Wellington Place

Stephy1

The experience I am about to share describes the desired atmosphere and personal attention necessary to make the transition from independent living to senior residency a positive one. My Aunt lived in a private apartment by herself for as long as I can remember. After a series of events, the family discovered she could no longer take care of the daily tasks necessary to uphold this lifestyle. Her driving skills were gone and her ability to judge the people around her on a daily basis for safety cautions had faded. The family decided to take her shopping for some kind of senior residency facility and came across an assisted living program at "Wellington Place" located in Decorah, Iowa. When we first entered the facility to preview the assisted living apartments we were meet and treated with respect by the facilities director. My Aunt took a tour of a one-bedroom apartment and learned about how she could redecorate and personalize it. The director also explained how she could attend group activities as a resident, some of the activities included: exercise class, crafts, cooking, religious sermons, and shopping excursions to the local stores. Something I really liked was that each resident in the assisted living complex was provided with a pendent for 24 hour / 7 day a week emergency response care they could wear or put in their pocket. This was important because it allow my Aunt to make friends and know she alone was not responsible for their safety as them hers, she is a natural worrier. The residence apartment options ranged from a variety of helpful services to everyday responsibilities. The residence were able to have mail service delivered to a private mailbox in the lobby, purchase cable TV, have private phone service and select from many different personal options such as group meals in the dining hall or meal delivery to their apartment. They could pay for laundry service, use free washing machines and dryers themselves, or receive help taking medicine by skilled workers. The facility had doctors come in once a week so traveling to healthcare facilities for checkups was no longer a weekly burden the family had to make time for and she could receive the personal care and attention she deserved while attaining her independence. She accepted the transition and moved into the facility in the fall of 2007. The facility director was a middle-aged woman who had a sincere personality and took the time to explain what options my Aunt had and did it with patience and understanding without using pushy selling tactics. Before seeing for herself, my Aunt was against any placement in facility living and after the tour at "Wellington Place," she was looking forward to becoming a resident and living in the small community with people who shared her age and needs. The genuine interest and kindness to the residence as we toured the home really showed the care and trust that was given there. The people skills of the facility director is what really sold my Aunt, she made the statement she would enjoy seeing her daily, for this, the family greatly appreciated her efforts for helping my Aunt find a place she could call home.