Assisted Living

Modern assisted living is nothing like a nursing home! Assisted living has become the preferred option for aging seniors who would love to remain in their own homes but just can’t swing it any more, due to increasing physical or medical needs. Health and safety come first, but no one wants to relinquish their independence and privacy. In assisted living, you don’t necessarily have to.

As of 2017, the National Investment Center reports there were more than 6,300 professionally managed assisted living communities providing about 475,500 apartments in the US.

Assisted living serves seniors who are doing well overall but need just enough help with specific tasks to fill in the gaps, with a goal of maximum independence:

• Changing times means changing lifestyles. Adult children often live farther away than in the past, and families seem to be busier than ever, making it impractical to care for aging parents.
• Many more people live in smaller homes – apartments and condos, or single family homes with less square footage – leaving no room to take in aging relatives.
• We’re all feeling more independent now, regardless of age, and many seniors don’t want to live with their adult children. They want their privacy, and they don’t want to be a burden.

A couple of generations ago there was no such thing as formalized assisted living. When Mom or Dad got to the point where they couldn’t manage on their own, they moved in with one of their adult children. The family provided whatever assistance was needed. If Mom or Dad became so ill or so mentally challenged with dementia that family care was no longer workable, they moved into a nursing home. More often than not, it was a cheerless place that offered medical care but little else.

For seniors with no family to take them in, the nursing home was often the only choice. Regardless of the reasons, nobody wanted to go there. Today, seniors have far more choices when it comes to where and how they live, including a continuum of specialized care options:

• Independent Living
• Catered Living
• Personal Care
• Assisted Living
• Memory Care
• Rehabilitation
• Skilled Nursing

We’ve all moved from one home to another during our lives, and perhaps several times. It’s never fun, especially if you’re leaving a home and neighborhood where you’ve lived for many years, or where you have established deep relationships. Moving to assisted living can feel even more daunting. It is not only a change of address, it is an admission that you cannot do everything by yourself as you used to. It is a natural progression for the vast majority of seniors, but it can feel like a personal failing.

Assisted living accentuates the positive

Magnolia Manor is a faith-based, non-profit organization that provides a full spectrum of senior living and care options. We offer assisted living at 5 of our 8 campuses throughout Georgia – in Americus, Columbus, Moultrie, Richmond Hill, and St. Marys. 

Each of our communities is different in its overall size, setting, and the range of care services and on-campus amenities that are available. The one thing that never varies is our dedication to serving residents of all faiths with an unwavering commitment to each person’s physical, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Assisted living is about more than a place to sleep and getting the daily help you require. It’s about the setting. The people. The amenities. The lifestyle. And that special something we call atmosphere. It’s a place where you can kick back but also continue to stretch and grow. For residents at our Magnolia Manor campuses, assisted living is about community, life, and living.

In this guide, we’ll explore what assisted living is all about. What are your housing options? What is everyday life like? How much does it cost? And how on Earth do you pick the right one? We’ll give you a lot to think about and help you identify additional questions to ask. You’ll have lots of questions, and we hope some helpful answers!

At Magnolia Manor, we have faith that you will find an assisted living home that feels just right for you. Change is inevitable, but by investigating your options thoroughly, you will come to discover that there is far more to love than regret about moving to an assisted living community. There will be a lot to think about, but we are always available to help answer your questions.

As we age, many of us tire of doing chores we used to tackle with energy – household maintenance, yard work, cleaning. Seniors with enough resources can hire professionals to take over this work, or family and friends might pitch in to lend a hand with things like cooking and transportation to appointments and shopping, possibly even some personal care tasks.

However, there’s a difference between household chores and what we call “activities of daily living,” or ADLs. These are identified as:

• Bathing, toileting, and incontinence
• Dressing
• Eating
• Hygiene and grooming
• Laundry
• Mobility
• Shopping
• Using the phone

Aside from family and friends, seniors can enlist help from Meals on Wheels, private caregivers (visiting nurses and other at-home service providers), and local government programs to handle daily living tasks. This can be particularly helpful for couples, when one is serving as caregiver for the other, because the healthier spouse can quickly become overwhelmed, negatively affecting their own health.

