Mother is 88 years old and in pretty good health for someone her age. She is not active, however, and uses a walker. She spends most of her time sitting in her recliner watching TV. She's never enjoyed meeting and spending time with new people. If we were able to convince her to try an assisted living community, she would just want to be left alone in her room and not be urged to join any activity. When I see pictures of residents in these communities they all seem to be having fun. Are there places for people like her who just want to be left alone?
My daughter is a PTA at a very nice ALF. She says the real problem arises when family expect the resident to participate in activities and want the staff to encourage that, but the resident does NOT want to do it. They get comments like, "I've never liked bingo in my entire life! What makes my daughter think I should play it now?!"
If you are considering certain ALFs, ask your question there. What do they do with residents who prefer to be left to themselves? If you find one you want your mother to visit, talk to the person who will be providing the tour and ask them to not emphasize the activities.