“I wanted my mom to continue to feel independent — it was very important to me for her to feel that — but I also wanted her to be surrounded by care. At The Sterling, she has her own apartment, which makes her very happy, with people on-site to check in on her. Knowing she has that combination means I can sleep at night.”
– Frieda Zigler, Daughter of Luba Zigler, The Sterling Aventura resident

 

In December 2019, Frieda Zigler’s 88-year-old mom, Luba, was enjoying living in her condo and getting along fine on her own. In January 2020, things suddenly changed for Luba when she developed a urinary tract infection so severe it required several weeks of hospitalization followed by months of rehab. “The UTI created havoc with Mom’s entire system. In mid-March she was going to be released from rehab, but she still wasn’t well enough to go back to living at her condo,” Frieda said. “I knew I couldn’t give her the intensive care she was going to need at home with me, and that I had to find a senior living community that could.”

As part of doing her homework and exploring options around the Aventura area, Frieda checked out The Sterling and liked what she saw. “A one-bedroom assisted living apartment was perfect for Mom. I liked the people, and it’s five minutes from my house,” she said, “so I knew it would be easy for me to go and see her every day if I wanted to.” Feeling confident about her decision, Frieda acted quickly and managed to move her mom into her apartment right before the COVID-19 shutdown. “The staff was amazing and helped in every way to get her acclimated. Our family helped too, by moving in her bedroom suite of 60 years, all her artwork — she paints — and buying new furniture for the living room better suited for the space and for her.”

Luba needed a higher level of daily care to continue her rehab. “It’s worked out very well. I’m really glad I was able to get her in there. Mom’s been very happy at The Sterling,” Frieda said, “and I don’t think she could be getting better care anywhere else. In fact, she’s been doing so well that recently her necessary care level went down!”

In addition to being able to continue to enjoy a mostly independent lifestyle, part of Luba’s happiness comes from her ability to stay in touch with family, in spite of the pandemic. “Recently, because restrictions have eased, I was able to go and see Mom and FaceTime with her when my son and daughter-in-law gave her the news that she was going to be a great-grandmother,” Frieda said. “She was overjoyed and it was great to be able to share that special moment with her.”