Personal care and assisted living are not the same

At Magnolia Manor, we no longer offer personal care as a care option. But, while personal care encompasses some ADLs, here in Georgia, there is a legal distinction between this and assisted living. For example, personal care staff can store and bring your medications to you, but it’s up to you to take them. Assisted living staff can administer medications to ensure patients take their meds as directed and on time.

Wherever you live, for couples or single seniors, in-home assistance with care and chores can help you remain independent longer, and it can help you get used to the value of receiving assistance. But it only goes so far.

Living the carefree life!

In assisted living, the emphasis is on living. You can retain your privacy and enjoy as much quiet time as you want alone in your apartment. But you can also take advantage of a multitude of activities, from arts and crafts to yoga or educational classes. One of the best things? You can get help with things you can still do yourself but don’t want to, such as cooking, housekeeping, and laundry.

Every assisted living facility offers a different range of educational, entertainment, cultural, fitness, and other amenities. Sometimes the choices are vast, sometimes more limited, but the goal is usually to provide something for everyone. Here at Magnolia Manor, our communities are all different, yet they all provide richly varied opportunities to exercise your body and mind and feed your spirit.

Assisted living can be a good choice for single seniors, couples, or just one spouse. Loving couples support one another in life, often even more so as they age. But when the caregiver becomes overwhelmed, it can take a toll on their own health and well-being. If one spouse needs more advanced care than assisted living can provide, separation is the only choice.

Full spectrum of care

In communities that offer multiple types of senior care, it is possible that couples can choose separate units within the same community. For instance, Mom could move into an assisted living unit while Dad moves into an independent living unit. Or memory care. This option makes it much easier for couples to spend as much time as possible together while ensuring both get exactly the amount of care they need.

Several of our Magnolia Manor communities serve memory care, rehabilitation, and/or skilled nursing residents, as well as those in assisted living and seniors who are still fully independent.

Taking time to learn about assisted living and explore the options most interesting to you allows you to mentally prepare for the transition. When the time comes, you’ll know you made the choice, and it’s a good one!

Assisted living facilities look as different as their residents. You’ll find elegant urban apartment buildings, home-like settings in residential neighborhoods, suburban or even rural complexes that include a variety of housing types and multiple buildings, and facilities that provide a wing of assisted living apartments but also serve memory care and/or skilled nursing residents in separate wings. Some are home to hundreds of residents, some are far smaller and much more intimate. Each has its own distinct style and personality.

A few assisted living facilities offer shared rooms for residents. However, most often housing units are individual, private apartments in studio, 1-bedroom, or 2-bedroom configurations. Floorplans are usually compact but may include features such as kitchenettes or snack prep space, balconies or porches, and parking for residents who own and drive their own car. Magnolia Manor offers a variety of options to meet your needs.

All facilities that provide assisted living care are licensed, regulated and monitored by their state government. Specific services offered vary by facility, but generally cover:

• Assistance with activities of daily living, or ADLs
• Maintenance and administration of prescription medications
• Coordination with residents’ primary care provider
• Meals
• Social and recreational activities
• Housekeeping and laundry services
• 24-hour emergency care

You can also find assisted living communities that cater to a specific faith, residents who speak a certain language or have some other type of cultural affiliation. At Magnolia Manor, although we are faith-based we welcome and encourage residents of all faiths to join our diverse and vibrant population.

We can’t speak for any other senior living communities, but we can give you a glimpse of assisted living in action at our Magnolia Manor communities. Of course, you’ll need more than a glimpse to make a final decision, so please plan to visit us, too. We can’t wait to give you a tour! For now, here’s an overview.

Each of our communities is unique in its surroundings, architecture, housing details and range of services and amenities available to residents. But every Magnolia Manor community speaks to mind, body and spirit.

Whichever Magnolia Manor community you choose, your days will be your own. Of course staff will be there to provide the assistance you need. But you can rise and go to bed whenever you want, enjoy scrumptious meals cooked by our professional chefs, fill your hours with myriad scheduled activities and events, hang out with friends over coffee, take the shuttle into town for shopping, take a stroll around the campus, or settle into your favorite chair with a good book in the cozy comfort of your own apartment.

Americus
This is our flagship community, and our largest and most diverse. In addition to a wide variety of independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care options, the Mattie H. Marshall Memory Care Center is licensed as an assisted living facility for individuals struggling with dementia. If its size, location, and vibrant atmosphere appeal to you, please contact us directly to learn about assisted living availability at Americus.

