The irony cuts through the air as a cheesy but entertaining singer plays the 1930s hit “Sitting on Top of the World” for the senior residents of The Lindley Inn.
Ermyl Ballinger, 95, came to The Lindley Inn, 9000 Hocking Hills Dr., six years ago with her sister June Hunter in order to receive the quality care Hunter needed toward the end of her life.
“I had sold everything I had and had no place to go,” Ballinger said. “This is a stopping place.”
Two years ago, Hunter died, leaving Ballinger with a two-bedroom suite all to herself — and a host of problems.
Floyd, her husband of 58 years, had passed away in the early ’90s. Her two sons, who both served in the U.S. military, had died from cancer. And her youngest daughter — and last surviving family member — no longer speaks to her for reasons Ballinger prefers not to share.
Ballinger sold her house and most of her extraneous possessions in order to afford the care offered at the Lindley facilities, which includes three meals a day, utilities, nursing care, driving escorts, housekeeping, special events and more.
“We are grateful that we have these sorts of facilities to rely on,” said Kitty Horan, who frequently visits her sister’s mother-in-law at the Lindley. “It’s a better alternative to nursing homes.”
Nursing homes are different because they look and feel more like hospitals, while assisted living facilities try to make the residents feel more at home, said Tiffany Tolson, residence manager at The Lindley.
And although residents like Ballinger might prefer assisted living to a nursing home, the costs can be steep.
The median rate for assisted-living facilities in the state of Ohio is $3,713 per month, according to a 2011 MetLife Mature Market Study. The Lindley declined to supply cost estimates for its care. Tolson, though, said the price varies greatly depending on the resident’s medical needs.
Healthcare plans can offset costs by almost 75 percent, which can make the care more affordable. But for residents like Ballinger, who only have Medicare, the cost for privatized assisted living all comes out of pocket.
Ballinger, who only has a high school degree, worked at various restaurants when she was younger. She babysat for 30 years and made pies for restaurants, as well. Today, though, she struggles to pay the expenses to live at The Lindley.
“They are good to me here; I can’t complain,” she said. “I’m only here because I’m out of any place to stay that I can afford. And I don’t know at this point if I would be able to live alone at this point, because I’m in a wheelchair … and I have trouble getting around.”
At 95 years old, Ballinger said she mostly takes care of herself. She takes walks in her wheelchair along the sidewalks behind the building and is able to administer her own medication. Other patients, though, require much greater assistance.
“We deal with a lot of Alzheimer’s and dementia,” Tolson said. “We do have a system in place for individuals that can’t make safe decisions for themselves. Like if they were to go outside, an alarm system would alert us.”
These residents are allowed on The Lindley’s outside grounds, but the staff is notified when they are. These greater-needs patients, however, can put a bigger strain on the medical staff.
Lindley Inn has 48 beds, and getting in can be a challenge for many in Athens, who can often end up on a waiting list.
“In years past, it has been hard to get in,” Tolson said. “If they can’t get in here, they have to go to a nursing home, because we’re the only (assisted-living facility) in the area.”
Thought she lives at The Lindley now, Ballinger said in time she might have to transfer to a nursing home because of the facility’s costs, or because of her worsening health.
“(A nursing home) is where I’ll probably have to go to once I’ve exhausted my facilities,” she said. “It’s just one of those things of life.”
wh092010@ohiou.edu
