I can highly recommend the Gardens at Carriage Court. My dad needed placement in assisted living for Alzheimer's. On the surface, the facility looked a little worn down and confining. The staff however are masters at caregiving, and I know how difficult it is to work with Alzheimer's patients! Most of the staff have been there since the facility opened, for 13 or so years. There must be something very special and good going on in management to keep staff this long, in this tough field. The caregivers maintain regular schedules, so one staff member will put the resident to bed five nights a week, and another staff member will wake them up five days a week. This level of stability allows trust to build. I spent time observing how things are done in the Gardens, and the staff seemed to be endowed with magical powers. They were able to guide my dad through the activities of daily living smoothly and pleasantly. When my dad first moved in we sat on the back patio having coffee together. My dad had spent his entire life designing beautiful architecture and landscaping. I felt bad for him to be now living where a very tall fence enclosed a small area. We talked about the fence, and my dad objectively critiqued it, that it was too close to the building, as if it were just a design project, and not something that bothered him. I realized then that his perception with Alzheimer's was different, that he was now living in a dream world. We then enjoyed talking about the pansies growing in the raised beds.
I didn't find the food to be very high quality, and this disturbed me. But my dad seemed to really enjoy it. Previously I had chosen an Alzheimer's facility for it's architecture and menu, but the care wasn't good. The question is, who is it that needs to be pleased, the resident, or the family? I am very grateful that my dad got the loving care that he received at Carriage Court, it practically brings tears to my eyes to think about the beauty that I witnessed there.
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