Virginia House

The Virginia House is truly a home. On her first visit my mother, who has Alzheimer's disease, actually said, " What a beautiful fireplace. It looks just like mine!" I too felt that it was uncanny how much the inside looked just like my parents' home! But the real beauty of The Virginia House lies beyond the lovely decor with the owner and caregivers. Prior to finding The Virginia House, my mother had been in three different facilities in four years. We kept moving her because she became increasingly aggressive and agitated due to inadequate care. Good care is about building trust and personal relationships with the resident and their family. [Name removed], owner of The Virginia House, was able to gain my mother's trust and friendship in a way that none of her previous caregivers had been able to do. My mother's anxiety and aggression improved immediately upon moving into The Virginia House. She responded right away to [name removed]'s genuine, caring manner and seemed to finally feel safe and at home. [Name removed] herself provides much of the daily care and is extremely selective in the additional caregivers that she hires. This is vastly different than large facilities where there is only minimal supervision of caregivers and a high turnover rate. [Name removed] is also thoughtful about new residents that she accepts, carefully considering how they will fit in with her current residents. Since The Virginia House is a home, the atmosphere is much calmer and more personal than that of the larger facilities. This calm atmosphere lessens the anxiety that many Alzheimer's patients experience. With a maximum of three residents, my mother has the freedom to spend her day as she pleases rather than adhering to an institutionalized schedule. Just like in a home, meals are cooked in the kitchen, mom can sit in the backyard or on the deck and caregivers often take her on walks through the neighborhood so she can see the river. Every single time I have face timed or visited, my mother has been in the company of a caregiver. Unlike the large facilities where caregivers often have 7 residents to care for, my mother is never simply "parked in her wheelchair" while caregivers attend to another resident. I can't say enough about the amazing personalized care that my mother receives at The Virginia House. I wish we had found it years ago!

From meeting the Administrator and his lovely wife, to the moving Mom in process, to the settling Mom in and beyond these folks were very helpful. I love how close it is located to where we live and how friendly and kind the staff members are. Fridays are their "going out to lunch day" and Mom loves it. The only thing I'd like to see is more engagement in talking and practicing verbal skills with her.