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14 Wedn e sd ay , O c tob e r 7 , 2015 Th e Nugg e t N ew spap e r , S i s t e r s , O r egon M o v i n g t o a n a s s i s t e d - l i v i n g f a c i l i t y B y D i a n e G o b l e C o r r e s p o n d e n t Mo s t o f th e t im e a mov e to a n ew hom e i s f i l l ed w i th an t i c ip a t ion and ex c i t em en t . Id e a s fo r n ew fu rn i tu r e and d r ap e s , d r e am s o f p a in t co l - o r s a n d f e n g s h u i o c c u p y y o u r though t s . . . bu t wh a t i f you r n ex t mov e i s in to an a s s i s t ed - l iv ing f a c i l i ty ? Wh a t i f you o r a f am i ly m emb e r i s no long e r ab l e to l iv e ind ep end en t ly ? I t ’ s ano th e r on e o f tho s e end -o f - l i f e i s su e s no on e w an t s to t a lk abou t . S y l v i a — w h o i s 8 4 — h a d a b ad f a l l l a s t y e a r , h i t t ing h e r h e ad on th e co f f e e t ab l e , and h a s b e en th rough a n a s ty bou t w i th th ro a t c an c e r th i s y e a r , bu t i s b a ck to p l ay ing go l f on c e a w e ek and a t t end ing s en io r lun ch eon s a t S i s t e r s Commun i ty Chu r ch . Sh e w a s a f r a id m a cu l a r d eg en e r a t ion wou ld r end e r h e r b l ind and un ab l e to d r iv e , bu t c a t a r a c t su r g e ry h a s g iv en h e r a n ew l e a s e on l i f e . “ I hop e to b e ab l e to ‘ ag e i n p l a c e ’ a n d w o u l d p r e f e r n o t to mov e in w i th any o f my ch i ld r en o r h av e to go in to a s s i s t ed - l iv ing , ” sh e s ay s . “ I h av e t a lk ed to my ch i ld r en and th ey ’v e ag r e ed to r e sp e c t my w i sh e s . ” H av e you h ad th e con - v e r s a t ion abou t wh a t to do fo r mom o r d ad i f som e th ing h app en s to th em and th ey c an no long e r l iv e a lon e ? H av e mom and d ad h ad th e conv e r - s a t ion w i th e a ch o th e r ? Th i s i s a p a r en t - ch i ld conv e r s a - t ion , a s ib l ing conv e r s a t ion , a s ib l ing - spou s e -g r and ch i ld r en conv e r s a t ion , and th en th e r e a r e s t ep - f am i l i e s invo lv ed . I t ’ s r e a l ly no t som e th ing th a t shou ld b e pu t o f f un t i l i t b e com e s n e c e s s a ry , b e c au s e i t a f f e c t s ev e rybody in th e f am i l y i n s om e w a y a n d t e n d s to c au s e a r gum en t s a t a l r e ady s t r e s s fu l t im e s . Wh a t i f you f a l l and c an ’ t g e t up ? Th a t h app en ed to 86 -yea r -o ld No rma . She t r ipp ed and f e l l , h i t h e r h e ad and b rok e h e r h ip . Sh e wok e up som e t im e l a t e r in a pud - d l e o f b l o o d , m a n a g e d t o d r a g h e r s e l f a c ro s s th e f loo r and w a s a b l e t o r e a c h h e r p h o n e t o c a l l 91 1 . Fo l low ing su r g e ry , w i th M ed i c a r e ru l e s , p a t i en t s go in to r eh ab fo r 30 d ay s (No rm a c a l l ed th a t f a c i l i ty an in s t i tu t ion ) bu t sh e s t i l l i sn ’ t ab l e to g e t a round w i thou t a Ab so lu t e S e r en i ty S en io r C a r e En r i ch in g th e l i v e s o f th o s e w e s e r v e , on e d a y a t a t im e . w a lk e r . H e r ch i ld r en pu t th e i r h e a d s t o g e t h e r a n d h e l p e d h e r f ind a com fo r t ab l e a s s i s t ed - l iv ing a r r ang em en t and sh e h a s a c c ep t ed th a t th i s i s now h e r hom e . “A s long a s I c an s t i l l do my qu i l t ing , I ’m p e r f e c t ly h appy r igh t h e r e , ” No rm