Sandy prompts some elderly to seek assisted living

Johnston, a widow who raised three children with her late husband, had lived alone in an Amityville condo for the past 14 years. Amid dire storm warnings ahead of Sandy's arrival, Johnston's daughter took her mother to her home in nearby Lindenhurst. It was a prudent decision, since the condominium was destroyed by the storm surge, said the daughter, Linda Monaco.

"The canal came up and went through her entire house; water came in the back door and went out the front door," Monaco said. Johnston has not wanted to return to see the destruction. "I have a china cabinet with Waterford crystal," Johnston said, only to be corrected by her daughter: "You had a china cabinet; that's shot."

Although her own home was spared from flooding, Monaco said much of her community was not as fortunate. Several houses burned to the ground, and a neighborhood was without heat or electricity for two weeks. Monaco quickly realized she could not care for her mother, who was shivering under a mountain of blankets. Within days of Sandy's departure, Monaco said she was lucky to find a space for her mother at the Bristal facility in Massapequa, about two miles from Johnston's home.

Johnston still is adjusting to her new surroundings, where residents are monitored by staff and given three meals a day, plus a spectrum of activities from music appreciation seminars and Bingo to trips to Broadway shows.

"I have been an independent person," Johnston said. "This is the first time in my life that I felt old, and it's a little shocking. It is a tremendous emotional adjustment."

Anne Pinter, senior vice president of the national assisted-living company Atria, said her company's Northeast facilities saw an 18 percent increase in occupancy during October and November, compared with a year ago.

Patty Tucker, a spokeswoman for the Health Care Association of New Jersey — a trade group representing assisted living facilities and nursing homes — said there has been an increase in temporary admissions to assisted living facilities.

But she said it may be too soon to know if those seeking shelter while their homes are repaired will remain permanently. Pinter said her company typically sees about a 30 percent retention rate in those who initially move in temporarily and then opt for permanent residence.

Lorraine Miller lived in her ranch house in the Harbor Isle community of Island Park for 41 years until four feet of water came gushing in during the storm. Miller, who turned 84 on Dec. 24, used to work as a dental assistant for her late husband. He children had been prodding her for years to sell the house and move to assisted living. She finally relented after the storm.

"I really didn't want to go because I love my home," she said. But Sandy was the clincher that convinced her to move; she now lives at an Atria facility in Lynbrook. "I can't go back at this age and start buying furniture and appliances and all the rest. I'm better off here where I get three delicious meals a day and they come and clean up your apartment and make your bed. What could be better?"