When I first started considering this search, I visited Farmer's Loop Home run by Gladys Egger. At that time, she had a duplex, very spacious and south facing, on Senate Loop. The furnishings were spare, but comfortable, the light was excellent, and the kitchen clean and well laid out. The bedrooms were likewise clean, spacious and inviting. I do believe I expected other homes to be near this quality and to incorporate necessary features to care for elders and those needing assistance. But I have since found some surprising conditions in which elders live - especially those with lower incomes or who are fully state supported.
First, let me eliminate from the discussion the two state-run facilities - Pioneer Home and Denali Center. They both are well run and wonderful environments and both have waiting lists. Since Mom is a dementia patient, long term care at Denali Center is a reasonable alternative, but that waiting list is 10 people. Mom is at the top of the 3rd page for the Pioneer Home. She has not made progress in the last few months on that list. In fact, she has lost some ground as some have become active, claiming a spot in application date order, shifting her down a few places.
So, having spoken with both of the intake coordinators at those facilities, I turned to the list of state approved assisted living homes in Fairbanks. I did not include a home in North Pole, Lilley Lodge, that mom stayed at last year when we went south to be with Dad. It is a good home, but far away and we would not visit her as often as I would like. Ironically, I am clear it is a good facility now, having visited other homes. At the time, I was concerned by the small size of the bedrooms and the fact that Mom shared a room. The home itself was not especially large, but the living area was spacious, the dining room table and kitchen well-laid out, and the feeling was cozy and comfortable. The proprietor is an LPN, competent and knowledgeable.
Those that I could find to call were:
- Caring Bridges
- Debbie's Assisted Living
- Downtown Care, Inc
- Evergreen Place
- Hope Haven (the new facility run by Glady Egger)
- Let Us Care
- Rocking Years
- Rocking Years II
- Wild Iris Comfort Care
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Wednesday before Thanksgiving I visited Let Us Care on Sandvik, right near campus. I was already open to this location because it was close to campus. My daily walk at noon would become a walk to her residence for a 1/2 hour visit. From the street, it did not look like much, but once inside it easily was the nicest of the places I visited over the course of my exploration. As you came in off the garage there was a half flight going up and a half flight down. The kitchen was at the top of the stairs and Marion asked that I remove my shoes. Her floor and everything about the facility was spotless. The common room faced south and opened onto a lovely deck. It was nicely furnished and felt homey and inviting. She has five room and currently four residents. Each resident has their own room. The room was small, but lovely and enough room to bring in a book stand for some of my Mom's most precious things. A window faced north and the room opened onto the common area. There were two bathrooms, both clean, but Mom would have to step over the tub to get into the shower.
Marion asked me what type of person my mother was before offering me the opportunity to come by and take a look. As I looked at her facility, I could understand why. Each of the residents is more private and it is a quiet home - although having good relations with the rest of the residents would be important. Marion made it clear that she had 3 people ahead of me who were private pay and if they wanted the place, she would choose them as they paid more than state care. I mentioned Mom's income at one point and I got the impression she was surprised that we would be able to pay what we can. I think between what the state pays and what we pay, it should be a good income, probably more than what my husband makes a month.
This discussion left me feeling somewhat unsure. Would my mother be resented because she did not have private pay? The positives sides were the facility and the private room. Despite Marion's comments about state funded clients, she is actually a positive side to this as well. She said the only down-side to what she does is finding really good help - people who are honest and reliable. She likes to cook and obviously cares well for her clients. I felt Mom could fit in with the other residents.
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I visited Summer Shades on 6th Avenue (and all others discussed here) yesterday, Friday. It is downtown; the house is old, the bedrooms are small. The building is an older early Fairbanks framed, rambling with add-ons. Despite that, it appeared to be well-maintained. Windows were not thermopane in the bedroom wing and I doubt the house is well insulated, leaving one to gasp at the cost of heating it in order to keep in comfortable for elders. The staff are three LPNs that rotate through 12 hour schedules. They are licensed for 8 beds, all shared rooms. The facility is both men and women.
