With the economy being what it is, we are seeing more and more seniors waiting to move
into assisted living communities. Having been in this business for 13 years, I’ve noticed
a trend where folks are waiting longer. I’ve observed first hand there is a window of
opportunity especially with folks who are experiencing dementia. When families wait
too long, the senior becomes so demented they cannot make the adjustment to an assisted living environment and so often end up in a more restrictive environment like a nursing
home.

I witnessed first hand a friend of mine who brought her mom to live in one of our
communities. After not seeing her for several years, I was astonished to see how she
had deteriorated mentally. She had been a university professor but now struggled to get
the appropriate words out. At first she was very upset her daughter had brought her here
because in her mind she did not belong. She didn’t view herself as a person who was
struggling mentally; she still saw herself as an educated, professional woman with no
issues with living independently. The daughter had a lot of moments where she felt so
guilty about bringing her here but over time realized it had been the right move. She is a
lovely lady and has adapted to her surroundings. If her daughter had not had the courage
to make the move when she did, I doubt she would have been able to come here.

These are just some of the issues we deal with at Argent Court. We remain committed
to providing the highest quality of care for our folks. Our guiding principles are to
provide the best care possible and to at all times maintain the dignity of the seniors we
are privileged to care for.

I came across an article recently entitled, “The Blessings of Friendship”, in the May, 2010 edition of Guidepost Magazine. It got me thinking about what blessings I see every day with the friendships that develop at all of our communities.

In the 12 years I’ve been here at Argent Court, I cannot begin to tell you how many wonderful friendships I have been privileged to witness. I remember two ladies in particular – one lady was from California and the other was from the Houston area. They both moved to Argent Court Seguin to be close to their families. They happened to be
next door neighbors and quickly found they had a lot in common. They met daily to play cards in the afternoon, ate meals together and just really enjoyed each other’s company. When one of them was sick, the other was there by her bedside bringing her comfort.

I feel certain it was their friendship that carried them through so many tough times. Scientific research shows that friendships and other social networking resources lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease and
lessen the onset of depression. In addition, social connections decrease the likelihood of age-related dementia and other debilitating disorders, since interacting keeps you alert, mindful and accountable. I can tell you first hand, the people who have a lot of social interaction and friendships by nature are healthier and have less somatic complaints.

There is a saying that a good relationship doubles the joy and divides the pain. This was certainly the case with these two ladies and I see evidence of it daily in my work with our residents in Argent Court.

Recently I purchased webcams for each community to facilitate video calls with family members and residents. Today a lady in Seguin had her first video session with her son in Colorado. It was such a poignant moment to see her reaction to seeing not only her son but her grandson. This is a great thing as it enables children to stay in contact with their parents and takes away the guilt of not “being there.” In addition they get to see first hand how their parents look and it is reassuring to the children that their parents are in good hands.

At Argent Court we are committed to making certain we keep families in contact with one another and taking advantage of current technology is just another way of making this happen. If you have a family member living at any of our locations, I would invite you to call and set an appointment with the administrator or activity director to participate in TelePresence via Skype. Witness first hand the excitement in the resident. You’ll be glad you did.

Recently I was visiting with a resident who wasn’t feeling very well. He lamented to me that he felt his time on this earth was soon coming to an end. He was 92. He said he was ready as he no longer had a purpose to be here. As we continued to talk, I said to him, “What do you mean you have no purpose? Do you realize how many people depend on you each day?” He paused for a moment and said, “What do you mean?” I told him he had 3 other table mates alone who depended on him to be at each meal and looked forward to his presence. He said, “Well, I guess I never thought of it that way.”

This chance encounter got me to thinking about how important it is for each of us to think about our purpose on this earth and what an impact we all have on each other. As I related to my resident, he also has an impact on each of our staff because he is so welcoming and loving and makes a point of saying nice things. The staff look forward to being around him because he has great words of wisdom and experience to offer.

When we look at hiring at Argent Court, we don’t look for people with the most experience; we look at their heart and willingness to serve. We look for people who feel they have a purpose for doing this job as we understand first hand our own purpose for creating a loving/caring environment which honors the people we serve. Argent Court has the following mission statement:

Argent Court is committed to providing exceptional assisted living that demonstrates our dedication to improving quality of lifestyle choices for seniors, and at the same time provides reassurance to those who love them.

Central to our commitment is the key element of personalized, responsive care for residents, extended in the spirit of service and an atmosphere of appreciation for those we serve and with whom we work. We strive to assist and accommodate our residents in a manner that fosters their independence, preserves their dignity, protects their rights, respects their privacy and honors their contributions in life.

The staff is edified by the fulfillment of their “need to serve” others in our work together. We adhere to the principles of professionalism, integrity, and team work. We also believe it benefits both residents and staff alike to celebrate and enjoy good fellowship as often as possible.

As I tell all the staff, this is more than a job, this is a calling. This is a calling of the highest order as we have the opportunity to touch lives and to make a difference each day. None of us realize how important we are to those around us. We all have a purpose.