Some people go to Milan and Paris to shop. Some people come to Manhattan. Mom goes to Lawn Giland.
Here are some thoughts on the logistics and issues.
Visiting these facilities is like doing the college tour. Visiting when the kids aren't around really misses the point, unless you like seeing buildings that aren't especially well maintained.
We found last time that the places are pretty dead in the afternoon as many of the residents are off-site or in their apartments then. The mornings seem to have more activity. So it's much more useful to visit them in the morning. That means we need two days for the visits, as the chance of making it to two in one morning is pretty much nil. And the visits should be on weekdays, for the same reason - the weekends have no activities, people are out visiting family or the family is visiting them, and generally don't represent life as Mom would experience it most of the time.
I understand that weekdays could be a problem for the working folk amongst us. Can you make it work? In any event, Shelley & I would take the tour again.
Mom can't reasonably travel home after spending the morning home shopping. And there are a couple of other things we might try that day, assuming it goes well and there's a likely decision or even a near term move. Like furniture shopping, and definitely bed shopping. Again, if it looks like we might have a decision, picking out the bed so it can be delivered the day before she arrives would be very useful. A set of sheets, etc.
So a rough schedule might look something like this (I'm obviously open to suggestions, corrections and improvements):
Day 1 - I fly to Florida. We meet with the realtor. We start the Stuff Sorting process.
Day 2 - more Stuff Sorting. Meet with or talk to an estate sale type. Although perhaps leaving the apartment furnished until it's sold is a better idea. After she moves out, we can finish the cleaning process to make it show as well as possible.
Day 3 - travel to NY.
Day 4 - visit Atria; bed shopping.
Day 5 - visit Bristal; furniture shopping.
Day 6 - I bring her back to Florida. If possible, I come home as well.
In the meantime, Shelley's having both places send brochures to Mom. She's also going to check on vacancies and ask about a trial residency as well as tours.
I think this could move very quickly. I'd be mildly surprised if her choice of home had no vacancies at all. Assuming the vacancy they have is not her first choice, she can start in on apartment and then move when her first choice opens up.
Thoughts?
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Remember ... life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.