a s a id . H e r ch i ld r en a l l l iv e ou t o f town , bu t th ey v i s i t o f t en , s t ay a t No rm a ’ s hou s e and ev en b r ing h e r hom e wh i l e th ey a r e in town . W e m ay hop e to t ak e c a r e o f e a ch o th e r un t i l th e end , bu t th ing s don ’ t a lw ay s tu rn ou t th a t w ay ; e sp e c i a l ly w i th d em en t i a . Bob , who i s in h i s l a t e 80 s and c r i e s f r equ en t ly , s e em s qu i t e con fu s ed abou t wh e r e h e i s . “My w i f e a r r ang ed i t , ” h e s ay s . “ I d idn ’ t h av e any th ing to s ay abou t i t . ” H i s w i f e , how ev e r , h a s a b ad h ip and c an b a r e ly m an - ag e on h e r own . C an a coup l e bo th a f fo rd to b e in a s s i s t ed - l iv ing ? I t o f t en h app en s th a t th e mon ey run s ou t t ak ing c a r e o f th e f i r s t spou s e , l e av - ing th e su rv ivo r m ed i c a l ly b ank rup t w i th f ew r e sou r c e s . B i l l v i s i t ed h i s w i f e ev e ry d ay fo r a y e a r in th e a s s i s t ed - l iv ing hom e . A f t e r sh e p a s s ed i stoCk .Com /Ca thyyeulet aw ay , th e o c tog en a r i an ju s t k ep t com ing to v i s i t th e o th e r r e s id en t s and ev en tu a l ly h i s h e a l th d e t e r io r a t ed enough th a t h e mov ed in h im s e l f . H e c an s t i l l g e t a round on h i s mo to r s coo t e r to v i s i t h i s f r i end s a t th e i r u su a l h angou t i n t ow n w h e n h e f e e l s u p t o i t . I t w a s s imp ly a n a tu r a l t r an - s i t ion fo r h im and h e s ay s h e “ en joy s th e f r e edom i t g iv e s m e b e c au s e I c an ’ t w a lk v e ry f a r anymo r e . ” Wh a t i f you a r e a lon e w i th no f am i ly o r f r i end s to r e ly on ? Donn a , an en e r g e t i c 86 -y e a r -o ld who s t i l l l iv e s ind ep end en t ly , w a lk s ev e ry - wh e r e sh e c an , and p l an t s a boun t i fu l v eg e t ab l e g a rd en ev e ry y e a r , h a s no in t en - t ion o f go ing in to a s s i s t ed - l iv ing . Sh e lo s t h e r hu sb and and on ly son m any y e a r s ago . Sh e s t i l l h a s a b ro th e r in C en t r a l O r egon bu t sh e r e l i e s on h e r f r i end s fo r suppo r t . Sh e h a s a l l h e r p ap e rwo rk in o rd e r and s ay s , “Wh en i t ’ s my t im e , ju s t l e t m e go . I ’m r e ady ! ” S e v e r a l o f t h e p e o p l e i n t e r - v i ew ed fo r th i s a r t i c l e r e s id e a t Ab so lu t e S e r en i ty ’ s n ew “Ann a ’ s Hom e ” o f f Ad am s A v enu e o r “H e l en ’ s Hou s e ” on Rope S t ree t . Owne r s D av id and L e ah T o l l e w i l l soon op en th e i r th i rd f a c i l i ty , “P enn ing ton ’ s P l a c e , ” n ex t to Ann a ’ s Hom e . Th ey en cou r - ag e lo c a l a r t i s t s , mu s i c i an s , and commun i ty m emb e r s to s top by to v i s i t , and sh a r e th e i r t a l en t s and hobb i e s w i th th e i r r e s id en t s . Th e T o l l e s m e e t th e i r c l i - en t s a t th e i r po in t o f n e ed and a im to en r i ch th e i r d a i ly l iv e s th rough commun i ty invo lv em en t . Fo r mo r e in fo rm a t ion , c a l l 541 -549 -1726 . Ab so lu t e S e r en i t y Ab so lu t e S e r en i t y adu l t fo s t e r - c a r e hom e s c a t e r t o s en i o r s th a t m a y b e ind ep end en t o r n e ed a s s i s t an c e w i th d a i l y a c t i v i t i e s ; th e y a l s o h e lp c a r e f o r th o s e wh o n e ed end -o f - l i f e c a r e . Mu ch l ik e an a s s i