The Elliot Pearl House

Margie

My brother was in a senior living facility called The Elliot Pearl House for 25 years. I was his guardian and trustee. I was court-appointed, so I'm very familiar with how they operate and how they don't properly operate. I was there last April when he died. I like the fact that there were many residents, and that it's practically on the beach. It's pretty much very friendly. With my brother in particular, the care was good. They liked him. He went in there at 59 years old. He was young, and he was paranoid schizophrenic. My mom died, and so he had to go somewhere because the court said he couldn't be on the street. He was dangerous. The Elliot Pearl House really helped him very much in the beginning. They made him very useful. The administrator used to allow him to escort some of the seniors to the doctor's office, and they would go in the van together. He was a lively person, so he would be entertaining and loved, and so he received that love back from everyone, which was very important. When you go in, they have music. In this big area, they move the chairs out, and sometimes you see the residents dancing or singing. They have a lovely dining area. They have a little area that's like a movie theater. It's a television, but it looks a little bit like a movie theater. That's all I really know because they were in the middle of upgrading when I went last year. It's freshly painted, and it's much more alive now than it was before. The care was pretty good. The doctors and nurses are there. The doctors have to come in, but I know the nurses were there, and they were pretty good. My brother liked the food, and then he didn't, but his taste buds weren't the best. I saw some of the food, and it looked good to me, but I never tried it. They also have a recreation center where they bring their residents. They go over there, and they do all kinds of things, whether it's woodwork, arts and crafts, or whatever. They were really nice. They have entertainment for holidays in the facility. They have parties. They need to improve communication with the families. Being a guardian and a trustee, they're supposed to let me know if they have to take him to the hospital. One day, I went down there to visit him, and he wasn't there. I went, "Where is he?" They said he's in the hospital. "When were you going to tell me?" I'm also his full power of attorney, so they need to inform me of what's going on, but they didn't. So, communication needs to be better with the outside world with the loved ones.