Holy Rosary Residence

A Place for Mom - Holy Rosary Assisted Living I'm not sure if I'm leaving feedback for A Place for Mom, or for the home that was selected, Holy Rosary, based on assistance from A Place for Mom (APFM for short). In any case the situation was quite serious and this is how it unfolded. I was unsure how to begin a search for a home that could accommodate my mothers needs. She is 89 years old with alzthimers severe enough that she needs assistance in almost every aspect of daily living including bathing, toiletry, dressing. APFM was recommended and they were very helpful taking time to understand her needs and subsequently providing me with recommendations of places to visit, view, meet the staff and make a careful selection. After careful consideration I chose Holy Rosary (HR), the home was immaculate and close to where my mother lived for many years. I discussed my mothers needs with the owner of HR and she accompanied me to meet with my mother and decide if this would be a good fit for her home. She was also was able to meet with my mothers caretakers and they shared the level of care that was required. A date was set for the move to my mothers new home - it was approximately 5 weeks after final discussions. All arrangements were made, all new clothes were purchased (the owner of HR wanted fresh clothes that were cheerful in color - they didn't need to be brand new and this was a good suggestion and I totally was happy to do this.). My husband and I picked up my mother and had a very difficult and sad goodbye to all of the wonderful caretakers at the home where she lived. We then went to Holy Rosary and got my mother settled in - her room was all arranged with the things she was familiar with and it was lovely. We left at approximately noon. At 4:45 that same day we received a hysterical call from the owner of HR. She said that she couldn't "keep her". She said that my mother wouldn't "wash her hands" and that she had soiled herself and wouldn't allow assistance. That she had to leave immediately - my mother left after less than 5 hours after arrival. We were *extremely* fortunate that her former caretakers were happy to have my mother back. She had a nice dinner and went to bed. I'm not bitter and I'm not angry (although I was at the time). My suggestion is that APFM make recommendations appropriate for the level of care needed. Most importantly that Holy Rosary is more careful in the selection process and they carefully evaluate the needs of the family member and only say "Yes, we welcome your Mom and we know that we are capable of providing her with the care she needs." if they are truly capable. I am posting this lengthy review in hopes that no family has to experience this situation. I welcome input on how I could have been more diligent.

While the owner seems to be a kind person, she does not seem to do her homework before accepting new residents. We took many hours preparing for my Grandmothers transition to this new residence. The owner, Elizabeth met my Grandmother and Aunt as well as myself a few times. She spoke with the dementia team at her previous residence. Moving day was today and after my Aunt took my Grandmother to Holy Rosary she received a phone call 4 hours later telling her that she has to find a new place for my Grandmother to stay. I am assuming that Elizabeth (the Holy Rosary owner/operator) has not done any research on dementia even though she met my Grandmother and spoke with the previous caregiver. This is beyond understandable. She is not responsible, a transition like this is a traumatic event for a senior and to call and handle the situation like she did is so unprofessional I can't believe it. My Grandmother would not wash her hands for Elizabeth, well she did not understand the instruction, I would guess. I Would NOT recommend!!!!!!!!

My mother currently resides at Holy Rosary and I have visited on numerous occasions, enjoyed dinner and lunch with the residents, and feel confident that I know the home and its staff very well. In fact, as my mom has now been at the residence going on 4 years, I would say that I am very well acquainted with the home, its services, and the care it provides. Holy Rosary is more a home than a facility. It is a quaint home in the college area nestled among other single-family homes in a quiet yet accessible neighborhood. The staff is very kind, exudes warmth, and is knowledgeable and helpful. The care has been excellent and very accommodating of my mom's needs. The value is also very good considering the alternatives and the home-like setting that my mom enjoys while residing there. The administrator goes out of her way to make sure my mom's needs are met and that she is provided with great care. Needless to say, I have formed a friendship with the staff there and have every confidence in the care they provide to my mom.

The lady I met with was very nice, but this didn't feel right for us. There wasn't any on street parking. When I walked in there was an odor. When I asked about her rates, there were other residents in the room and she whispered them to me. I was also concerned about the amount of staff they had not being enough, and if our care needs increased she would have to hire more help and the price would go up. This just wasn't going to work for us.