# atrium in assisted living place

Category: Daily Living

## Post 1 by bea (I just keep on posting!) on Saturday, 10-Mar-2012 9:47:38

I have a lot of difficulty with mobility and am wondering about an assisted living place I wanted to check out. The lady already told me it was an atrium lay-out. Isn't that a problem for folks with bad mobility skills or those who have difficulty with concepts?

## Post 2 by LeoGuardian (You mean there is something outside of this room with my computer in it?) on Saturday, 10-Mar-2012 10:57:05

a atrium layout is big and open in the middle, like lots of hotels are done.
If by mobility trouble you mean you might easily get turned around, I don't know what the experts say I'm just a guy, but I am also blind. I don't happen to have that issue, well, everyone does some of course, but what I usually do is either stick to the perimeters, or when you know the distance, you can make it at a straight or a 45 or whatever you want. The most you'd encounter would be a table or a planter in the middle, but those types of plans are deliberately open. It like a covered parking lot in a way. You can hack it though, there's ways to make that work if it's a place you want to live.
In terms of moving into them kinds of places there's no shame in it: my wife's aunt recently did it and likes it. They're way different than the institutional types of places you might have gone to as a girl with your parents to see some older relatives. Certainly way different than when I was a kid in the late 70s early 80s.
Lots of them now have wi fi, computer labs, very modern looking. As a son in law I was there with the wife's parents when they were considering things like that, and I was relieved to see they were very modern, people like you who want to be doing things aren't on virtual lockdown like you so often hear about. They look like apartments, only for people in your age group. There's such variety of them now you should shop around, be your own man, well woman in your case, and don't let them tell you what to do or how to live like the elders of yesterday had to.

## Post 3 by bea (I just keep on posting!) on Saturday, 10-Mar-2012 13:23:37

Thanks. No, I looked at a place in Minnesota that had a straight layout all the way around. I do get turned around. I don't want to go somewhere, only to feel lost. I may just look at it anyway, but want to be sure about money before I do anything. These places look like they eat money. I worked for a long time, but still want to be careful not to outlive my money. Illinois where I live seems to be expensive. Minnesota seemed to have more services too.