Grandma's move, round 2: The facilities
Yesterday was the first time I'd been to grandma's new place. Mom had only been there one time before, on the initial visit where they got to pick out which apartment she would have. It's a newer building which is really nice. Mom had told me that people can come and go at all hours; one of the workers said, it's an apartment building. Residents and visitors enter and exit at any time.
I had wondered about parking, since the front lot didn't seem very big. I'd noticed there was a side lot and it looks like visitors are allowed to park there as well. There is parking ringing the building but it looks numbered, so I imagine it's assigned to the residents and I wouldn't want to park there. I did ask mom if grandma's place came with an assigned spot and she got all hissy at me. What, is it bad for a family member to park there if the lot is full? Mom went, I don't know, but we don't want to bring it up in front of grandma because then she'll want to have her car! That's fair. But also, the car is one of the few remaining things in the city and will have to be moved in the next week or so.
You walk in and there's sort of a living room-style reception area, and partway back is the front desk. I could see the gal there trying to get my attention, but as soon as I'd walked in the door, I saw my family walking out of the dining room, which was back a little behind there. I'd asked mom to reach out as soon as she got to my uncle's house, because I figured that was her first stop--not knowing mom and grandma had stayed behind--and the reply I got about 3 PM was, we're eating dinner. That was it. Not a where, not that they were at my uncle's house, just that they're eating. Turned out the facility was having a buffet and they offered it free to the family; I could've gotten food if I'd wanted some, but I had lunch and a snack figuring I wouldn't be eating for a while. Also, the movers also got to partake of the buffet and that brightened their day.
So, anyway, my uncle was walking on one side of grandma and saw me and started waving, and telling grandma, look who's here! They were on their way upstairs to do more work. My uncle was quizzing her--what floor are you on? What's your room number? Which way do we go down the hall? And I was pleasantly surprised to discover there was a welcome sign on her door, printed by the facility, announcing she was a new resident and listing her name. The room numbers also have a slot underneath that lists the resident name(s), which is such an awesome idea. This is how you know it's not just a regular old apartment building. That's the reason I wanted her in a facility like this--she still has her independence and dignity, but they recognize she has limitations.
I'll go more into unpacking and stuff separately, but the space is so wee compared to what she'd had. I've mentioned she was going from 1100 square feet to 550, and I've read up on tiny houses and small apartments and such, so to get a visual on what that means was really helpful. It's adorable. But also her living room and kitchen are about the size of my house's family room, maybe with the eating area. And while they'd thrown out or donated a bunch of stuff on Saturday and took stuff to my uncle's house as well, it felt like we still had 800 square feet of stuff to squeeze into there. Not gonna work. She does have a separate bedroom that's of a decent size, though because she has a queen bed, there's not much space around it. There's maybe a couple feet on the side with the window, a couple feet at the foot of the bed and there's a cabinet or something there against that wall where her TV is, and then probably 4-5 feet on the last side, enough room for a chair to fit, and then the wall on that side is all closet.
The last quadrant of the apartment is her entrance, bathroom, and a tiny storage closet. In looking at the layout online, mom wasn't sure what the closet area was and also was wondering if her coat rack would fit there. Mom, that's clearly a door; there won't be room. So, I'm glad she does have a coat closet; the door opens against a wall and there's not a lot of room there because of the bathroom door. My aunt was asking about moving some of the tall/skinny stuff around and wondering if it would fit on that wall. I doubt it, but yesterday wasn't the day to worry about that. As we kept telling grandma, some stuff's placement is just for now, not for forever. We had to figure out what we had first and get it all out of boxes before we could really settle on what will work best. Plus, all of us were overwhelmed, especially grandma. She mostly sat in a chair in the living room and either sorted coins--she'd had several containers of them in her condo, and I found her some bags to put them in--or she watched TV after J2 had come over and set those up. Poor J2, he got them all set up, then realized one remote was more complicated than the other and ultimately swapped out the TVs since she'll likely watch the living room one more than the bedroom one.
