Has time for a multi-level senior’s extended living facility come for the Barrhead area?
The necessity of asking the question came to the Barrhead Leader’s attention after a senior couple visited the Barrhead Leader last week.
The couple, who are long time area residents, moved into Hillcrest Seniors Lodge together about two years ago after deciding they were no longer able to or wanting the chores of everyday living.
The couple came in asking if the paper could do something in their efforts to be reunited after being separated from each other. The pair now live in different senior care facilities in town.
After investigating, it was decided there was little the Barrhead Leader could or should do in the situation.
However, it did bring up the question of what could or should be done for senior citizen couples who wish to spend their golden years together, but because of circumstances, mostly because of varying levels of health or care that is needed.
As a general rule, an extended living facility specializes in being able to care for residents who need a specific level of care.
And there is good reason for this, for example a resident suffering from dementia has vastly different needs than a person who is confined to a wheel chair. Often not only do different facilities have different staffing levels and expertise, but the building itself needs to meet physical design specifications to meet residents’ needs.
It is difficult to meet the needs of all seniors in one extended living facility, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.
Currently the Barrhead District and Social Housing Association is working towards expanding its Hillcrest Lodge facility. Something, we here at the Barrhead Leader, hope they are successful in doing, because there is definitely a need for more spaces in our community.
But perhaps at the same time, the community should be lobbying for a multi-level seniors extended care facility, which will allow more couples to, if not spend their golden years in the same suite, at least in the same facility.
Maybe a facility like this is a pipedream, but isn’t that how most things start out, as an idea or dream? It is certainly worth considering.