Columbus
Can you picture yourself on “the banks of the Chattahoochee, where the Piedmont meets the Plain”? Then you’ll love our Columbus campus. There are 44 spacious assisted living apartments for individuals in need of specialized memory care. We also offer separate accommodations for rehabilitation, memory care, and skilled nursing residents.

Moultrie
This is a small community where it’s easy to feel like part of the family. There are just 48 apartments in all, serving independent and assisted living residents. With 1 or 2 bedroom independent living units with kitchens and 1 bedroom assisted living units, these apartments are large and well-appointed. Some have screened porches or balconies.

Richmond Hill
It’s so beautiful here! Our Richmond Hill campus sits on 40 acres in Georgia’s famous low country, near the coast – perfect for walking or fishing in one of the lakes. Our facilities are lovely, too, with large apartments for assisted living or independent residents plus a café, chapel, and even a media center.

St. Marys
Did you know that St. Marys is rated one of Georgia’s Top 10 Happiest Cities? What senior wouldn’t want to live here! The town is charming, and our campus is small and serene. Assisted living apartments are available in 1- and 2-bedroom floor plans.

Many residents come into assisted living needing help with just one or two tasks each day. But over time it becomes harder to bathe, or dress, or use the bathroom on your own, and your physical or mental health may deteriorate.

Staff offer additional help as your needs change, as long as the help you need still falls within the services defined by state licensing regulations. Some assisted living facilities increase fees for added services, others (including Magnolia Manor) do not.

If a time comes when you require more extensive, ongoing care than is available in assisted living, you simply move to a higher level of care, such as skilled nursing or to a memory care facility that specializes in Alzheimer’s OR other types of dementia.

Often a move is necessitated by a serious fall, a heart attack, stroke, etc. Even after spending some time in rehabilitation, many patients realize they are no longer able to remain in assisted living. That said, if your recuperation is successful, you will be able to return to your assisted living home.

Because we offer a full spectrum of care among our Magnolia Manor communities, even if you must move from one type of care to another, you can remain within our “family.” You might even be able to remain on the same campus. For example, Americus and Columbus offer rehabilitation, memory care and skilled nursing, as well as personal care or assisted living. 

Some of our advanced care facilities have waiting lists. However, as a current assisted living resident you would automatically be placed at the top of the waitlist.

As you’re investigating different assisted living options, ask what arrangements are possible should your future needs change significantly. Facilities vary widely in this regard, and many do not offer the full spectrum of care that you’ll find at Magnolia Manor.

Just as assisted living facilities can vary considerably in their ambiance and amenities, their cost can also vary considerably. Specific type and size of housing, the amount and type of assistance you require, and location (urban vs. rural, and the part of the country) all affect the price you pay for assisted living.

If you choose a Continuing Care Retirement Community, you will have to pay a substantial buy-in fee. AARP reports the average buy-in was $329,000 in 2017. You will still have to pay for optional extras after you move in. Most assisted living communities charge by the month, but you can still expect to pay between $1000 and $5,000, according to the American Seniors Housing Association. Because Magnolia Manor is not a CCRC, you don’t have to worry about those large buy-in fees here. We charge by the month with no long term contracts.

Cost matters to everybody, regardless of your financial status, so your overarching goal in researching assisted living options is to find a place that balances your preferences with your budget. When you compare assisted living costs to the total you’re paying now for monthly living expenses, you may be quite surprised to find assisted living is a great value.

After all, you’ll likely be getting a lot more in the way of services, amenities, social and educational opportunities and security as well as housing. And you won’t have to pay a stack of separate bills each month. Seniors often find that assisted living actually costs less than living at home and receiving multiple types of in-home care.

Costs to consider

Right now, unless your home is paid off, you have a monthly mortgage or rent payment. You’ll have a monthly payment for assisted living, too. As already noted, though, that amount often includes meals, assistance with housekeeping, laundry, etc. Exactly what is included varies by community (and even within our Magnolia Manor family, so don’t hesitate to ask for a breakdown of what’s included).

So it is crucial to clarify costs as you start narrowing your assisted living choices. You don’t want to inadvertently make an assumption that could affect your expenses later. Typical costs to ask about include:

• Waiting list deposit
• Move-in fee (not the same as a CCRC buy-in fee, and ours are very modest)
• Cable TV and/or WiFi
• Housekeeping
• Laundry
• Meals
• Parking
• Transportation
• Utilities
• Wellness programs/fitness center usage

How do they charge?

