This week on Sunbound Asks we had the pleasure of sitting down with Lorene Richardson, owner of Bigelow Family Care Homes which operates Majestic Villa Assisted Living in Glendale, Arizona and Fountainview Assisted Living in Fountain Hills, Arizona. Bigelow Family Care Homes is a proud Sunbound partner, and we loved getting the chance to catch up with Lorene and learn more about all the ways in which Bigelow Family Care Homes helps Arizona seniors, including some of Lorene’s favorite tips for how seniors and their loved ones can find the best senior care. To learn more about Lorene and Bigelow Family Care Homes, go to their website here or read our interview below.

Q: How long have you been working in senior living?

A: I’m actually pretty new to the business of senior living. I bought my first senior living business in December of 2022 and then bought my second one in March of 2023. But I’ve had personal experience with taking care of my father and my grandmother as they transitioned into senior living. So senior living isn’t unfamiliar to me, just the business part is new.

Q: How’d you get into the senior living industry?

A: I was a caregiver to my father through hospice, and my grandmother is in hospice now. Also, my sister and I had taken care of our great uncle. When we weren’t able to take care of him any longer, we started looking for senior centers and realized a need for some revitalization in the industry. We realized the industry needed some people who don’t just look at senior care as a business, but who care about the residents and their families.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about working in senior living?

A: Spending time with the residents is my favorite thing. I like to do things that make their day, and a lot of times it’s as simple as giving them their favorite food or doing activities with them, or even just sitting and talking and letting them share their history. On the business side, I really enjoy the opportunity to improve processes and work with other businesses and industry professionals to get their ideas on how to improve the industry.

Q: What’s your favorite memory from working in senior living?

A:  Two stick out to me. One of our residents has been managing his finances his whole life, and has always done a really great job. But as he’s progressed with Alzheimer’s and dementia, he’s had a harder time managing and has had some struggles getting his family to help. I’ve been able to help him manage his finances and stay independent, which is just so important to him, and seeing the look of pride on his face has been amazing. At first there was some defeat and frustration and sadness, but being able to help him and knowing he trusts me has been great. It’s really affirmed why I got into the business. Another memory that comes to mind is from a resident of ours who is from Germany and all her family is overseas. She has advanced Alzheimer’s, but still has moments of great clarity such as last weekend when I was able to sit with her and learn all about her memories, and really got a chance to know her well.

Q: What advice would you give someone who is looking for senior living?

A: First I would say to do your research. I think it’s really important to find somewhere that’s close to family and friends so that they can visit. It’s really important when family and friends can still visit, and take their family member out to lunch or to something fun (depending on level of care). So make sure to do research on homes right around you, there might be a lot more options in the area than you realized. A lot of smaller residential homes might not be as active online or in social media, but a placement agent can help you find them. Also make sure to visit the homes to get a sense for their culture. Even if the houses are close together and run by the same company, you can always see a different culture in each home depending on the particular residents who live there. Every resident and caregiver has their own personality they bring to the house, so it’s good to see exactly how your loved one will fit in.

Q: Do you have a favorite tip for how families can talk to a parent about moving to senior living?

A: It’s a difficult conversation to have, and can be more difficult where someone has Alzheimer’s or dementia. You need to remember to be really patient and realize that you might need to explain things a couple of times. Patience is key. Be very specific with why your parent needs help, and always use warm words (instead of “group home” use “home” for example). Make sure to enforce that this is a home, with a living room and dining room and amazing food that’s readily available. Make it so that it doesn’t feel like your parentis being placed there, and instead is moving to senior living because of all its amazing benefits.

Q: What advice would you give a senior who is applying for ALTCS coverage?

A: Your caseworker is key, so make sure you’re really working with them. Typically the biggest hang-ups I’ll see are around getting financial information in. Make sure you understand if your loved one is eligible, and if not, how they can become eligible. Work with your caseworker to get your information in on time. In my experience, ALTCS caseworkers are so helpful and are willing to work with you to extend the deadlines so you can get all your documentation in on time. But you need to be open and communicative with them.

Q: What’s one thing you wish more people knew about senior living?

A: I wish more people knew that houses aren’t closed and you can come in and visit. There’s still a perception that you can’t visit or that you can only visit for a short period of time, but we’re open and visiting a loved one can make their day. I know people are busy, but even stopping by for just 10-15 minutes can make the resident’s day. Another thing I wish people knew is that while many people think of senior living as big institutions, fewer people know about residential assisted living homes. They’re really great because they have a homelike environment, and often have a better ratio of caregivers to residents. Studies have shown that this can lead to less falls and more individual care for residents. People don’t know as much about residential care homes, but we’re heavily regulated and provide great care through all our visiting doctors, and nurses and case managers.

Q: If you weren’t working in senior living, what else would you be doing?

A: Another thing I’ve done alongside senior living is to invest in multifamily real estate. I love working in an area that also improves people’s living conditions, so I would probably do something related to that.

Q: What senior living resources would you suggest for our readers?

A: There’s a great trend of people sharing their experiences caring for elderly parents on social media, especially with Alzheimer’s and dementia. It does a really great job of providing people with real world examples of how to take care of your parents, and helps people realize that they aren’t the only ones in this situation. Plus social media can present this information in a really quick and efficient way, so you don’t have to spend hours researching. I also belong to a couple of organizations in Arizona that provide continuing education in the senior care space, and which have been really useful for me to continue to learn about our industry and train our staff to do things like prevent falls or manage wounds. It’s particularly important to know the things we can handle, and what we need to call in a medical professional like a nurse for. 

To learn more about how Sunbound can help make senior living more affordable for you or your loved one, send us an email at info@sunboundhomes.com or request more information on Sunbound. Sunbound is the best way to pay for senior living and is on a mission to make senior living affordable for everyone.