Making the best care decisions for your aging parents or loved ones can be a stressful process. If you’re not sure where to start, reach out to your local Brightview Senior Living community’s Sales Director. Rosie Sampson, Community Sales Director at Brightview Canton in Massachusetts, explains that Community Sales Directors are hidden gems when it comes to compassionately educating people about the aging process, senior living options, and how to navigate this journey.
“We don’t want to just fill our buildings,” Rosie said. “We make sure adult children are able to secure all of the information they need to make the best decision for their loved ones.”
According to Rosie, most adult children reach out to her out of concern for the safety of their parents or aging loved ones. “It is impossible to be there at their side 24/7, even if they’re living in your home,” Rosie said. Adult children worry if their parent is eating, taking their medications, and socializing enough. In addition to supporting their aging parents, today’s adult child also has responsibilities for work and children to manage.
The pandemic has also led adult children to realize the impact loneliness and lack of engagement have on their loved ones. “When seniors are alone most of the day and not engaged or active, it exacerbates the aging process,” Rosie said. “We know that being actively engaged and socializing with others is positive for their health.” Learning how to make this happen is key.
Navigating all the pieces of the senior living puzzle can be overwhelming. Adult children are not only selecting senior living options, but they may also be anticipating selling their parent’s house, paying for senior living, and getting their aging parents on board. It can all be overwhelming.
Brightview Sales Directors can be an excellent resource for adult children at every stage of their journey. One common stressful situation is adult children looking for an assisted living community following a parent’s stay at a skilled nursing or rehabilitation facility. “No one at a rehab facility explains what the process is going to be,” Rosie said. “We can give you some ideas of what to expect, averages of how long the stay might be, and scripts to help you advocate for your loved one.”
Brightview Sales Directors also have a wealth of professional resources and knowledge about benefits for seniors. They can help connect families with Medicare specialists if their parent is moving to another state to be closer to family. Also, Brightview Sales Directors can recommend families of veterans to apply for certain benefits. “There are several benefits that people don’t often know about or are misinformed,” she said. Rosie also recommends moving managers or professional downsizers to families who may be overwhelmed with the process of decluttering and selling their parent’s home.
Most difficult for many adult children is dealing with their parent’s objections to moving into a senior living community. Rosie said that many seniors have a picture of the nursing home from decades ago in their heads and don’t understand the different options available in a senior living community. From the vibrant lifestyle to high-quality care services available at Brightview communities, Rosie works with adult children to get their parents in for a visit. “Once they see what we offer is so different than what they thought, parents are more excited about moving,” she said.
Finally, Brightview Community Sales Directors frequently are a safe shoulder to unload the weight of managing a parent or loved one’s care decisions. From feeling guilty, overwhelmed, or unsure, Rosie and her fellow Sales Directors listen and empathize with an adult child’s situation.
“I have so many people saying, ‘I feel so guilty – I promised my mom I would never put her somewhere,’” Rosie said. “When you see the engagement, care, safety, delicious meals, and more, the idea of putting your mom somewhere goes away. Choosing for your loved one to have a safe, happy, engaged life far outweighs them being at home unsafe or alone.”
Talk with a brightview sales Director in your area
Brightview Senior Living builds, owns, and operates award-winning vibrant senior living communities in eight states along the East Coast: Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia. We offer senior Independent Living, Assisted Living, Enhanced Care, and Wellspring Village™, a specialized neighborhood for people living with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Schedule a personal visit to experience our communities firsthand.
