Wildewood Downs

Wildewood Downs is a fairly small place, so my mother gets the attention she needs, and it's got a really good staff. They are friendly and skilled. Her needs are being met in a timely manner. I think the whole place is a five-star community. It's very nice and I was lucky to be able to get her there. She also enjoys the food. She still does some rehab, then they have crafts, and she is able to join them if she wants.

Wildewood Downs is a very clean place. I was very impressed with that. They have large rooms and very good, polite, and professional staff. The private rooms had a lot of closet space. It had a TV, a dresser, a chair and a nightstand. The social worker, whom I toured with, said that I would have the option to bring my own furniture to make my husband feel at home, but the furniture they had was already nice so we chose that. They do recreation by individuals or groups. Even though my husband is bed bound, they say they can put him in one of those little bed bound wheelchairs and bring them out with others if he wishes to, instead of having to do the activities in his room. They had OT, PT, a social worker, a pharmacist, as well as nursing round the clock. The social worker who toured me was excellent, and the facility is just beautiful.

My mother was at Wildewood Downs but I didn't care too much for them. She was in their skilled nursing area; it was very clean but they were very understaffed. My mom hated the food and she didn't like the staff either; she refused to go there again. She had physical therapy there and it was covered by Medicare. I would suggest that they hire more nurses.

Our family has been very happy with the service, staff & experience of having our parents live at Wildewood Downs. As a daughter, that has served as the primary caregiver for both my parents the choice for them to move to WWD has been a very positive one. My father first moved to Assisted living at WWD in 2017 as it became increasingly difficult to care for him at home as he suffered from Lewy Body Dementia. After a visit to the hospital and a different facility for rehab for 6 weeks, we finally made the difficult decision to move him permanently to WWD. As anyone that has experienced the challenges of moving your parents in their later years, it is an emotional and very difficult decision but one that I look back on 3 years later and still feel confident we did the right thing for my Dad. The nurses, dining room staff, social activity directors and all those involved with the daily care of my Dad during his time in Assisted Living were exceptional and treated him with great respect, love and sincere care. My mother then decided to move into an independent 2 bedroom villa the following year and has greatly enjoyed not only being closer to her husband of 63 years but also be relieved of the daily stress of caring for a large home. Mom already knew many residents that were living at WWD and quickly made new friends with those that also live in her community. She felt immediately at home, when she realized an old friend that our family has known for over 50 years was living down the hall and their friendship was a blessing during a time with much change. Mom has enjoyed the support of other spouses that had experienced the same difficult season of life. She has said many times that she is thankful she is not alone in her big house anymore, the opportunity to eat with friends daily, play Bingo, enjoy a multitude of activities has helped during a time that loneliness can be overwhelming. As my Dad declined over his time at WWD, he did spend time in the hospital and WWD maybe it very easy for us to move him to rehab when he was discharged so that he could regain his strength before moving back to his AL room. It was always my hope that Dad would be able to live as long as possible in his AL room with the familiar faces that he had grown to love over the years but eventually his inability to feed himself pushed us to move him to the Skilled Nursing area at WWD. For anyone that cares for elderly people, I will tell you that having the ability to move throughout different levels of care within one community is OUTSTANDING & an ABSOLUTE PRIORITY when choosing a place to live. You can find many Memory Care & Assisted Living facilities these days but once you need more hands on medical attention then your loved one is forced to move to another facility and often another change sets them back even further mentally and physically. Unfortunately, during the time of forced lockdown due to COVID-19, my Dad's condition rapidly declined as we were unable to see him for 4 weeks but that was necessary for not only his safety but the safety of all residents and staff. It was hard but we totally appreciate all that WWD did to care for him and let Dad know that we missed him and loved him deeply. When it was obvious that he was nearing the end of his life, we were allowed to spend the last 18 hrs of his time on earth with him which I am forever grateful for. I truly appreciated the love & compassion that all of the staff that knew either of my parents expressed during this very difficult time of grieving. It has brought us great comfort knowing that Mom has also been living in a very safe, protected environment during the crisis of COVID-19. The Director, Terri H. has done an EXCEPTIONAL job of prioritizing the safety, well-being and health of the residents and staff that are needed to make WWD successful on a daily basis. Terri also does a marvelous job of communicating which I greatly appreciate as my mother doesn't use a computer, mobile phone or any modern device to communicate so it's vital that I know what's going on in the community. Many residents do keep updated with the many emails that are sent to residents but for those that technology is a challenge, WWD also does a great job of ensuring that paper copies of all communications are readily available to residents. They have done a fantastic job of trying to get creative with activities to keep the residents engaged while ensuring their safety and keeping them socially distanced. The new renovations in the dining room are beautiful and Mom has greatly enjoyed being able to get back to eating meals safely with her friends. Moving to a retirement community is a huge life decision, sometimes made with great planning and sometimes made at the last minute out of necessity and an unexpected change in your life. It is my opinion that WWD is not only an economical choice but also a choice that will bring you and your loved ones great comfort. We are thankful for all those that work hard to make WWD a special place to live no matter which area of care you might be living in. Personally, I can't say enough about Terri H. as she took on the role of Executive Director with great energy, a smile that will make anyone smile back as you can't help but be positive around her as she exudes compassion, kindness and sincere caring for those whom she takes great responsibility in providing for their positive living experience. As we all know there are always going to be challenges but I will honestly say from the first time I met Terri, she always listens, responds as quickly as possible and will do anything she can to help resolve any concern that you have. She is a dedicated and very hard worker that sets the standard of expectations for the entire WWD community. I highly recommend you visit Wildewood Downs and take the time to talk to residents, staff and Terri so that you and your family can also make the right choice for your loved ones.