Dad made Wellington his home for almost a decade after my mom passed. It became "home" for all of my family. He made good friends there-- some as important to him as many of his lifelong friends. I've always believed this was made possible by Wellington's dining policy that no one dined alone. A practical policy that also encouraged folks to meet each other. We sometimes wondered if the management regretted that policy when my dad and his buddies came to the informal dining room each night (yes, you have a choice of informal or formal dining)! But no matter how hard his gang of "troublemakers" tried to vex the staff and chef, the staff remained polite and respectful--but not above joining in on the fun though!
My father's apartment was beautiful. If ever a minor repair was needed, it was handled promptly. The staff went above & beyond to make life comfortable for their residents. They understood this was "home."
One of the most impressive things about Wellington is that EVERY staff member learns EVERY resident's name--and never seems to forget it.
When my dad needed skilled nursing after hospital stays, Wellington's staff made transitions from independent living to skilled nursing and back to independent living seamless--with follow-up care from the in-house medical staff--or by coordinating care with outside vendors for him. This is so helpful to anyone, elderly or not, who is recovering from illness or surgery.
After a series of health issues and stays in the skilled nursing care at Wellington, it became clear Dad would need to move to assisted living. A beautiful apartment was arranged for him, but sadly, he was unable to move there b/c his health continued to fail. Arrangements were made for hospice in the skilled nursing unit, where he passed, peacefully and with dignity.
When I asked the receptionist how they kept up their exceptional service, she took my hands in hers and replied, "We do it because it's how we'd want to be treated if we lived here or needed help." That says it all.
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