Where Do We Go From Here?

Last weekend I was out of my blogging pocket (so to speak). We had family in to help move my father-in-law into a senior apartment complex.

The Easter weekend being his move-in date provided a double reason to enjoy family.  We had 7 that arrived over Thursday night and Friday morning which made the move quick and efficient.

The remainder of the weekend was spent enjoying each other's company and rejoicing in our resurrected Lord.  He is risen!  He is risen indeed!!

The main focus of this particular post is the facility we moved H. into.  It is a government subsidized housing complex that caters to the elderly on a fixed income.  Their rent is figured on their current income and will be adjusted to reflect any changes, if necessary.

I am a supporter of the American ideal and way of living but government housing
has a reputation of lacking in funds leading to dinghy, poorly kept, badly run facilities.  Being familiar with the area of this particular complex I figured it wouldn't be too bad.

Let me pause at this point and share that "we the people" are the government.  As a citizen of the United States our established government that is 'of the people, by the people and for the people' is me.

If I recognize that a particular area of concern needs attention it is as much my responsibility to put foot to pavement, pen to paper and/or be willing to pay the taxes necessary to see these concerns are funded and maintained.

The knowledge of the state of government facilities is not so much a complaint as much as it is an understood fact...that can be misunderstood.

Although D. and I helped H. with the initial paperwork all the footwork was his own.  We had not visited the facility nor met any of the people who worked there.  We understood that they were painting the apartment to prepare it for the next tenant which set his move in date on Good Friday.

A stereotype exists because it has validity.  There are some government facilities that are grossly underfunded or mismanaged but this senior apartment complex in our town is not one of those.

The apartment was painted properly, freshly cleaned and ready for occupancy.  Although the cabinets and appliances had seen some wear they had been maintained.  The patchwork of flowers, bright green grass, groomed and neglected patches of yard out the front and back of each unit allowed for every tenant to make their space their own.

The most surprising room was the laundry.  Those familiar with a public laundry are aware of the man power and upkeep necessary to keep the machines running and the area clean.  Most fail to achieve my personal, minimum level of cleanliness but this laundry room was a shiny, sparkling example of excellent complex management.

It's reassuring that H. has a nice place to live.  It does bring into sharp contrast the aging of our population (and me!) and how important these facilities will become.  I'm ashamed to say because of my advancing age the subject of senior facilities and their condition are now crossing my mind.  My foot to pavement and pen to paper may not be that far away.

What has been your experience with aging?








Google images:
everyopportunity.worspress.com
lgwhitesite.com
vice.com
bradley.edu