Two facilities today, alot to take in. I went to Lyngblomsten (www.lyngblomsten.org) this morning, a nursing home with a memory care unit as part of a larger campus. Only 3 miles from home and a short walk from my favorite park in the city, I had high hopes going in despite the byline "Influenced by Christ, Lyngblomsten provides a ministry of compassionate care...".
I knew I was in trouble when my tour guide took me into the unit and all the residents were in a sing-along of 'Amazing Grace'. Not that I have anything against the song but I knew this would be about the time that mom would fart and ask for a beer. Not exactly a great fit. And besides, it was basically a sterile hospital environment...nothing special.
Next stop, Crest View(crestviewcares.org). This place is about 6 miles from home and it's an assisted living with a memory care unit, a rare commodity. The unit itself has twelve residents and one stumpy black dog named Sadie, who I fell in love with. It's small and cozy but there's still plenty of room to move around. The residents have access to an outdoor garden and patio, very nice. The place was built in the last few years so everything is new and clean. I really like this facility the best by far. It has the intimate feel of Rakhma but no stairs and more room. At Crest View the TV isn't on very much, a big plus, and the residents are in various stages of dementia. Some folks were mobile and chatty and kind of looked out for the others. There's planned activities throughout the day and the staff makes a point of getting everyone up and into the main room for the day. No sleeping the day away. There's a room available and I'm seriously thinking of putting a hold on it even though I've got a few other places to see in the next week. I think mom would do very well at Crest View.