He and I had this brief conversation, after it was mentioned that his birthday was over the weekend.
Me: It frightens me that you're 30 now.
J2: It frightens me too!
Me: Yes, but it means I'm way too close to 50!
One of the joys of being 17 years older than your youngest cousin...
Her bathroom ended up being slightly bigger than I expected, but it's still on the small side. She has a vanity sink, which has some storage space on it, and the toilet next to it. Across from the toilet is the walk-in shower. Next to the shower and across from the sink is the closet that holds her washer and dryer. That's so nice that she has that in-unit. The one sign that this isn't your typical apartment is the button by the toilet. Residents are asked to check in every day by 10 AM by pressing that button. Otherwise, the staff will call or knock on the door to check in. That is fantastic. Again, you can't get that in a regular-person building. There are two other buttons, one for emergency and one for reset. There are a couple of grab bars in the bathroom, too. I was glad to see that, though I only noticed the one bar this morning when I was showing my dad pictures of the place. I'd put this tall white holder of some sort in the bathroom because literally there was no other place to put it at the time, and it possibly could be used as a towel rack, but my aunt ended up taking it because she was afraid grandma might try to steady herself on it while coming out of the shower and fall. Yeah, fair point. We also removed the rug my mom had put in the bathroom because it was a trip/slip hazard--as evidenced by my aunt slipping on it herself. I can see wanting something in there, as the flooring is maybe vinyl plank, AKA slippery when wet, but it would have to have a non-slip backing on it. That rug was dangerous just watching my aunt move around the bathroom. And my aunt is almost 70 herself!
We left a little before 8. My uncle by that point had been running trash and boxes and stuff out for several hours and let us know that the third floor's trash place was the next door over from grandma's apartment. Oh, that's super convenient. The hallway was pleasant-looking and even had a couple places to sit, as well as decorative tables and such. I don't know if the building did the decorations or perhaps some residents, but there was some Christmas decor that was cute. In the elevator, there's a listing of the day's activities, so that's super helpful. On the first floor, the elevator opens up to the game/activity room, and I could see board games and puzzles on a shelf in there. The reception desk is nearby, and my uncle spent some time talking to the gal working there to say they'd be back in the morning to finish up the move-in. That's when I learned that everyone's supposed to sign in, and I thought she was the same gal from when I arrived, so I apologized for not doing so. She said she realized what was going on and it wasn't an issue then, but for safety reasons in case of emergency, everyone should sign in, plus they do want to know who's there in the building. Totally fair and understandable. We walked back through the living room area, and that's when I noticed a set of stairs leading to the second floor, and there was an open balcony up there, and off to the other side, opposite the game room, there was another gathering space and I saw people with NYE paraphernalia on.
That brings me to what I called the "welcoming committee." My uncle had taken this flashlight and propped open the door, as it would lock when the door would shut and we were going in and out pretty regularly, either to put empty boxes outside, or someone would run to their car, or what have you. By this point it was late in the day and I think everyone else--mom, uncle, aunt, and grandma; J2 had already left--was in the bedroom helping grandma take her pills. I could hear people in the hallway and heard someone say grandma's name, and shortly after there was a knock. I was right there and opened it, and four people and their walkers were standing outside. The front lady, petite with short hair, said they also lived on the 3rd floor and wanted to say hello to the new resident. It took a minute but everyone came out of the bedroom; the other lady there said, she's like us, she moves slowly. There were also a couple of men there, too, so a pretty good-sized group. My uncle said she's so-and-so with the red hair, and it turns out there's someone else with red hair in the building, too! Heh. Grandma said she was overwhelmed and what have you, and the second lady said, it's okay, we've all been there, it's confusing at first. That lady gets it. Oh, gosh, that was super cute and sweet, and that's just what grandma needs. This is precisely why I have wanted her to be in such a building. She hardly knew any of her neighbors in the city, even after 17 years. That's not what it's built for. This is a community. It's like adult college. We all know there's going to be an adjustment period, but I think once she settles in, it'll be good for her.
