During National Assisted Living Week (September 11-17, 2022), we're reaching out all week to local experts to answer frequently asked questions about assisted living.
Join us for today's episode of Home Helpers Water Cooler Chat for a brief chat with sales director Samantha Lefebvre of Windsor Reflections. Thank you, Samantha, for assisting us in providing helpful information to our community, especially seniors.
To reach out to Samantha Lefebvre or to learn more about Windsor Reflections, there are a number of ways to get in touch:
Website: legendseniorliving.com
Windsor of Lakewood Ranch (Assisted Living)
8220 Natures Way | Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202
PH: 941-271-7126
Windsor Reflections (Memory Care)
8230 Natures Way | Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202
PH: 941-278-4166
Contact Samantha Lefebvre
Direct: (941) 920-8042
email: samantha.lefebvre@legendseniorliving.com
#NationalAssistedLivingWeek #ADayInTheLife #AgeInPlace #SeniorCare #LegendSeniorLiving #WindsorofLakewoodRanch #WindsorReflections
Transcript:
[Jonathan] It's National Assisted Living Week. To celebrate this week, we checked in with some local experts to answer some frequently asked questions about assisted living. In this episode of Home Helpers Water Cooler Chat, I had the opportunity to chat with Samantha LaFebvre, a sales director with the Windsor Communities in Lakewood Ranch. Are you ready to learn more about assisted living? Let's go.
Thank you so much, Samantha, for joining us today for today's edition of Home Helpers Water Cooler Chat. How are you doing today?
[Samantha] I'm awesome, thank you. Thanks for having me. It's my pleasure.
[Jonathan] My pleasure to have you as well. So tell me about a day in the life of a resident in assisted living or memory care.
[Samantha] All right, I would love to. So as we all know, one of the benefits to senior living, whether it be assisted living or memory care is socialization, right? And we really found that out during COVID while locked up and we weren't able to socialize as best, even though they are not as social as some others might be. But we still need that, everybody needs purpose in their life, and we need that social interaction.
So one of the key benefits is all the amazing things that having that socialization that a memory care, or an assisted living community can provide for you. And, those really are decreased loneliness and depression, and just overall feeling of happiness, the reduction of needing certain types of medications to create serotonin for us, right? Because when we're around people, we have that. So that's what these assisted living communities really provide for folks that are normally isolated in their homes when they get to a certain age, and they can't drive as they once used to, and they can't get to appointments like they used to, and where they used to get their socialization from. So what we do is we bring that to them in their home environment, which typically they have a really nice apartment or suite that they reside in.
And then there's a plethora of engaging activities throughout the day that people can either decide to be a part of or not, right? So it's not forceful, but it's there. So if you're walking down to the mail room, right, or you're walking to the restaurant for lunch or dinner, you're still gonna get some of that socialization. You're going to see, you're going to hear music. You're going to see opportunities that maybe you've never tried before. And to have the things available at your fingertips are really ideal.
But if I had to say what a typical day looks like, I would say, well, it starts with breakfast, right, starts with a really great meal. Being able to have like a five-star breakfast at your fingertips is worth it for me. Because breakfast is my favorite meal, by the way. So it's really nice to be able to get up, have your coffee or view.
After breakfast, it's usually time to kind of just get ready for your day. Make sure that if you have any appointments, you're getting ready for appointments. But if not, then there's always some really great exercise programs going on. You always want to exercise early in the morning. And we typically have exercise going right after breakfast because it gets the serotonin pumping, right? Gets your brain moving. It's a good way to start the day, to have a little bit of exercise. You know, we always offer plenty of water and snacks. And a next activity that you can choose to go to. So here where I work at the Windsor of Lakewood Ranch, we have what we call parallel programming. Always have two different types of activities going on at the same time, because not everybody wants to do the same thing, right? We have to have choices. So there might be a men's coffee hour, right? Where they're talking sports, talking veterans groups, getting together. And then the ladies might be working on a craft. Or we have a gardening program. So we'll be doing a little bit of horticultural therapy and gardening while somebody else might be working on like a knitting group, we actually have a knitting group. So there's always two different things going on at the same time. So we'll have like two or three different activities going on that people can choose to be a part of, or not to be a part of. But again, there's just opportunities around you.
