APFM is Thankful!
All of us at A Place for Mom are thankful for our partners who share our commitment to the noble mission of senior living. As Thanksgiving approaches we like to highlight and recognize ways in which partners and A Place for Mom have worked together to enrich the lives of seniors and their families. The following stories exemplify why we are so thankful for our partners and all that you do.
‚ÄúUnusual Situation‚Äù – From an APFM Senior Living Advisor
A new resident arrived in Houston yesterday after a 17 hour flight from Singapore.  He was tired and confused and at a Best Western Hotel near the airport (along with a suitcase of money that caused Customs to flag him).
He thought his son had arranged everything for the move—but his son lives in Memphis and there was a lot left to be done.  He had never been in Houston and selected our fair city because it is in between Memphis and San Jose, CA.
When I spoke with him this morning he was expecting someone to drive him to look at communities so he could move in immediately.  The plan was to buy furniture later. Megan and Paradise Springs to the rescue!  They sent a driver over to pick him up, worked quickly to find something to meet his needs and he is now happily settled in a furnished apartment.  The team at Paradise Springs really went above and beyond to make the transition as smooth as possible despite all the unknowns.
“Thriving” – From an APFM partner community (resident names have been changed)
Debbie sent over a referral for a couple who were home bound and looking for IL/AL. I found out Jane, the prospective resident, couldn’t come visit me because they do not have a car so I set up a home visit. I walked around our community with my iPad and recorded each area of our community in 10-15 second spots. When I arrived, I sat down with Jane and showed her each area, taking her on a virtual tour of our community. She loved it and wanted to move in! Fast forward a few days: Jane and Paul were so excited they got rid of their excess furniture and got packed up. I told her that she could move in early if she wanted so long as we had all our paperwork and she decided that was a go!
The transformation I have seen in Jane and Paul is what I really want to get at here. When I visited them at home, Jane was very depressed, on oxygen full-time, tired, and just depleted. They were also smoking A LOT even with the oxygen. Paul was also very depressed and neither of them was thriving.
Fast forward again to yesterday: I was out in our courtyard with some new residents for an ice cream social when Jane and Paul came out. Jane is a new woman! She was walking around introducing herself and encouraging the new residents to join her in fitness class twice a day. She even demonstrated how they do chair jumping jacks. She didn’t have her oxygen on as she doesn’t need it as much because she can’t smoke in her apartment. Paul is thriving as well; he is interacting with others and is now comfortable with Jane being out of his sight because he knows he isn’t alone!
This couple is one of many stories, I know, but worth sharing. What we do is so important in helping seniors live more independently and engage life! We truly do believe in the extraordinary potential of older adults and these two are perfect examples!
The Raves and Gratitudes we receive from seniors, their families and our partners strengthens our commitment to helping families, provide a tangible reminder of how we touch lives, and encourage us as we continue our mission of noble senior living.