Workin' for the Weekend . . .

Well, its our favorite workday of the week -- Friday!! Nothing new and exciting to report, just a post to say hello. Bill and I have been busy researching retirement or assisted living places for Bill's folks. We are trying to convince them that they need to move closer to family and trying to find a place that has all the help they need but not a "nursing home" atmosphere at all. After two weekends of searching, we discovered that most retirement/assisted living facilities are very tiny -- either a single room (what they call a "studio") or a 1-bedroom apartment (I use that term loosely -- the largest was 525 sq. ft.!!). Bill's parents are currently living in a 3 bed, 2 ba, 2400 sq. ft. home. I think they'd either kill each other and/or lose their minds going from that to a tiny, dinky little 525 sq. ft. apartment. Yikes!!

However, we did find a senior complex that includes condos that can be purchased, a lodge for independent senior living (the tiny 1 bedroom places) or assisted living (even tinier 1 bedrooms or "studios" -- more nursing home-like and not what they currently need). The cool thing is that if they purchased a condo, they could pay a monthly fee to take their meals at the Lodge just up the street, and we could hire a housekeeper (the condo that is for sale is a 3 bed., 2 ba. 1500 sq. ft. place), and hire someone to do the meds and they'd be set. And the best thing of all is that even though this would still be too much of a place for them to take care of, we would only be a few minutes away. We could make sure they're eating right and that their meds are being taken properly. This would be a good transition for them, and wouldn't feel so much like they were being "put away." Currently, they live in Tucson with no family nearby. We are here in Chico, California, and Bill's sisters are in Chicago. We worry about them constantly, especilly since Bill's mom's health is so fragile. She cycles in and out of the hospital pretty regularly due to her emphysema and congesive heart failure. The problem is convincing Bill's dad of the need to move. Bill's mom is all for it. When we talk to them on the phone, one time it will be "We don't need to move, we're fine." And then when Bill's mom is in the hospital, its "Well maybe we should." Its so hard, because even wheen we think we've got them convinced, the next time they're not. *Sigh*.

Bill and I were thinking that if they lived in the condo for a few years, and then needed to move up to either the Lodge or to the assisted living, we could buy the condo from them! Bill will be 55 in three years, and we could qualify! I, fortunately, will not be 55 for 7 more years, but as long as at least one half of the couple is 55, we could qualify for the senior condos! I know it sounds like I have an ulterior motive; I really don't! But at least Bill's folks would know that they'd have an instant buyer for their place! Its really nice; I'll post a couple of pictures on the next post.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and manages to keep cool!!!