Placing our Mother in a home is one of the most difficult decisions. I am now looking it as a good thing after visiting a few care facilities. There have been a few wonderful places we interviewed and now we have found the one that we feel is the perfect place for our Mom. I no longer look at it as a bad thing. Our Mother has Alzheimer's and I can see her such a quick decline. I feel that The Stratford is really going to help her flourish. It is the most beautiful place I've seen and it really feels like a grand hotel. The staff have been wonderful and really enjoy the residents. The Stratford has a program called "Passages". This is elective and can be a half day or full day and seven days a week. The cost is very minimal and the ladies hang out together as a group all day. They play wonderful games to help with memory. They went on a field trip to see the Christmas lights. They do all kinds of things together. There are several size rooms and we chose a studio because she is going to be so busy all day that it's just like a hotel. You're only in your room to sleep. My Mom will be bringing her little dog and we will use their service to make sure the dog is taken out for potty breaks.
The meals are amazing. They have the food on display so the residents can see what the specials are for the day. Other amenities are the "Soda Shop" where your family can get together for parties. You may bring your own food or have them cater. It's really cool because it's all done it 50's style retro. There is a wonderful theatre called the "Rhett and Scarlett" theatre. They show movies twice a day and they have actual theatre style seating. You will also find a craft/cooking room, Chapel, Beauty Shop, numerous seating areas.
I just can't say enough about "The Stratford". The only minus was there are not enough pictures on their website to give you the true picture of the residence. Being the photographer that I am I thought I would go in and take pictures so that I could share them with out of state family so they can be rest assured Mom will be well taken care of. I know "The Stratford" is the place I would like to be when my time comes. I'm not looking at it as a sad thing. Mom is going to love the residents and her suite. We are going to bring in some of her favorite furniture so that she feels right at home.
I hope this helps others out there that are faced with such a difficult decision.