I had wondered about parking, since the front lot didn't seem very big. I'd noticed there was a side lot and it looks like visitors are allowed to park there as well. There is parking ringing the building but it looks numbered, so I imagine it's assigned to the residents and I wouldn't want to park there. I did ask mom if grandma's place came with an assigned spot and she got all hissy at me. What, is it bad for a family member to park there if the lot is full? Mom went, I don't know, but we don't want to bring it up in front of grandma because then she'll want to have her car! That's fair. But also, the car is one of the few remaining things in the city and will have to be moved in the next week or so.
You walk in and there's sort of a living room-style reception area, and partway back is the front desk. I could see the gal there trying to get my attention, but as soon as I'd walked in the door, I saw my family walking out of the dining room, which was back a little behind there. I'd asked mom to reach out as soon as she got to my uncle's house, because I figured that was her first stop--not knowing mom and grandma had stayed behind--and the reply I got about 3 PM was, we're eating dinner. That was it. Not a where, not that they were at my uncle's house, just that they're eating. Turned out the facility was having a buffet and they offered it free to the family; I could've gotten food if I'd wanted some, but I had lunch and a snack figuring I wouldn't be eating for a while. Also, the movers also got to partake of the buffet and that brightened their day.
So, anyway, my uncle was walking on one side of grandma and saw me and started waving, and telling grandma, look who's here! They were on their way upstairs to do more work. My uncle was quizzing her--what floor are you on? What's your room number? Which way do we go down the hall? And I was pleasantly surprised to discover there was a welcome sign on her door, printed by the facility, announcing she was a new resident and listing her name. The room numbers also have a slot underneath that lists the resident name(s), which is such an awesome idea. This is how you know it's not just a regular old apartment building. That's the reason I wanted her in a facility like this--she still has her independence and dignity, but they recognize she has limitations.
I'll go more into unpacking and stuff separately, but the space is so wee compared to what she'd had. I've mentioned she was going from 1100 square feet to 550, and I've read up on tiny houses and small apartments and such, so to get a visual on what that means was really helpful. It's adorable. But also her living room and kitchen are about the size of my house's family room, maybe with the eating area. And while they'd thrown out or donated a bunch of stuff on Saturday and took stuff to my uncle's house as well, it felt like we still had 800 square feet of stuff to squeeze into there. Not gonna work. She does have a separate bedroom that's of a decent size, though because she has a queen bed, there's not much space around it. There's maybe a couple feet on the side with the window, a couple feet at the foot of the bed and there's a cabinet or something there against that wall where her TV is, and then probably 4-5 feet on the last side, enough room for a chair to fit, and then the wall on that side is all closet.
The last quadrant of the apartment is her entrance, bathroom, and a tiny storage closet. In looking at the layout online, mom wasn't sure what the closet area was and also was wondering if her coat rack would fit there. Mom, that's clearly a door; there won't be room. So, I'm glad she does have a coat closet; the door opens against a wall and there's not a lot of room there because of the bathroom door. My aunt was asking about moving some of the tall/skinny stuff around and wondering if it would fit on that wall. I doubt it, but yesterday wasn't the day to worry about that. As we kept telling grandma, some stuff's placement is just for now, not for forever. We had to figure out what we had first and get it all out of boxes before we could really settle on what will work best. Plus, all of us were overwhelmed, especially grandma. She mostly sat in a chair in the living room and either sorted coins--she'd had several containers of them in her condo, and I found her some bags to put them in--or she watched TV after J2 had come over and set those up. Poor J2, he got them all set up, then realized one remote was more complicated than the other and ultimately swapped out the TVs since she'll likely watch the living room one more than the bedroom one.
He and I had this brief conversation, after it was mentioned that his birthday was over the weekend.