The kitchen and dining area were pleasant and there were two sitting rooms. One was off the dining room with two chairs and a TV and the other was larger with several comfortable chairs and another TV. Although not large, the common areas did not feel cramped or crowded. The dining room, although not as nice as that of Farmer's Loop Home, Let Us Care, or Lilley Lodge, was pleasant and large enough for all of the residents. The larger sitting room was abundantly furnished with darker walls and managed to appear more home-like than institutional.
The space available is a bedroom roughly 10' X 10' or less. There was enough space for a dresser and to walk between the beds, but not much beyond that. There was no place to put anything personal except some photos on the wall. (Suddenly the bedroom at Lilley Lodge was gigantic in my memory). I did not see space for her oxygen compressor. There was adequate space for clothes storage. The bathroom was practical for showering with no steps or tub.
The most positive aspect of this facility was the staff. I liked the woman I spoke with. She was knowledgeable, articulate, and very aware of her clients. The downside was its location (not convenient for us to stop by and visit), the age of the building and the size of the shared room. I am not sure Mom would fit in there.
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Even though they had just filled two spaces, I stopped by to visit Caring Bridges since it was on 7th Avenue and I was already in the area. The facility has two floors, laid out in the same way. It looked as though it had been built for the purpose it was used. The facility is newer and well maintained in the interior and exterior. Entering there was a choice of going upstairs or down. Those upstairs were more ambulatory and independent and could take care of their personal needs, despite walkers, etc. The rooms upstairs had bay windows. The bottom floor was for those needing more attention. I found a woman I met elsewhere was a resident there (I will call her Geraldine). Where my experience of her was that she was very quiet, I can tell you, her personality was very evident in her home. She does not speak in real sentences much of the time, but when she did, it was sharp and witty and full of fun. It was a very different view of her to be sure.
The layout, once you arrived on the floor was a common area to the right and a common area to the left. A central dining/cooking area on the opposite side of entry hall bridged those two areas. At either side of the common areas were bathrooms and bedrooms. Those who were private pay had modest, but adequate private rooms. Those who were not private pay shared a room. The facility has 16 beds with at least half of them shared rooms. The feeling I got as I went into the facility was pleasant mayhem, but that could have been a lot to do with Geraldine.
There were three round dining tables set up in the dining room and some of the residents were sitting there coffee cup in hand. It was a cheerful room and had an enviable kitchen. Others were in chairs watching TV. This common room, facing the kitchen/dining area felt narrow and closed to me with just three or 4 chairs in a row along the wall. The other common room, not used as much had two chairs and felt more spacious, although it probably wasn't. The hallway leading back to the majority of rooms was narrow; the shared rooms were larger than at Summer Shades, and probably as large as those at Lilley Lodge. The walls were painted a bright yellow downstairs. The facility was well-staffed.
A positive aspect of the facility was the social life. A down side could be the social life. I think Mom, who is very private could exhaust there. There was one woman napping at Summer Shades and the nurse told me she got nervous around so many people would go take a nap midday to get away from everyone. I could see Mom doing that. Another positive aspect was the staff. The woman I spoke with had been there long enough for her child, who is probably about 6, to have started out with her as a baby at the facility. Her daughter can come with her, another positive thing about it. Overall, it looks like a great facility, although cramped in the bedroom and common living areas.
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I visited Rocking Years II on Jefferson next. The woman on the telephone told me she thought my mother would fit in better at Rocking Years on Jack Street, but I went to see this one anyway because at the time I called, it had a private room. The house is huge. You wouldn't guess it from the street, but it 8 beds and as far as I can see, only one bedroom is shared.