Then it's lunchtime, okay. Lunch is really special too, because lunch is the best, one of the biggest meals, so I call it the best of the day. So we have a bigger meal at lunchtime, and we have a lighter meal at dinner. So lunch is always super. We have a lot of that come and join. We also have a lot around us here at Windsor of Lakewood Ranch, we're right in the mecca of Main Street of Lakewood Ranch. So it's easy to walk across the street, grab an ice cream, go out for lunch. But if you choose not to, there is a really delicious lunch here as well. And then after lunchtime, a lot of folks like to rest a little bit, maybe take a little, maybe a little nap.
But in memory care, we have a pretty structured routine. So it's a little different in memory care versus assisted living, because we want people to sleep at night and not be awake all night. So we don't want to keep people too rested. So we'll have a nice selection of activities to participate in. Usually we'll break out into cognitive groups. So we'll have like a table where people might be working on puzzles, maybe doing a little bit of crossword puzzles, or like brain enrichment, working on some neuroplasticity to try and help our cognitive acuity, if you will. And then that pretty much keeps everybody…we always have some live entertainment going on, music therapy in the afternoon, pet therapy in the afternoon.
So with that said, then it's dinner time. And after dinner is kind of the unwind time of the day. So we like to do like simple hand massages, just relaxing, maybe a movie. But I mean, that's pretty much how the structure of our day looks like throughout the day, whether it's memory care or assisted living.
[Jonathan] Wow, so that sounds great. I mean, it sounds like there's a lot of socialization and a lot of engagement, which I know is very important as we get older. So great job on giving that explanation. I know that you're representing both the assisted living and the memory care, so thank you for adding a little bit about both. So with that being said, tell us a little bit more about the Windsors of Lakewood Ranch.
[Samantha] I would love to. So the Windsor of Lakewood Ranch has been here for quite a while. We were one of the first assisted living communities, and the first memory care here built in Lakewood Ranch. So with that said, though, we've really kept up on our game. We have an amazing team of employees that feel like family. I mean, my resident director's been here eight years. So everybody, it just feels like a really great family atmosphere. We offer both assisted living and memory care in two separate buildings. So the assisted living is really an independent supported community, but we have assistance for those that need it if they should need it. So it's nice to have medical staff there in case. Where memory care is its own building where all the staff are specifically trained for those with cognitive impairment so that they know how to redirect. They know how to join people in their journey and to really understand the folks that they're working with and provide those that intimate care that they need.
[Jonathan] Wow, sounds like a great set of communities. So tell me, if someone in our audience wants to reach out to you, how do they reach you?
[Samantha] Well, I would say call my cell phone. I'm going to give you that number right now. My work cell phone number is 941-920-8042. I wish it was like 1-800-Call-Sam, but it's not that easy. So definitely give us a call here at the Windsors, you can look us up on Google. We'll pop right up, right up Windsor of Lakewood Ranch, and you'll find us, you can call there, but if you want to talk to me directly don't hesitate to call me or text me at 941-920-8042.
[Jonathan] Excellent. So Samantha, I just want to thank you for giving us some great information about a day in the life of residents in assisted living in memory care. And also for telling us more about the Windsors over there in Lakewood Ranch. So thank you for joining us. And is there anything else you want to say before we leave?
[Samantha] Just keep those seniors smiling, Jonathan.
[Jonathan] All right, all right. I want to thank everybody in our audience for joining us for this edition of Home Helpers Water Cooler Chat. And until next time, we'll see you soon. Take care.
[Samantha] Thank you.
HOME HELPERS OF BRADENTON
Home Helpers of Bradenton is one of the region's leading home care franchises specializing in comprehensive services for seniors. Home Helpers' sole mission is to make life easier for clients and their families. Based in Bradenton, Florida, the company serves all of Manatee County, including the communities of Anna Maria, Bradenton, Bradenton Beach, Ellenton, Holmes Beach, Lakewood Ranch, Longboat Key, Palmetto, and Parrish. For more information or to request a free in-home care assessment, contact our office at (941) 499-5946 or visit our website at www.homehelpershomecare.com/bradenton