Along with understanding what is included in the base fee versus what each facility charges extra for, it is important to understand how you will be charged. For example:

• Some offer an à la carte menu of services or tiered pricing based on the specific help you will need with activities of daily living and so on. Charges may be calculated according to the daily time required to provide this help, or services may be bundled into groups that reflect level of care – basics such as medication administration or weekly housekeeping as opposed to assistance with other tasks such as personal hygiene, dressing, etc.
• Other facilities simply charge a monthly flat fee that covers whatever services you require, regardless of how many. Your cost won’t increase if you need more assistance later on. That’s the way we handle things at Magnolia Manor.

Is there a contract?

Some assisted living communities require you to sign a long-term contract. Be sure to ask what will happen if your care needs change such that assisted living is no longer a viable option. If you don’t want to sign a long-term contract, you can quickly rule out any communities that require this. Here at Magnolia Manor, we do not require you to make a long-term commitment, nor do we charge a hefty move-in fee as some communities do.

What about the future?

Our monthly fees do increase periodically, reflecting the fact that the cost of everything goes up over time. As you’re considering the cost of various assisted living communities, be sure to ask about rate increases. It can help in your planning and decision-making to know how often and how much you might expect a particular facility to increase their fees.

As you’re planning your assisted living budget, also keep in mind that should you require more advanced skilled nursing or memory care in the future, care at these levels will cost substantially more.

Our Cost of Living Calculator will help you compare costs

Our calculator is easy to use. You can compare your current living expenses against costs at any of our communities and also use that information to compare one campus to another, if you’re considering more than one. Three clicks and you’re there:

1. Select the campus you are interested in. Let’s use Richmond Hill as an example.
2. Select the appropriate level of care – in this case assisted living.
3. Choose the type of housing/floor plan you would prefer (some of our assisted living campuses offer both 1- and 2-bedroom units). Let’s pick 1-bedroom for our example.

The calculator displays a chart that shows the cost for one person, which includes three meals per day. For couples, there is an additional fee for the second person. The chart also lists common household/living expenses, with space to enter your own current costs. In the next column, you can see which of these expenses are included in your unit’s fee. In our example, that’s everything except Wi-Fi.

Below the chart, you can check out the apartment’s floor plan. This one has a food prep area as well as separate bedroom, living room and bath.

At Magnolia Manor, we are especially pleased to offer a richly varied and spiritually uplifting assisted living experience to every resident, at a cost that is surprisingly affordable. While every campus is different, our devotion to serving each individual with friendly, professional care never varies. Our residents say that brings peace of mind, and we believe that peace of mind is priceless.

When you move to an assisted living community you will still be personally responsible for the cost, just the same as living in your own home or a rental. Your monthly payment will likely cover some other expenses you’re now paying separately (utilities, care services, and so on), but the bottom line is that the money will have to come from your own assets.

Personal assets most commonly used to pay for assisted living include:

• Social Security payments
• Savings or annuity withdrawals
• IRAs or other retirement accounts
• VA Aid and Attendance Benefits

If your adult children are able to help out financially, that can help stretch your own assets. There are also other possible resources you may be able to call on. For instance, financial experts strongly recommend that adults purchase long-term care insurance, since chances are good you’ll need it. They say the best time to buy is in your 60s, since purchasing earlier means you’ll pay out a lot of money in premiums before ever needing the benefits.

However, it’s almost never too late to look into this option. Not all policies are the same, though, so be sure you understand what is covered, to what extent, and under what circumstances to accurately compare long-term care policies.

Medicare does not pay for assisted living, although far too many seniors mistakenly assume this is so. Medicare is health insurance, so your medical and pharmaceutical coverage will continue as usual after you move. Medicaid is a separate program which is administered by each state. Some states use this program to subsidize assisted living for certain low-income individuals, but the state of Georgia does not.

Our Affording Senior Living guide describes all the types of resources – personal and external – that may be at your disposal to help pay for assisted living expenses when the time comes. It also offers tips to help maximize your resources.

