Your mom might insist that living at home is what she wants, but she also might not be aware of what assisted living can offer.

In fact, many seniors are surprised to find that assisted living provides just the support needed, empowering them to live independently.

Don’t just take our word for it, our residents say it best. In this blog, you’ll hear from five Highgate residents who share their favorite things about living in a Highgate community and how it’s actually better than living at home.

“I enjoy being here with all the people.”

Before Jerry moved into Highgate at Great Falls, he spent most of his days sitting at home alone. “I didn’t do anything until the kids took me places,” says Jerry, who doesn’t drive due to poor eyesight. “They tried to keep me as busy as possible, but most of the time, I was just sitting there.” 

These days, Jerry is attending Resident Council meetings, playing games with his neighbors, and making crafts with “the girls.” He enjoys fishing outings, going for scenic rides, and playing bingo. “I’ve won a lot of games,” he says. “I try to participate in as many things as I can. I even did the Fourth of July crafts.”

His favorite part is being surrounded by people most of the time.

“I’m not alone anymore,” he says. “I enjoy being here with all the people.”

“I am independent because of Highgate.”

Before Highgate, Gayle’s life at home hurt. Literally. 

“It was hard for her to walk around,” says Mandy Ketcham, Community Relations Coordinator at Highgate at Yakima. “She has bad arthritis, and I don’t know if she was keeping up with her pain medication. She never got ahead of the pain.”

When Gayle first moved into the assisted living community, she needed a lot of assistance. Care partners helped with every activity of daily living: showering, dressing, using the restroom, getting in and out of bed. 

Recently, Gayle has been gaining her independence back.

“Now we only help with dressing and grooming and showers twice a week,” Ketcham says. “That’s it. She’s become more independent.” 

The other day, someone asked Gayle why she lives at Highgate if she’s independent. Her response? “I am independent because of Highgate. Before Highgate, I wasn’t. I feel more social now,” she says. “I can walk the hallways and visit with people and join an activity if I choose. I have no family in Yakima, so I enjoy being around people. I’m eating healthier now, and everyone is so kind and nice. All the care partners and the activities I go to make me feel loved.”

“Now, I don’t have to worry,” 

Before moving into Highgate at Great Falls, Joan spent much of her time caring for her husband, Don. When she heard about Highgate’s Couples Care program, they made the move. With both assisted living and memory care available at Highgate, couples can either live together in the same suite or be just a short walk away from each other, regardless of care needs. 

They live in separate apartments, an arrangement that worked best for their relationship, just a short walk away from each other, and the care partners handle everything from medications and hygiene to meals and housekeeping.

“I get to talk to Don and be under the same roof, but now, I don’t have to worry,” Joan says. “I know you guys take care of everything. I get as much help as I need, and he gets what he needs. I’m still a caregiver, but my job has gotten a lot easier since coming here.”

Now a typical day for Joan involves exercise, church, visiting with other residents, walks, bingo, entertainment, music, TV, and home-cooked meals. “I like going on bus trips and scenic drives,” she says. “I like to play bingo. I like the entertainers, too. I just made friends with Gina [another resident]. It’s getting better all the time. I’m glad we ended up here.”

“It’s true friendliness that goes on.”

For Michael, it’s the team members at Highgate at Temecula that help create an environment where he feels at home. 

“They really enjoy the work that they do,” he says. “They really care about the individuals who are here. It shows in everything that they do. That’s one of the things that I really enjoy about living here. The friendliness — it’s true friendliness that goes on. It’s not a sense of putting on a show or anything like that. I like that very much myself, personally, and the other residents tend to like that as well.”

Ultimately, the Highgate team supports Micheal in living life the way he wants. “You can enjoy things with other residents if you choose to — they have all kinds of activities — or you can choose to just have some downtime and alone time when you need it. I enjoy doing it when I want to do it, and I don’t have to do it if I don’t want to.”

“We all get along together.”

Barbara moved into Highgate at Great Falls because a neighbor told her that it was the best place in town.

“And I agree,” she says. “We all get along together. I think this is a good community. Very, very accommodating. The staff really try to do anything that you need. Everybody seems friendly.”

Hope and Happiness at Highgate

For many seniors, the home they have at Highgate is an improvement from the life they were living before. While initially making the decision to move can be overwhelming or even scary, a community like Highgate Senior Living can offer a fresh start with as little or as much help as needed.  

Want to hear from more Highgate residents about how assisted living helped them thrive during this chapter of life? Read our Hope & Happiness eBook, where Highgate residents, some of their family members, and a few Highgate team members share stories about life before Highgate and how moving into a community setting changed their lives for the better.