"Although my mother retained her pleasant personality throughout her declining mental state, she was nevertheless extremely resistant to assistance with bathing and toileting, and would slap and hit at caregivers when they helped her with these 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 drug treatment to make her more docile and manageable. We contacted Arthur’s and they were willing to work with her despite the reported problems.
The difference between that facility and Arthur’s was like night and day. Although she still resisted help with bathing and toileting, the Arthur’s caregivers found ways to distract her and provide quick and competent assistance. She became somewhat less resistant once she was settled at Arthur’s because she was overall so much happier there than she had been at the previous facility.
In the previous facility, she had a small apartment of her own, and the staff often encouraged the residents to go to their apartments. The problem was that she was completely lost in that apartment. She didn’t know where she was and usually couldn’t find the bathroom. Also, she was unsupervised much of the time and managed to get into much mischief. For example, more than once she stopped up the bathroom sink and flooded the apartment, once by washing out her adult diapers in it. The staff considered this a behavior problem.
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 areas with other residents and caregivers. The caregivers interacted with her, for example by sitting next to her and chatting. 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 the other facility, but the Arthur’s caregivers are incredibly kind and loving. I don’t’ know how Arthur’s consistently find such wonderful people to work there.
My mother died at Arthur’s, and during the last week of her life she lost the ability to swallow, so she could no longer a drink. Before she developed Alzheimer’s, she had left us an advance directive stating that she didn’t want artificial feedings or hydration if there was no chance of cut 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, where 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 on with her all night at the end. They were so kind to her and to our entire family. We are so grateful."
