The goal was to keep my grandparents in their home indefinitely, but it’s hard when both of them have medical needs and can’t give each other the care required.
Instead of a traditional nursing home, we all agreed that they would be a lot happier at a retirement facility where they have more independence.
Thankfully our county has a vast number of retirement homes to choose from. It’s not just a matter of making a compromise with one of a handful of poorly rated facilities because there are a number in this area that are highly rated because of the amenities provided and the cleanliness of the buildings. Since the need for houses was so high over the past year, we saw not just an increase in homes being built, but also apartments and nursing homes. The places with retirement communities fall somewhere in between, but there are more of those available these days as well. My grandparents found a new retirement home with upgraded HVAC systems inside. The company that runs the facility paid to have the air conditioners and furnaces upgraded to address concerns over COVID viral transmission. Nursing homes were some of the most dangerous places to be in during the pandemic, so many of the facilities have used whatever funds they have available to improve the way air is handled inside. Sometimes this means implementing air purification systems as well. The place where my grandparents are now living was built only 10 years ago, but the company still insisted on upgrading all of the heating and cooling systems this past year. A quality HVAC system should be replaced every 15 years anyway, so it was probably time for them to get new air systems regardless.