A Family’s Experience At Arthur’s

Finding Alzheimer’s care for a loved one can be a difficult and confusing experience. How do you know which home or facility is the right one? How do you know which caregivers will treat your loved one with the respect and kindness they deserve?

The letter seen below is from Kathy, whose mother Selma was a resident of Arthur’s Residential Care. The letter describes her family’s experience at Arthur’s and what she would tell others looking for Alzheimer’s care:

Arthur’s was Willing to Work with Her Despite Reported Behaviors 

My mother had Alzheimer’s disease and could not walk for the last year of her life. She required assistance with dressing, bathing and toileting. Although she maintained her pleasant personality throughout her declining mental state, she was nevertheless extremely resistant to assistance with bathing and toileting. She would slap at caregivers when they helped her with those activities. 

Before coming to Arthur’s, she was at a different memory care facility. That facility wanted to commit her to a behavioral health hospital to put her on a drug treatment that would make her more docile and manageable. We contacted Arthur’s and they were willing to work with her despite her reported behaviors.

She was Overall so Much Happier 

The difference between that facility and Arthur’s was like night and day. Although she still resisted assistance with bathing and toileting, the caregivers at Arthur’s found ways to distract her and provided quick and competent assistance. She then became somewhat less resistant once she settled into Arthur’s because she was overall so much happier there.

In the previous facility, she had a small apartment of her own and the staff there often encouraged the residents to stay in their apartments. However, she was completely lost in that apartment. She didn’t know where she was and usually couldn’t find the bathroom. She was also unsupervised much of the time and got into mischief. For example, more than once she clogged her bathroom sink and flooded her apartment. The staff there considered this a behavior problem. 

Arthur’s Caregivers are Incredibly Kind and Loving 

The situation at Arthur’s was completely different. She had a lovely room, but it was for sleeping. During the day, she was in the beautiful common room areas with the other residents and caregivers. The caregivers also regularly interacted with her. For example, they would sit next to her and have conversations. At the previous facility, interactions were pretty much limited to getting her to the table, sitting her in front of the TV, or getting her back to her apartment. 

Not only is the staff-to-resident ratio much better at Arthur’s than it was at the other facility, but the caregivers at Arthur’s are also incredibly kind and loving. I don’t know how Arthur’s consistently finds such wonderful people to work there.

We are so Grateful 

My mother died at Arthur’s. During the last week of her life, she lost the ability to swallow and could no longer eat or drink. Before she had developed Alzheimer’s, she had left us an advance directive stating that she didn’t want artificial feeding or hydration if there was no chance of recovery. We didn’t want her in a hospital setting for her final days, and the Arthur’s staff were completely willing to keep her at Arthur’s. They provided palliative care, making her as comfortable as possible and keeping in touch with the doctor to make sure she was not in distress. Two caregivers who had already worked all day stayed with her all night at the end. They were so kind to her and to our entire family. We are so grateful.