As you walk in, you enter a foyer that is used as an office. Passing through that, there is a bathroom on the right hand side which is very well designed for those with special needs. The kitchen is to the right and the common area is straight in front of you edged by the fireplace brick. A stairwell to your left leads up to the second floor. The living area has several windows running all along the south side, yet the room itself is surprising dark. It is furnished with very comfortable looking couches and chairs.
The dining area is reached either through the kitchen or from the living area. It also is framed by several windows. The kitchen is also large, with cabinets painted red. She was making a snack for everyone and she had brightly colored cups out ready for them. I asked her about the darkness of the living room and she assured me it was not dark and that the residents liked it that way. If she turned on the light, they turned it off. She may have been referring to an overhead light. I did not think to check for lamps anywhere.
The private room had been taken in the intervening time, so I was shown the shared room. The room itself looked as though it had actually been a study off the main area. There was no closet and so Mom and the other resident would be hanging their clothes on portable racks. It was the largest shared room I have seen - very spacious as is the whole house. In any case, the private room would not have been appropriate for Mom as it was upstairs and only those residents who could negotiate stairs are housed on the second floor. There appeared to be only one caregiver on staff and the residents were not aged that noticed.
Did I say the place was dark? I headed over to Rocking Years, unsure Mom fit in with the residents.
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I have to say, after visiting Rocking Years II, I was in for a shock when I got to Rocking Years. The building was a small 3 bedroom, 1 3/4 bath ranch home. There was plastic on the windows; the exterior paint aging; the yard had the feeling of neglect. When I went in I was in a small foyer that broke the chill and then entered a common room with 3 chairs. The house could have 5 beds of which 4 were filled. The dining room was set up for only 4 people. Everything about the facility felt old, worn out, past its prime. The house smelled and the carpet and furnishing looked like they needed to be steam cleaned.
One room was private and the other two were shared. Two of the residents shared a room that was paneled with very dark plywood or fake paneling that appeared to be from the time the house was built. Another resident had a private messy room, and the room that was free was narrow. Larger than the one at Summer shades, but still very narrow. The paint also appeared to be from the original house color. The common area was only large enough for the three easy chairs, i.e, very, very small.
I mentioned that the other house was certainly big in comparison, and in passing mentioned the lights: I was told by this care giver that they kept the lights off to keep the electric bill down because it was so expensive. I then mentioned how small it was as I looked over the walls, windows, floor. My hostess said, yes, but everyone got along and then I could see she was taking my reaction to the facility personally somehow - which I did not intend.
My reaction was to get out as soon as possible. My second reaction was that the state was remiss in approving that facility. In my opinion, when compared to the quality of the other facilities - even in the old, old house downtown - it was sub-standard. My next reaction was and still is cold hot anger at the way people without a lot of money or foresight to get insurance are treated in this country ... probably anywhere. I honestly don't know the proprietors, their hearts, their goals or what kind of people they really are. But it is seem that keeping this house modern and up-to-date is not one of their goals.
Am I right in thinking that to be poor is worse than death in all cultures? It seems to me the poor are despised and dumped because they don't appear to deserve more ... and it crossed my mind that I didn't want my mother's income, modest though it is, to help pay for that very big house over on Jefferson.
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To summarize:
My mom lives in a very nice, if modest apartment on the basement floor of our house. For a studio, and for Fairbanks, it is spacious, comfortable, modern and clean. It is from that viewpoint I evaluate the places I visited. I don't have a negative feeling about Summer Shades, but don't think it is the facility for Mom. I will send my daughter by to see what she thinks.
Should something open at Caring Bridges, I would give it serious consideration despite the cramped and chaotic feeling. It is a good facility and my acquaintance is obviously really enjoying herself there.
I considered Rocking Years II until I saw Rocking Years on Jack Street.
I will definitely call Marion at Sandvik on Monday. It is my first choice although I want to ensure that she is truly comfortable in having a partially state supported resident in the home.
My mother was a great mother and worked hard after my parent's divorce. She supported herself and her husband for many years. She deserves - as do all people - a clean, comfortable home to spend her last years.
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