Gratitude

Last year, when my mom’s worsening mobility and substantial memory issues made it unsafe for her to continue living independently, we made the tough decision to move her out of her home of many decades. In touring some dozen facilities, we decided on Aegis in Oceanside, not far from my home. Some places we toured were swanky resorts with all the bells and whistles, but she didn’t need all that. She needed a clean and inviting environment, but she also… needed great care. Aegis promised to provide that. In the end we went with Aegis because it was the right size for her, with the right amenities and a nice choice of apartments. The menu looked good, there was a small theater for watching movies, a hair salon, and a common area that serves as a nice community gathering place with comfy chairs, game tables, music, bookshelves, and a fireplace. The facility is inviting, with a pleasant entrance and a beautiful courtyard. As for the caregiving staff, it perhaps goes without saying that elderly people struggling with cognitive decline and failing bodies get out-of-sorts sometimes, and yet not once did I witness Aegis staff being anything less than kind. When mom first moved to Aegis, there was a period of settling in when she missed her old home and everything was strange and new. She could be stubborn (alright, famously stubborn!), and it took some weeks to become accustomed to her surroundings, but her caregivers got to know her and worked with her. She was invited and encouraged to join in activities, but never forced. It helped that throughout her time at Aegis she was cared for by the same staff, whom she came to trust. They respected her dignity. More recently, when it came time for hospice, Aegis arranged for the agency to come to my mom’s bedside where she was able to remain under the care of the caregivers who had become a great comfort to her rather than being carted off in her final weeks to a nursing facility. In every possible way, Aegis staff went above and beyond to make her last days comfortable. After mom’s passing last week, I was at peace with my decision to trust Aegis with her care. I spent a lot of time there this past year visiting her. In the end, the Aegis staff came to feel like family. The kind you get to choose.

I moved my Mother to Aegis of Shadowridge approximately 4 years ago. I can honestly say her health improved and she has been cared for lovingly by her caregivers, the directors, activity personnel, and the secretaries. She has been in Memory Care for about 3 months now and the staff made the transition easy for her. She is doing well there and is engaged. 

The entire care team at Aegis Shadowridge was amazing! From the start, they were accommodating and friendly, welcoming my mother into all the activities they could in the brief amount of time she was there. My mother needed a facility that was going to care for her needs as they arose. When she moved in, nobody thought, her family, nor the care team, that she would require the extended amount of assistance she did as her decline happened so suddenly.… They were there at every move tending to her needs to ensure the comfort my mother needed and the support we, as her family, needed. The caregivers, nurses, med techs, activity coordinators, chefs, and facility managers were all kind and compassionate, thinking and acting on the people first principle. I could not be more thankful for their care, concern, and diligence in allowing my mother’s last few days with us to be so integrated, empathetic, and meaningful. Thank you again for all that you do!

I just want to share how thankful I am for all of you there at Madison. Finding out my 50 year old sister had Alzheimer’s was brutal. But then we found Aegis Madison. You all have embraced her as a thriving human being, honoring her strengths, loving her as a member of your family, and honoring her dignity. You have given me a sense of peace I was not expecting after her move. But most importantly you have given me… the gift of time with Lynne, with my big sister, time I thought was lost. Even amidst this awful pandemic.  Thank you for this. Every day, thank you for this. It is a gift I will cherish all my life.  Pam R aka Pammy, Ninny’s little sis. 

Thank you to all of the staff at Aegis of Kent. We are all so grateful to you for the wonderful care that you gave our Mom, Kay Sellers. Even though we though we couldn’t see her these past few months of her life, we knew she was getting great care and personal attention. Your work and dedication is much appreciated.

Greg, Debbie, Laura and Jim