Academy House Residential Care Homes- Harvard House

Academy House Residential Care Homes - Harvard House only had 8 to 10 people, and they could relate to each other better, which I think would be more conducive for my aunt because she's not a big- scale type of person. It gave you more of a homey environment. They do things as a group. They all go to dinner at the same time, so you're not isolated and left to kind of decide on your own. Their price was $150 a day, which is significantly different than the other place, and what they had to offer was more conducive to her personality. If I had to choose, that's probably what I would choose for her. It was very clean and very appropriate. You had options of private or semi-private rooms. The interaction with other people was very positive, and I think that that was the most positive thing for them. There was a small number of staff, so they get to know the person. The price difference was significant, too. Because it was small and accommodating, that was the most conducive thing and inviting thing for them. The staff was very helpful. They go out on outings, they do the laundry, and they provide companionship and that type of stuff (I consider that an amenity). They have everything that supports their needs. You get to meet the staff because the house is more confined instead of a giant building. Everybody was nice, but I don't know the care that they give. All of the residents were happy and appropriate.

Academy House Residential Care Homes- Harvard House was just one small house for the residents there. I'm sure that they have the capabilities of taking care of somebody with memory care, but it's not like a separate facility. So, I just walked around the whole house. It was very clean, and I wasn't there for very long. They didn't have any vacancies. I didn't stay there for very long, but I did see that it was very caring. I saw someone reading to a resident, sitting next to them, and reading to them. I was just impressed with how clean the facility was. Everyone seemed happy, and everybody was kind of engaged. They had a patio. The staff are knowledgeable and patient with the residents. The owner is very upbeat and committed. I like the place, if they had a spot, I would have considered it for my grandfather.

My mom is at Academy House Residential Care Homes Harvard House. The houses are very nice and very well kept. Peggy keeps everything aesthetically clean, nice-looking, and up-to-date. The staff is nice. Peggy is very good if you ever have a concern or if there's a problem (which is not a lot of problem at all), then she addresses it right away. She is very good with management. What I like about the staff is its consistency. It's the same people. There is no high turnover. She keeps the same people and she is very close and in contact with those people so that she makes sure things are run just the way she wants them run. My mom is getting total care. She has Alzheimer's, she is not ambulatory, she is incontinent, and she doesn't really speak that much. She has been at Peggy's house for about four years. I see her every day and I come over there quite a bit. You need to get to know the staff and it's nice because you kinda have a little relationship with the staff taking care of your loved one, so that's a plus. A nurse in-home was out of the question for us because I wanted to know the consistency of the same people that are taking care of my mom. I know them and I can trust them. If ever there was a problem, go to Peggy, and Peggy would take care of it. I really like that aspect of it. It's hard especially when you have someone who has this type of dementia, that they may not be able to tell you things, but being over there a lot and seeing each staff member and how they work with the patient, I would say the people that are there are people who like doing what they do. If not, Peggy gets rid of them, which is a good thing. Right now, we have probably the best staff since I have been there. A couple of people have come in and gone, but the staff that they presently have right there, I love each one of them. I totally love their work. You can tell they have their heart in it, and that's a big deal. My mom's diet is different. Each day, she does breakfast, and a home-cooked meal during lunch time. Lunch time is the biggest meal. Then at night, it's something light like maybe a sandwich, a soup or something lighter. Each day it's a cooked meal. It's not just heating up frozen things or anything like that. For the ladies that can do activities, the staff actually finds things that they would be interested in. Whether it be clipping coupons, whether it be some little art projects, and whether it be watching movies like that they're interested in, I find that she is very creative in finding things that hold their interests. She is creative trying to pull them in to find what sparks their interests so that they feel like they're part of the house or enjoying their time there. At one time, they had exercise, too. Before Covid, she also had a man come and play music. Since Covid started, they went on lockdown initially, and it's still to the point where only one family member can come with a mask and away from all the other residents. It's not the same as before Covid where you could have these activities come in.

My aunt was a resident of Academy House for almost seven years and she passed away this year. I couldn't have asked for anything better. The owner was actually a God-send. If it wouldn't be for the owner and the staff and the services they offered, it allowed me to be able to keep my job and my profession as opposed to having to find alternative means. My aunt was there for seven years, and her dementia was mild. She received 24/7 care as though she was living with me at my house. They loved each and every one of their residents. They take care of them like their own family. It felt like that was her own personal home. I can't say enough. There's not enough words or enough time to give the credit for what they did for my aunt and again for me. They took the reins so that I could have some time to take a breather. It's a small community which separates it from larger communities that care for the elderly. They are able to get that individualized attention that each needs. They are able to get to know the individual personally, to know what makes them happy, what makes them sad, and what makes them tick. That's a big difference. My aunt had been in several facilities and she didn't adapt well. However, when she went to Academy House, that's where she did her best and she was able to live her life at its best. They individualized each person. My aunt was into the music and they made sure she got her music. Someone else was into books, so they made sure they did readings. That's what separates them. They take the time to learn the individual and what they like. Because it's a small community, they're able to learn about the individual to try to help them maintain their normalcy even though their lives are progressing in a different way. The place is extremely clean. They are on the better price side. I find it to be very fair and adequately priced. I had been in other facilities and was racking my brains as to how to help my aunt cope with what was happening while in the meantime learning how to cope myself with it. The owner does a very good job of handling it and also educating her staff on how to handle the different moods of the patients. I would always recommend them.