Cedar Falls

AlzheimerSon

When my elderly mother could no longer live at home, she became a resident of The Lutheran Home. Diagnosed several years earlier with Alzheimer's disease, she was a wanderer and initially had to be in a special dementia unit of the home. We'd waited as long as possible to relocate her to a care facility, because she was a very independent woman who really valued her freedom. From the start, I was impressed with the facility. This was not only because of its clean, comfortable and well-kept facility and grounds, but because of its people. Everyone was very friendly, and above all, they seemed to really care for their patients, even though they had many patients to care for, along with many challenges in dealing with day-to-day situations and problems of the elderly and infirmed.But even with the best of intentions, nursing home staff can't do all of the care for your loved one without your support and participation. My mother was very hard of hearing, and relied on a hearing aid as an important tool in communicating with the outside world. The staff cheerfully agreed to help with her hearing aid, keeping it in a secure place and putting it into her ear every day. But family members need to remember to take the hearing aid for cleanings and make sure the batteries work. The staff of the nursing home can't do it along, and small cooperative efforts like that can make a big difference for a nursing home resident.Without a doubt, my best impression of the Lutheran Home was from one of the saddest nights of my life. Nursing home staff called me in the late afternoon to let me know that Mom probably wouldn't make it through the night, and I went to be with her. It turned out that my brother and sister were both working out of town, so I sat with Mom alone. But we weren't alone.The nurse on duty visited frequently to not only see how Mom was, but to check on me as well. Aides came every hour to perform tasks to make sure that she was comfortable. In the middle of the night, they brought me a tray of snacks and coffee. And when Mom passed away the next morning, all of the staff on duty in the ward asked if they could clean her. They lovingly cleaned her body and combed her hair, and I remember so clearly that they were all crying as they invited me back into her room to see her lying peacefully in her bed. To me, that experience was symbolic of the loving attention Mom had received at the Lutheran Home - from people who weren't just doing a job, but seemed to sincerely care for the residents as people. It was something for which I will also be grateful.

ZuZu

The Cedar Falls Lutheran Home Assisted Living facility is relatively new construction of two stories. There are a number of different room arrangements from studio apartment to two-bedroom apartments. Each room has a spacious bathroom with grab bars in appropriate locations. There is also a relatively good-sized storage cabinet. The kitchenette has a small sink, a microwave oven and a compact refrigerator. This is adequate for making toast, or coffe, or heating a frozen dinner but little else since there is no counter space to speak of and no stove. The management provides once a week room cleaning service, daily help for all includes making the bed and dumping the wastebaskets. Residents eat all daily meals in a dining room facility. Each floor has one. As a resident needs additional help, they offer all types of services and charge by the 15 minute interval. Everything is clean and well maintained, the staff is helpful and they make sure safety is put first. The only problem is lack of staff. There just are not enough people working to look after residents, answer phones, administer meds and help relatives and friends. I'm sure many other facilities have similar problems in managing for profitability.