Change, and Assisted Living

Feast Day of Saint Sigfrid of Wexlow

As I mentioned in the previous post, my grandmother moved into an assisted living facility. Usually, when people think of such a place, they think of a hospital like environment, the smells of ammonia, and/or substandard care. The place Grandma moved into is, well, NOT any of those things. It is incredibly homey, like a large house - with at least 3 separate seating areas (each with a fireplace & comfy furniture just like from home, not the boring institutional vinyl covered furniture that is so common), a kitchen that has wonderful meals, & serves snacks 24 hours a day (& shares them with the guests), a dining area that reminds me of a fine dining restaurant, a beauty parlor, exercise room, and more! The rooms for the residents come in different sizes, each being their own "apartment". Grandma has one of the largest. The main area is the living room with a kitchenette. It is very large & can easily fit her living & dining room furniture (with room to spare). The bedroom is also big & accommodates her bedroom set at one end, and a small sitting area at the other. Her closet! I would almost kill for her closet! Plenty of shelving & hanging rods. It is bigger than King Peter's bedroom! Her bathroom is also quite large with a window seat. She does not have to cook, clean, or do laundry - they do it all! It's as if she is living in the penthouse at some 5 star hotel!

The staff has been VERY welcoming & accommodating. We moved her items in a little at a time. My children were with me each time, and no one seemed to mind having them around - they even offered us all snacks each time. Members of the staff even visited Grandma while she was in the hospital, before she had spent her first night at her new apartment.

The residents are also very nice. While were were unpacking, a few stopped by to say "HI!", even though we weren't the ones going to live there. Grandma keeps saying that she has never seen anyone welcome a new person like they have welcomed her.

Seeing first hand how wonderful this place has been, has helped us all to adapt to the change. My children & I had moved within a block of her house to help her. We did this last July, moving from a house we had lived in for 8 years. King Peter walked over nearly every day to do little errands. Queen Lucy & I often went down to clean for her, take her on errands, etc. My children love their "G-G", and she them. It has been hard on us to have her gone & not see her nearly every day. My children were especially worried about who would help her. They have seen first hand how this place helps her, and they are now at ease. This place understands what family means, and welcomes any & all family members - including guests at a meal, and overnight visits.

I never knew such a wonderful place existed. Perhaps someday I can work there - I would consider it an honor.

UPDATE - I did not post the name of the place, because I was unsure of their policy regarding this. I just got permission - it is Vintage Park, part of Vintage Group. Check them out!