Angel or Caregiver? Both.

Posted on November 18, 2011 by vintageuser

A simple email thank you from our of our family members whose mother lives in one of our Memory Care / Dementia communities in San Francisco. We want to say ‘Thank you for taking time to write! Our associates put their hearts into caring service each day. Thank you for sharing yours.’

“Thank you so much for taking great care of my mother! You and the staff at Vintage Coventry are absolutely wonderful. It is because of you that my mother is having an excellent quality of life. She is happy in her daily life. And she appreciates everyone. I’m sure you know, but she calls the staff “angels.” When she called the front desk in the middle of the night, I heard her say, “Please ask one of my angels to come to me.” “

The Regency: Where Friendship Blooms in Good Times and Hard Times

Posted on October 5, 2011 by vintageuser

Henry David Thoreau once said, “The language of friendship is not words but meanings.” Thoreau’s quote helps sum up Friendship Day. Recently, Vintage Senior Living held a “Friendship Day” at The Regency in Laguna Woods. The day was dedicated to celebrating old friends, cherishing the new and simply noting what makes a best friend.

Throughout the day seven groups of people were interviewed. They were asked to speak on friendship and tell about a friendship they treasure and what they think makes a best friend. After about the first three interviews I couldn’t help but smile – and neither could they! Simply talking about a best friend made the faces of the residents glow.

One thing in particular that I noticed during interviews is that hard times bring friends together. A good number of friendships formed after the death of a loved one or in times of need. Almost every person interviewed noted that making a friend pulled them out of a rough situation.

The benefit of moving into a Vintage Senior Living community is meeting senior peers having the same experiences. If one of the residents is going through a difficult time, chances are there is someone near who understands. There is almost always someone who is in a similar situation. It is those moments when friends find each other and pull each other up. Besides being supportive, friends also help makes the good times even better because everything is always more enjoyable when there is somebody to enjoy it with. All of our residents can choose a social lifestyle and many are busier than they’ve ever been! They wish they had moved in earlier!

A common theme among the interviews was a friend that one can be with, but not say anything to. Sometimes there is nothing to say. Sometimes we just need somebody to be lonely with. There are all types of friends and friendships at Vintage communities. There are friends to play games with and friends to read with. There are friends to exercise with and friends to go on outings with. There are friends that have a shoulder to cry on and there are also friends that can cheer you up when you thought that no one could. A friendship will blossom into whatever you let it be according to the residents of The Regency. They were very clear that if one comes into a community with an open mind and a want to make friends that they will have no trouble doing so. When one is ready, they will find somebody to call their best friend. Vintage Senior Living communities are full of all different types of people and friendships. Come find your friends.

All of the interviews from Friendship Day were filmed. Hear the stories!

Click here to view all of the videos on Vintage Senior Living’s YouTube Channel!

So Happy They Had To Write About It

Posted on September 27, 2011 by vintageuser

What a great day to get a note that one of our community teams made a family member so happy they had to blog about it!

Last week at Vintage Las Palmas in Laguna Woods, CA the Executive Director Sue Johnson received a letter from a family member that he had a plan to get America back to work – what if each of us shared with our circle of friends and family local businesses that we recommend via facebook, a personal blog or email? As part of Ernie’s plan in action he posted a great recommendation for Vintage Las Palmas:

“After doing a thorough due diligence visit of several Assisted Living Facilities for Seniors, we found Vintage Las Palmas in Laguna Woods. This turned out to be the best decision we could have made for my elderly parents. They have a private apartment and a bunch of things to do. The most important benefit is that they get compassionate care from a very polite staff. The best way to describe this community is to call it a Cruise Ship on Moulton Parkway in Laguna Woods. Call Sue or talk to one of her staff members if you have a loved one that needs a positive environment and compassionate care.”

Here’s Ernie C.’s blog post about juicing the economy fittingly named The Casarez Jobs Recovery Act of 2011.

Thank you to our amazing associates who’s hearts sing each time they hear they’ve exceeded expectations, and our residents and families who make each day so meaningful.

Lots of great days around Vintage Senior Living. Good stuff.