This is one of the chickens!
Would you build a chicken coop to have a senior move into your retirement community? Are chickens even allowed? What would your senior living community promise in order for a senior to move in? How many cats does your retirement community allow per senior resident? Would you increase it? Are you willing to take on two 100-gallon tanks of fish? One fish tank contains large koi and the other fresh water bala sharks.
“I still have my wits about me and don’t want to leave my animals,” said a prospective senior resident. “The administrator has promised me that he will take all my pets and if I pass away, he will let all of my precious chickens live with him at his home. He loves my chickens.”
This senior is waiting for a two-bedroom apartment to become available, but she has still not decided to actually move. Her family and friends (I am one of them) have been encouraging her to make a move for two years. She currently lives alone in a two-story home with a caregiver who helps several days a week.
One of the two fish tanks!
Who knows how many years my senior friend has left? I don’t know. What I do know is that my friend would thrive in a retirement community with live music and weekly entertainment. She used to be very active with dozens of friends and now she is isolated in her home with early dementia and a lack of mobility. My senior friend comes to life over a lunch or dinner conversation. I told her that she could have social connectivity everyday if she moved into a retirement community.
In my entire career, I have never heard of a senior living community accepting all the animals that my senior friend currently loves. Never have I ever heard of senior moving into a community with chickens. Have you? Would you allow any or all of my friend’s animals? I personally think she should jump on the offer and told her so. She is still deciding…Would you build a chicken coop to get a sale?
Do you know a senior that is struggling? Diane Masson’s new book can help walk you or them through, “Your Senior Housing Options.” Diane has helped educate thousands of seniors in her career and shares weekly real life stories like this one. Join her blog at Tips2Seniors.com or follow her on Facebook at Tips2Seniors.
Her first book “Senior Housing Marketing – How to Increase Your Occupancy and Stay Full,” has helped new and experienced senior housing professionals (assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing care and Continuing Care Retirement Communities) around the world. Both her first book and second book, “Your Senior Housing Options,” have a 5-star rating on Amazon.com.
Timely post Diane. I am a new ED at a community that I was previously the marketer for. I always thought we had a strict, one dog (up to 25 lb), one cat, or two bird policy and lost prospective residents because of it.
What I have learned since taking over my new position is that I work for a wonderful company that truly believes each resident’s situation needs to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Fortunately, members of my home office were sitting in my office when a future resident with a golden retriever and 2 cats came in looking for a new forever home. Together we assessed her and her pets and let her know that we would be happy to welcome them to our community. I met with the President of the Resident Council and he agreed to help me make sure our newest residents are welcomed into the community and brought into the family.
I am thrilled that to know that we can offer a home for an entire family and that we don’t have to obey a strict policy. It’s all about making a great quality of life for our residents, keeping families (4-legged pets included) together, and making a home that is safe and welcoming for all.
Thanks for sharing Sonia! I know of Continuing Care Retirement Community that recently allowed a golden retriever too! Another was willing to take on older labrador retriever. I think it is good to focus on temperament versus size.