly resident had passed away and the home needed to be prepared to put the estate on the market. As we walked through the house, I was surprised to see the types of clutter that filled the first floor living room and sun room areas. There were clothing items piled everywhere and toiletries arranged in a row on a windowsill. The kinds of things one would expect to find in the upstairs bedroom and bathroom. I have seen hoarding behavior before and this was not as bad as some. The entire area was worn threadbare, and dirty. I see this often in estate clean out situations, so I was not surprised.

Climbing the stairs to the two bedrooms and the ONLY BATHROOM in the home, I expected to encounter more of the same. What I found astounded me. The rooms, while somewhat cluttered, were not worn or dirty. The bathroom though dated, was pristine. As if no one had been upstairs and used these rooms for many, many years!

My client told me that the steep stairway had become unusable for the residents a long time ago. They had all moved into the first floor spaces and settled in. I am not sure why someone did not mention a stair lift or something of that sort as a better solution.

This explains the first floor bedroom closet type clutter and the toiletries neatly arranged on the sill. This WAS their bedroom. UNFORTUNATELY this was also their bathroom space as well. The only toilet and shower/tub was up those impassable steep stairs. I am not at all clear how certain hygiene functions were performed under this arrangement. One can only imagine.

The decision to move an aging loved one to a more suitable living arrangement can be a difficult one. There is a line in the sand where it becomes quite a bit more obvious what needs to be done.

We can help you when the time comes.

Help moving to assisted living in Greenwich, CT. When is it time to go?