Assisted Living Facility Executive Director Talks About the Economy and Senior Care

I'm here with Margie Vice, Executive Director of Summer Hill Villa, a life support facility in Santa Clarita, California.

KH: How long have you been doing this?

MV: I have been an executive director for 10 years, but all are at Summer Hill Villas.

KH: How has the economy affected families?

MV :: Older people are in a very difficult situation, as are older children. We have seen many families helping their parents as investment has declined. They don't have the money they had.

all right. Social security has not increased. This is the second year in a row, but it increases the rent because it takes money to rent the highest priced building. It is never ideal.

KH: My mother is dementia, and activities are not so important, so the more someone needs more care, the less likely that amenities will become less important. Maybe it affects money decisions.

MV: You may think so, but as a daughter who puts mom, I might see it differently from my son. If my mother is always taking care of hair and always looks nice and important to be social to her, she may not know it now, I want to have those things for her if I can afford it. I would like her where she provided those things as she is.

What I think is? I put my mother here.

When my father became sick, I moved my parents to Summer Hill. It was a battle. My mother was very independent, but she knew she was doing it for my father. You go from a 4-bedroom house to a 2-bedroom small apartment, remove all of her and her roses and their independence, and move to the place where the old man is-my mom was old- It is very hard and very traumatic.

KH: How can you help them cope?

MV: I think we need to give time. You must let them make that transition. We have a support group run by the residents so that they can live and help each other through it.

In many cases, someone enters a life of care because a trauma has occurred, such as a spouse's death or a fall and a broken hip. I rarely say "Uhu! I'm going to move here" to jump out of the door and dance.

Some say "I'm watching it a year from now", but there is a reason why I mainly take the phone and say, "Can you get the information?" "It's our responsibility to find out what the reason is and help you through it."