Lil, positive aging

by Wendy, www.retirement-online.com
(Michigan)

A silly photo, I know... Terry, Lil and Wendy!

Lil is the grandmother of my niece and nephews… we’ve known her for 40+ years now. Lil and her husband, Chet, moved from Michigan to Las Vegas when he retired 37 years ago… he died within the first year. Lil remained in Vegas all these years. Alone.

Fifteen years ago, Lil had a stroke. She remained living at her home until two years ago, when frequent falls pushed her into Assisted Living. She now lives at Atria Sutton in Vegas.

On our vacation here in October 2017, we visited Lil. She is now age 90, uses a walker to prevent falls, and still has limited use of her right arm due to the stroke…

Does that scenario sound rather bleak to you?

Well, let me tell you… Lil is living THE life right now at age 90. Yes, she’d rather be in her own home and younger and physically fit (she loved to golf). BUT — she has so nicely adjusted her mindset and lives quite well with what she has now.

The only time she “whined” was that “sometimes they have activities all day long!” And yes, she attends them all! I love that! Go Lil!

A few things I learned about her new lifestyle at Attria Sutton:

Lil lives in a one bedroom apartment. She has a bathroom with a huge comfortable shower, a small kitchenette with a frig, sink, and microwave, and a bedroom large enough for a her bed, chair and table, tv etc. There are 2 closets, one for clothing (its huge) and one for other things you might store.

Lil admitted she still falls here and there. But she can push the button on the monitor around her neck and someone is there within minutes.

Lil loves her many friends. Someone always ready to hang out, chit chat, and attend activities. She knows many people there and is full of greetings as she passes others by.


The place is beautifully decorated, clean, everything appears new and very nice! The bingo room, for example, has big beautiful shelving and a fireplace. There is a pool table in another room. Along the walls of the hallways are railings if you need a bit of help while walking.

One of Lil’s friends recently moved in. When they were seeking a place to live, they got lists of places to check out… and Attria Sutton was on top of the list. Woot! Lil chose to move here as she knew someone else who lived here… and it’s worked out so nicely.

At each door, is the resident’s name, photo, and a small shelf where they put items about who they are… interesting to view as we walked to Lil’s room. You could see each resident’s personality, or what they did in life. At Lil’s door, she had a golf trophy from when she got a Hole in One, a Guild she belonged to, a small quilt she purchased on a trip. Others had military memories, family photos, flowers, whatever they choose to show others who they are. I really liked this personal affect.

There are parties, bingo offered most days, entertainment (singers, movies, and a Murder Mystery play the day we visited). Yes, Lil showed us the facility, took her purchases back to her room, and then visited the group to watch the show! They are offered outings too: dinner at a restaurant, Friday casino trips, and more.

Residents receive a list of daily activities (and it’s also posted in the elevators daily). Lil attends most of them.

Finally, Lil’s grandson, my nephew Chaz, called when I got home, curious how our day with Lil went. I told him how busy she was with the many activities daily in the home, He agreed, “I’ve called her for weeks now, every time she can’t talk…she’s at Bingo or the movies, or whatever…” He was sincerely happy for her too!

Life is short and Lil intends to make the most of it…

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