Anchorage Pioneer Home

I visited Anchorage Pioneer Home yesterday.  I was given a general tour of the entire facility, and also given a more in-depth tour of the Level III facility.  The residence areas for Level I and Level II are wonderful.   There are many lovely areas to sit, gather with friends, have activities all in addition to the privacy of each individual room.  Level III is a converted nursing home and has that hospital feel to it, but they are slowly changing it so it is more home like.

Two aspects of the Stage I, Level III living area that I did not find entirely comfortable were the set up of the semi-private rooms and the arrangement of furniture in the TV/common area.

The semi-private rooms are used just as they were in the nursing home.  They are not huge rooms, but they are bigger than any of those I saw in assisted living homes in Fairbanks and allow for more privacy and individuality.  The rooms do afford clear distinctions between living areas for the two that share the space.  All residents start out in the semi-private rooms. They are moved to a private room as they become available.  I have no idea how long it would be before she moves to a private room, but I know that the hardest thing for her besides not having her cat will be the lack of privacy.

But, whether they have a private room or not is probably not so important; they are brought into the common room for most of the day so they have social interaction and activities.  There were chairs here and there throughout the area and then one very nice collection of couches and chairs facing a gas fireplace in the center.  But beyond that was a large area where activities are held, along with TV watching.  All around the edges of the room were recliner chairs.  I have noticed this in other facilities for elders.  Instead of putting chairs so people can look at each other closely, they are lined up against the outside wall of a room.  This made no sense to me, but since I have seen it several times now, I know it must be used because it suits that stage of aging.

Yet, it makes me uncomfortable.  All the chairs are the same color, sky blue.  All covered in the same velour fabric.  All face the center of the room, a large area; all are recliners.  When I was there, every one of them was filled.  Sadly, one woman saw the social worker and called her over, clinging to her.  She said, "You are the one who will help me go back home, right?"  I suspect Mom will have no such illusions about returning.  Inside her is a place that is very aware of reality.  Combine that with a flight by airplane to a totally different city and she will be clear that this is not a normal excursion from which she will return.

This makes me all very sad to talk about.  You can not imagine the hurt I feel that she will be so far away.  I have reconsidered the home in North Pole several times, and each time I find myself thinking it is not right for her, but I am not sure why I think that.  Despite the size and lingering hospital feel of the Pioneer Home in Anchorage, I feel certain she will receive the kind of care she needs. 

The staff ratio was probably 5 to 1, which is not bad.  I saw staff every where and every place, all the time. All residents were clean, well-dressed, and many alert and smiling.  She told me that they do not have enough room on the second floor, Stage II, Level III, so some residents are no longer suitable for the floor into which my Mom will move, but must stay there.  I suspect some of those I saw sleeping with blankets for the entire time I was there were among those residents. 

I do not think many of those seating in the chairs were capable of getting up and moving around the facility on their own.  I think once placed in a chair, they would stay there until moved to a new spot.  I wondered if the insistence on them being in the common room was because they had to be sure all members of the facility were visible and attended to.  This would mean that my mother would never have the kind of privacy she has needed up until now.

These are things to ask about.  I would like to speak with the head nurse tomorrow when we visit again.