Gorgeous photographs of stunning surroundings may catch your eye, but what’s the place really like? The only services and amenities that matter are the ones that contribute to your personal well-being. If you’re not a golfer, who needs a golf course? On the other hand, you can enjoy the residents’ rhythm band at our Magnolia Manor Moultrie campus, whether you play an instrument or excel at applauding from the audience.

The “right” assisted living community is the one that suits you, or you and your spouse together, in the way you want to live – with just the right amount of help from the staff. Outstanding staff is a priority, of course. Ultimately, though, it is the setting, the compassionate and caring attitude of staff, the atmosphere and the people (both staff and fellow residents) that will come together to make your new home feel homey and comfortable.

What services will you need?

One thing we all get good at as we age is denial, convincing ourselves we can do everything we used to do. You don’t need help, you just do things a little slower nowadays. Or you’ve simply stopped doing things because you cannot. It’s often a loved one, an in-home caregiver or even a neighbor who has to broach the subject of assisted living. Now is the time for unvarnished self-honesty – and your reward will be a somewhat different but far more rewarding life that accentuates the positive.

So, on your own, or with a friend or family member, make a list of services you need right now. Maybe it’s only one thing, such as cooking or keeping your medications straight. Maybe it’s several things including bathing and dressing. How often do you need this help?

The next step in choosing an assisted living community is to pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea, and sit down to make a list of what factors and features are most important to you beyond assistance with specific activities of daily living. How a place feels is very personal, so only you know what matters most. Then, as you research potential communities, consider these key issues as they relate to your wants and needs:

• Age range of residents (at Magnolia Manor, our minimum age is 62)
• Visitation policies, for children as well as adults
• Which meals are provided, and if there are multiple dining options (dining hall, café, etc.)
• Transportation available to those without a car or who don’t drive
• What is covered (and what is not) by monthly fees
• Security and emergency protocols
• Aging in place options, if any

Seeing is believing

It is not wise to select an assisted living community without visiting in person. You have to see, smell, listen and touch for yourself. After all, this will be your new neighborhood. These will be your new neighbors. And these will be the professional staff who will provide the daily assistance you need, do so many other things to enrich your life, and be there for you if something goes wrong, from a burned-out light bulb to an emergency.

Once you’ve created a short list of favorite facilities, it’s time to schedule a visit. Allow plenty of time, because while you’re there you will want to:

• Tour the entire community to get a feel for the facilities and overall surroundings
• Eat a meal -- do they offer snacks and accommodate special diets?
• Mingle with some residents to get the inside scoop – do they like living here and interact congenially with each other?
• Meet some staff – are they personable, welcoming, well-trained?
• Check out the wellness/fitness center
• Check out a housing unit like the one you’re considering -- is it well-lit, clean and in excellent repair?
• Peek into the chapel, meet the chaplain (or join in a service, if the timing is right)
• Sit down for a one-on-one chat with intake staff, to discuss your personal situation and desires, confirm the facility’s credentials, etc.

Quality assisted living facilities expect you to ask lots of questions, so don’t be shy! Finding a comfortable fit is essential. How will this place enrich your mind and spirit as well as physical well-being?

Plan to visit more than once. After a comprehensive tour and talking with lots of people, you may feel worn out and overwhelmed. Write down your thoughts and additional questions to ask. Once you’ve visited all your favorites, schedule a second visit to the one or two stand-outs. Can you easily picture yourself living here? You want to be sure.

Sooner is better

Sadly, far too many seniors put off considering assisted living until they have no choice. Hasty decisions are rarely good ones, and you deserve to treat yourself better than that! If you don’t need (much) help now, this is the perfect time to contemplate the future – carefully and completely. The sooner you start planning, the more choices you’ll have when the time does come to make a decision. Besides, popular assisted living communities often have waiting lists. If you find The One, you can get on their list.

Where to find assisted living communities near you

Before you can look for specific living options, you have to decide where you want to live. For many seniors, that’s right where you are now. You know the town, you have established friends and favorite places to shop. Your church, pastor and family are nearby. Moving to assisted living will require only a move across town.

On the other hand, since you have to move, maybe you’d rather be closer to the grandkids you don’t get to see very often. A longer distance move that puts you nearer family could benefit everyone – after all, they miss you as much as you miss them. Plus you’ll have a front-row seat and plenty of interaction as the little ones grow up.