s t ed - l i v in g c omm un i t y , th e y o f f e r th e s am e s e r v i c e s — bu t w i th a h om e en v i r onm en t : H om e - D a v id & L e ah T o l l e , Own e r s c o o k ed m e a l s , f am i l y d in in g , p r i v a t e r o om s w i th P e r s o n a l i z e d , a t t e n t i v e c a r e • F am i l y s e t t i n g h a l f - b a th , wh e e l ch a i r a c c e s s i b i l i t y , s e r v i c e s c a t e r ed P r i v a t e r o om s w i t h h a l f b a t h • A c t i v i t i e s t o e a ch ind i v id u a l and th e i r p r e f e r en c e s , a s a f e and M e a l s , h o u s e k e e p i n g & l a u n d r y i n c l u d e d s e cu r e en v i r onm en t , and a p l a c e t o c a l l h om e . N o t N ow t a k in g r e s e r v a t i on s f o r ju s t a r o om , n o t a n um b e r , n o t l o s t in th e m i x and P enn in g t on ’ s P l a c e , o p en in g J anu a r y 2 0 1 6 n o t ju s t an o th e r s en i o r b u t a p a r t o f a f am i l y . 5 4 1 - 8 4 8 - 3 1 9 4 o o k in g , f o od p r ep , c l e an in g and m an y o th e r sp e - A b s o lu t e S e r en i t y h a s l o c a l a r t i s t s p e r f o rm in g c H e l e n ’ s H ou s e ~ 1 1 9 N . R o p e S t . , S i s t e r s c i f i c a c t i v i t i e s t o m e e t e a c h i n d i v i d u a l ’ s n e e d s . f o r r e s id en t s , w a l k s , b o a rd g am e s , pu z z l e s , m o v i e A nn a ’ s H om e ~ 1 9 2 E . T a l l F i r C t . , S i s t e r s Th e y a r e t ak in g r e s e r v a t ion s fo r a n ew P enn in g t on ’ s P l a c e ~ 1 8 2 E . T a l l F i r C t . , S i s t e r s n i gh t s , ou t in g s , b i -w e e k l y e x e r c i s e and d an c e w i th em a i l : a b s o l u t e s e r e n i t y@ ym a i l . c om P e n n i n g t o n P l a c e h o m e . Sh ann on f r om SPRD , b i -w e e k l y chu r ch s e r v i c e , Y ou r C a r e Y o u r C a r e h a s b u i l t a s k i l l ed t e am o f p r o f e s s i on - a l s t o o f f e r a c c e s s i b l e , e x c ep t i on a l m ed i c a l c a r e t o o u r C en t r a l O r e g on c omm un i t y . E r i c W a t t en b u r g , MD i s th e own e r an d m ed i c a l d i r e c t o r o f Y o u r C a r e . Ph i l l ip Bu r r e r , MD h a s r e c en t l y jo in ed th e Y ou r C a r e t e am s e e in g ou r w a lk - in / s am e -d a y m ed i c a l c a r e p a t i en t s a s w e l l a s ou r p a t i en t s w i th o c cup a t i on a l m ed i c in e w o r k e r s c omp s ch edu l ed a p p o in tm en t s . An i t a H end e r s on , MD ch o s e f am i l y m ed i c in e a s h e r s p e c i a l t y b e c a u s e i t s e em ed t o o f f e r th e b e s t oppo r tun i t y f o r t r e a t in g th e wh o l e p a t i en t . Sh e a p p r o a ch e s w e l ln e s s an d i l ln e s s f r om a h o l i s t i c p e r - s p e c t i v e , an d w o r k s t o in c l u d e th e p a t i en t ’ s f am i l y a s an in t e g r a l p a r t o f th e c a r e p l an . L i s a S t e f f e y , DO f o cu s e s on u r g en t c a r e and o c cup a t i on a l m ed i c in e . Sh e h a s add i t i on a l c e r t i f i - c a t i on in th e a r e a o f w o r k e r s c om p en s a t i on . T r i c i a C ou tu r e , FNP h a s b e en p r a c t i c in g in O r e g on f o r 1 4 y e a r s , th e p a s t s e v en o f wh i ch h a v e b e en in C en t r a l O r e g on . Sh e en j o y s c a r in g f o r p e o - p l e o f a l l a g e s , b u t h a s p a r t i cu l a r p a s s i on f o r a d o l e s - c en t s an d s t ud en t a th l e t e s .