We recently lost our mother. Both she and my father finally took the plunge after considerable pushing to move. We knew that mom was continually moving on her downward spiral and dad is legally blind and the care at home was too much for the at home nursing and myself. This was a huge adjustment for the entire family and the Kensington as well, but they handled mom very well as she could be very tough at times. When the time came for her to go, there were a few people that really stood out to us during her care and we wrote the Kensington to let them know and this is what we told them "I would like to mention a few members of your staff that really have stuck out and have gone that extra mile for us and really held up to your standard to the community of treating the residents and their family like they are your own. Crystal, Chelsea, Bobby, Adrian and the nurses (Renee and Shandra). My apologies to the ones that I did not get names from or forgot names, but these six really stuck out strong!"
Now that some of the dust has settled and Dad is there on his own and learning to be without her, we are finally getting to the point where things are starting to slow and getting to a new normal. (just an interjection to say that I am a tough "grader" most times mostly on myself, but feel there is always room for improvement). The staff continually checks on him, offers a smile and is learning about the type of individualistic care that he is in need of that Mom always did for him so they never mentioned. It is these small things that help him feel at home and like he belongs in their community as a member. Recently Mandi G. and Leia M. sat down with Dad and myself just to see how he is adjusting with dad being gone and to learn a little more about his personal life and really get to know who he is as a person and what his individual needs are as they are changing. There really are not very many places that will take individual time with a resident to find these things out about a person to ensure that they are giving the care that is needed and improving where they need to.
Hats off to the Kensington in Fort Madison Iowa! I can only hope that there is some kind of grant that can be obtained that can help the facility continue to grow and obtain staffing and develop more for the residents!
Provider Response
Hi Kim, and thank you for your kind words. First we want to tell you how deeply sorry we are about your mom’s passing. We’re honored that both of your parents have been part of our family here, and as you have seen, we are committed to helping your dad as he adapts. He is a very appreciated and loved member of our community. We are dedicated to the individual care and services you mentioned because, from our very beginning, we pledged to create communities where we’d be comfortable having our own family live if the need arose. We know and love our residents as individuals, so it’s easy to be motivated to understand their individual needs and work hard to meet them! Please know we are always here for your dad and your whole family. You are always welcome here!
