The Barrington in Largo, FL, was recommended to us by A Place for Mom as an option for my parents. My wife and I visited The Barrington for a tour. We were greeted by Sherrie (Regional Supervisor, Tarantino Properties) for our visit. Sherrie was extremely knowledgeable & professional; a great representative for The Barrington. We also met Linda (Nurse Administrator) in order to describe the care needs required for my father. Linda was very understanding of my Dad’s needs and took the time to formulate a care plan for my father. Linda was extremely helpful with a great sense of ...humor. From the start, we were comfortable with The Barrington. The residents were happy, friendly and outgoing; we even spoke with a couple of them. We were provided with an overview of the facility (both assisted living & independent living) and walked the property. From the front desk staff to the caregivers, all personnel were professional, caring and friendly. Unlike the numerous other ALFs we visited in the Tampa, FL, area, The Barrington offers 1 bedroom apartments; not studios. This makes your “home” feel like HOME not just one room with a bathroom. The units even have small kitchens and screened covered lianas (porches). Very nice touch! The Barrington was very clean; very important to us and my parents. We knew from the time we walked in to The Barrington, this was the place for Mom & Dad. As a result, we scheduled a second visit for my parents to visit the property. My parents were pleasantly surprised with the beauty of the property; large facility surrounded by huge oak trees and even a swimming pool! If you have a vehicle, covered parking is provided; what a bonus. Again, we were greeted by Sherrie; she took the time to show my parents the grounds and treated us all to lunch. …..and a great lunch too! We met the chef and the food was really good. Our server, Jolene, was very personable and even though she did not know my parents, she joked with them and made them feel right at home. The Barrington has a Nurse Practitioner on site as well as a contractor providing on site physical therapy. My wife and I met all healthcare professionals and were pleased with all. How convenient; healthcare professionals on site and you don’t even have to get in the car to go anywhere. The Barrington has complimentary van service that meets everyone’s needs. In conclusion, The Barrington was the place we all decided would be “home” for Mom & Dad. My parents have been residents at The Barrington for about 1 month now and all is good. They have told me the residents are friendly and they like the staff. They have bragged how good the food is….very healthy options and if you don’t like healthy, then you can order a grilled cheese, hamburger or hot dog with onion rings. :o) Of course my parents are going through an adjustment but the staff at The Barrington have made Mom & Dad feel right at home. Since moving in, The Barrington continues to impress. On July 4, they had a cookout for the residents. They have happy hour one evening a week…..even took the residents to a local park for a picnic; also took the residents out for free slushy day offered by the 7-11 store. There is complimentary Wi-Fi offered in the lobby and basic cable tv (BrightHouse) is provided free of charge in each residents room. Bottom line – Mom & Dad’s home cannot be replaced but The Barrington is the next best thing.
Show MoreLessSeniors and Social Media Back
Social media is popular among a vast age range. With various ways to stay connected and reconnect with people across the world, it has played a large role today. Here are some benefits and tips for seniors using social media.
Social media is a great way to keep in touch with your family and friends. These sites make communicating easy and can help to close distance gaps. Skype allows you to video chat with people that are down the street or across the world. Facebook allows you to see glimpses of people’s lives- the pictures, videos, and statuses they post regardless of where they are in the world. It is also a great way to keep track of the younger generation: your grandkids, nieces, and nephews.
It is not only a great way to keep in touch with people, it is also a good way to reconnect with people you have lost contact with over the years. Maybe it is a long-lost childhood friend, or a neighbor you had a while back, either way, social media will allow you to reconnect easily and be able to see what their lives are like now.
Social Media is a great opportunity to continue learning. There are always interesting articles and videos being posted about various topics. Not only is it a great way to learn new things, you can also meet people with the same interests as you.
You can find an array of information on social media; not everything you see will be educational. Social media is a great outlet for entertainment. You can find latest news stories, various entertainers, and musicians, videos of cute animals and more on a daily basis. There are tutorials for learning new crafts and hobbies, advertisements for the newest businesses, products, and styles.
There are some definite “Don’ts” when it comes to social media; Never include important information on social media. You should never post your address, social security number or other important information. There are people out there that will steal your information. It is also important to be careful of who you are adding on your social media accounts. Never accept friend requests or invitations from someone you do not know.
There are many benefits to using social media. If you are careful and have fun while using whatever platform you choose, you will enjoy your social media experience.