I would encourage you to stop by "The Cloisters" http://www.thecloisters.com/ My parents have lived there for almost 5 years now. It's a wonderful place, the only thing is they don't take Alzheimer patients. They have a dining room where everyone eats. And I think it's like a park atmosphere with lots of walking trails, good security, and many benches from which one can watch the squirrels at play. Deland, FL is right off of I-4, take 44, go west about 4 or 5 miles, you'll see a Walgreens at the corner of Amilia av, turn left, the first street will be Howry Av, turn left, you will see the guard shack on the right. Make sure you check out the downtown are while you are in Deland, it's a great little town for walking.
I went through this same thing with my parents. My sister and their doctors were very instrumental in making it all work. I had received many phone calls from their church, as well as others. My parents were calling 911 about 3 times a week, for everything from falling in the shower, to a needed visit to the ER. It was very tough, and I felt like they hated me for the first six months after the move. They had been in that house since 1976.
Now, they are happy, pleased that they moved, and very active. In fact, this week they went with the group to Ballroom dancing lessons, which, back in the day, they did a couple of times a week. My dad was joking with me and said, "I think your mother believes it's going to be like dancing with the stars, I've got news for her, no ones getting thrown in the air." ;D
They also have a Wii bowling team, they travel around playing other assisted living centers. Most of the units have a stove and an oven for those that like to cook, which, was the only way to get my mom to move. She was insistent that she get an oven, and most places we checked, did not have one. One of my moms friends there is from Texas, she said the Cloisters is the nicest place she had seen in the country. She and her husband, lived at a place in Texas for a very short time, she said she had to get out of there.
There are others that live there that are younger, 50's & 60's. Most of these people say they just wanted to find a place they were happy, that would be their choice. Many of the residents still do travel, they go to Vegas, a Cruise, or a beach, etc., and then back home to the Cloisters. Many live there for the security, the fellowship of others there own age, or just the convenience. My mom asks my dad to hang pictures, he calls maintenance, they come right up and get those pictures hung. Once a week housekeeping comes in to clean, they have transportation where they will take you to the Doctor, or just about where ever you need to go. But my folks, and many others, still have their cars.
Hopefully this will help you around one of those Road blocks.