Me: It frightens me that you're 30 now.
J2: It frightens me too!
Me: Yes, but it means I'm way too close to 50!
One of the joys of being 17 years older than your youngest cousin...
Her bathroom ended up being slightly bigger than I expected, but it's still on the small side. She has a vanity sink, which has some storage space on it, and the toilet next to it. Across from the toilet is the walk-in shower. Next to the shower and across from the sink is the closet that holds her washer and dryer. That's so nice that she has that in-unit. The one sign that this isn't your typical apartment is the button by the toilet. Residents are asked to check in every day by 10 AM by pressing that button. Otherwise, the staff will call or knock on the door to check in. That is fantastic. Again, you can't get that in a regular-person building. There are two other buttons, one for emergency and one for reset. There are a couple of grab bars in the bathroom, too. I was glad to see that, though I only noticed the one bar this morning when I was showing my dad pictures of the place. I'd put this tall white holder of some sort in the bathroom because literally there was no other place to put it at the time, and it possibly could be used as a towel rack, but my aunt ended up taking it because she was afraid grandma might try to steady herself on it while coming out of the shower and fall. Yeah, fair point. We also removed the rug my mom had put in the bathroom because it was a trip/slip hazard--as evidenced by my aunt slipping on it herself. I can see wanting something in there, as the flooring is maybe vinyl plank, AKA slippery when wet, but it would have to have a non-slip backing on it. That rug was dangerous just watching my aunt move around the bathroom. And my aunt is almost 70 herself!
We left a little before 8. My uncle by that point had been running trash and boxes and stuff out for several hours and let us know that the third floor's trash place was the next door over from grandma's apartment. Oh, that's super convenient. The hallway was pleasant-looking and even had a couple places to sit, as well as decorative tables and such. I don't know if the building did the decorations or perhaps some residents, but there was some Christmas decor that was cute. In the elevator, there's a listing of the day's activities, so that's super helpful. On the first floor, the elevator opens up to the game/activity room, and I could see board games and puzzles on a shelf in there. The reception desk is nearby, and my uncle spent some time talking to the gal working there to say they'd be back in the morning to finish up the move-in. That's when I learned that everyone's supposed to sign in, and I thought she was the same gal from when I arrived, so I apologized for not doing so. She said she realized what was going on and it wasn't an issue then, but for safety reasons in case of emergency, everyone should sign in, plus they do want to know who's there in the building. Totally fair and understandable. We walked back through the living room area, and that's when I noticed a set of stairs leading to the second floor, and there was an open balcony up there, and off to the other side, opposite the game room, there was another gathering space and I saw people with NYE paraphernalia on.
That brings me to what I called the "welcoming committee." My uncle had taken this flashlight and propped open the door, as it would lock when the door would shut and we were going in and out pretty regularly, either to put empty boxes outside, or someone would run to their car, or what have you. By this point it was late in the day and I think everyone else--mom, uncle, aunt, and grandma; J2 had already left--was in the bedroom helping grandma take her pills. I could hear people in the hallway and heard someone say grandma's name, and shortly after there was a knock. I was right there and opened it, and four people and their walkers were standing outside. The front lady, petite with short hair, said they also lived on the 3rd floor and wanted to say hello to the new resident. It took a minute but everyone came out of the bedroom; the other lady there said, she's like us, she moves slowly. There were also a couple of men there, too, so a pretty good-sized group. My uncle said she's so-and-so with the red hair, and it turns out there's someone else with red hair in the building, too! Heh. Grandma said she was overwhelmed and what have you, and the second lady said, it's okay, we've all been there, it's confusing at first. That lady gets it. Oh, gosh, that was super cute and sweet, and that's just what grandma needs. This is precisely why I have wanted her to be in such a building. She hardly knew any of her neighbors in the city, even after 17 years. That's not what it's built for. This is a community. It's like adult college. We all know there's going to be an adjustment period, but I think once she settles in, it'll be good for her.