Or perhaps you want to get away from winter snow and ice, someplace with more opportunities to soak up the sun on your patio or wiggle your toes on a sandy beach. One of the things that attracts potential residents to Magnolia Manor is the diverse geography of Southern Georgia. Our campuses take full advantage of these different settings, nestled in wooded rolling hills or capturing coastal breezes. You can choose Magnolia Manor as your assisted living provider and still have multiple choices when it comes to setting, amenities, and community flavor.

Wherever you go, you’ll find an entire community of potential new friends to meet.

With a location in mind, you can start your search

That can feel overwhelming, but there are many resources you can tap into to find assisted living communities you might like:

• Do you have friends or family members currently living in assisted living (or a retirement community that includes assisted living facilities)? What do they like (or not) like about it?
• Your local Senior Center can make referrals (and the patrons can be good contacts, too)
• Your pastor and fellow congregants may have suggestions for you
• Talk to your doctor or other health care providers
• Look online. You can find for-profit and non-profit senior care advisors and organizations, not to mention individual assisted living facilities.

You can also search for assisted living communities by state here.

Leaving your long-time home and neighborhood is difficult. If you have a pet, leaving them behind can be even more difficult. After all, they are part of your family. Some assisted living communities welcome small pets, even cats or dogs. But you should be prepared to discover that the communities you like best may not be pet-friendly. Here at Magnolia Manor, most of our communities do not allow pets.

As you research communities, ask about your pet’s eligibility to make the move with you. If friends or family have pets, ask whether they may be allowed to visit, or if you’ll have to go off-premise to visit them. Magnolia Manor does allow pets to visit, just not overnight. If it becomes clear that your furry companion cannot accompany you, making proactive plans for their future will help soothe your concerns and assure they will be moving into a great new home, just as you will be:

• Is there a friend or family member who might adopt them?
• Ask your veterinarian if another client would be willing to add your pet to their family.
• Your local no-kill animal shelter or a rescue group for your dog’s breed will happily take responsibility for finding an appropriate and loving new home for your pet.

There is nothing easy about making the decision to move into assisted living. Even if it’s clear that you need a little help to get through your day safely and comfortably, it’s still a major change, both physically and emotionally. Nonetheless, how you approach your move will make all the difference when it comes to your future happiness. And the truth is, even though assisted living may seem limiting at first glance, it offers an astounding array of opportunities for those willing to partake.

There’s no need to feel alone, either. Eventually, the majority of seniors require some kind of long-term care assistance. Yes, you will miss your home, more so the longer you’ve lived in it. But what you’re leaving behind isn’t the lifetime of memories, or even your most treasured belongings. Yes, you will have to downsize – perhaps dramatically depending on where you live now. But you can bring every one of your memories and even some of your furniture and favorite accessories with you. Our guide, The Process of Moving to Senior Living, explains how to simplify your move and transform it into a positive experience.

Keep “opportunity” top of mind as you explore assisted living options. Since you may be able to jettison tedious chores such as housekeeping and laundry, you’ll be able to do things you’ve always wanted to do but put off because you didn’t have the time or the resources. Even more exciting, you’ll be able to try new things you never considered before, if that’s what you want.

At Magnolia Manor, our holistic approach to assisted living means you can eat, sleep, pray, love, make new friends and learn new things, all from the comfort of your own private space. With peace of mind and peace of spirit, you can tackle assisted living with confidence.

If we all had our way, we would never need help with household chores or completing tasks that get us through each day. But age happens, and with it comes change. As difficult as it is to admit we need help, assisted living really provides the best possible solution for seniors. You can retain a degree of independence but rest assured the help you need is right at hand. Instead of pretending everything is fine or worrying about the future, you can focus on staying active and engaged in the world around you.

Our residents like to think of Magnolia Manor as their home base – a place where you have a private apartment but are surrounded with friends, opportunities, and devoted, caring staff. Whether you’re more of a homebody, or you’re the adventurous sort who wants to get out and explore the area’s natural beauty and local sights, assisted living supports your desired lifestyle.

And it does more. We’re willing to bet you’ll find more to do, see, taste, hear and otherwise experience at one of our Magnolia Manor campuses than you ever imagined. There’s nothing we love more than showing off our facilities and helping seniors move positively into assisted living when the time comes. So let’s talk. It’s never too soon to schedule a visit.