Regarding a comment made by one of our friends recently...
"It doesn't matter where [elderly folks] live if they don't go out
anyway."  I don't know if this individual read what I wrote here, but
that's not quite what I meant!  I've heard about a place in Saskatchewan
which sounds very nice, for example, and I'm happy for the people in
Saskatchewan.  I doubt it's much help to the majority of people in B.C.,
however, except perhaps as a model for what we *could* be doing. When my
parents were only a ten-minute walk away, Dallas & Nora & I were
able to visit two or three times a week.  It's a long way from here to
Saskatchewan... I think most people can probably recognize that.  But what
many don't recognize is that if "Granny" has to move away from
the neighbourhood where she's resided for 56 years, to a location half a
mile from the nearest bus stop, she might as well be on the far side of the
moon to friends who don't drive & can't walk more than half a block. 
We weren't able to visit as often under the circumstances either.

          When the facility my parents were in was closed we turned down
another place which was a lot closer to the old neighbourhood & to the
bus line than the one we finally chose, however, because... among other
things... the staff didn't make eye contact with us or with the residents. 
Our second choice was a private facility where the person in charge, a
former nurse, knew everyone's name & took time to rearrange pillows for
a resident whom we were introduced to & whose room we were invited to
look at.  That's the sort of observation I'm referring to.  I doubt
"Granny" cares as much about en suite plumbing & other mod.
cons. or about the lack thereof as she does about the people she meets from
day to day....  :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+