Garden Village

Mona Verona

A few weeks ago, my husband's 95-year-old grandfather suffered a heart attack. He's already ill with emphysema and other problems. He lived with his wife in Peach Tree Retirement Center in Yakima and they both enjoyed living there. But Grandma is 90 and, while Peach Tree is nice, they aren't equipped to provide the intense care Grandpa now needs. After a couple of weeks of touch-and-go illness problems, during which the family really felt the dear man would pass away, he rallied but still was too ill to go home to Peach Tree. None of the family is capable of providing the medical/personal care he needs so it was decided he would be sent to a real nursing home. Garden Village is directly associated with Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital where Grandpa was and they were recommended by his doctor. My husband and I, along with his 70-year-old mother (Grandpa's daughter) wanted to first check this place out before any commitments were made on his behalf. We found the staff to be compassionate and truly seemed to care about Grandpa's special needs. They discussed every aspect of the care instructed by his doctor. The building and grounds were clean and well-kept. They place didn't smell like a nursing home, if you know what I mean. The residents were free to come and go as they pleased and if they were able, although most were not. Grandpa's condition is severe and he can no longer care for himself in any way, so we were particularly concerned about what kind of attention he would receive. The staff, while busy, didn't seem overwhelmed and we personally witnessed several staff kindly assisting residents with mobility issues. We even spoke to a few residents, all of whom said that, while they were very unhappy with having to be away from home, they did appreciate the care they received at Garden Village. While we were there, a resident passed away and, since it was from natural causes, the staff didn't make a big scene about it. An ambulance was summoned but it arrived with only lights, not sirens, and went to the rear of the building instead of bursting in through the front door. The person was removed discreetly and with dignity. The residents that were aware of what was going on seemed distressed and the staff did their best to calm them in a kindly way. Grandpa has now been there about a week and, while he isn't very compos mentis at this point, the family that has visited him there have had nothing but positive things to say.