Considering Assisted Living For Parents:
Gary Fenstermacher, CEO of Academy Services Corp. wrote this article for Vail Voice, March, 2017.
For many of us, the last thing we think about as we age is being elderly. As I recall my own middle age, I had little idea of the very different world my parents were experiencing as they moved through their fifties and sixties, on into their seventies and eighties. Perhaps it is not too surprising that I was so unaware; my own world at the time was consumed by family and work. And my parents spoke hardly at all about what they were experiencing as they aged.
Eventually, though, I could no longer remain ignorant of their circumstances. They had reached the point of needing more support than they could provide for themselves. For many of us, this is a most frightening time. We realize how ill-prepared we are to make decisions on behalf our parents, as they were always the ones who made decisions on our behalf.
My brothers and I had to act far too quickly when seeking care, a situation that resulted in stumbling several times before we found the right support and the right place.
When all this was happening, I had no idea that I would later become so involved with elder care in the Vail area. That happened because the residents of Academy Village sought an eldercare residence that would be available not only to them, but to all residents of Vail and the Eastside. Today it consist of two, stunningly beautiful buildings, accommodating 14 and 16 residents respectively, and staffed by extraordinary professionals.
If you would like to prepare yourself in a way that I did not, call Academy Villas at 647-7500, visit www.academyvillas.org, or even better, visit the Villas to see what they mean by “living well, with assistance.”
3/9/2017
