Before I begin my review, I would like to preface it by saying that my mother lived in Mariposa's…read morememory care unit for eight months and our experience with memory care is all I can speak to. I am aware there is an assisted living component to the facility, but since I am not familiar with it, I cannot speak about it with any authority. This review hits very close to home and is a sensitive topic, meaning I take great care in writing this review and stand by my comments as of July, 2018.
Before moving to Mariposa, my mother lived at a different facility and her quality of life at Mariposa compared to what it was a year ago is night and day. Under the guidance of a terrific nurse named Milabeth, Mariposa opened last fall and I have never seen a staff so well-trained and so patient. I would sit silently and watch Milabeth walk the caregivers through tasks, caregiving tactics, and procedures. I knew what her job entailed and I knew how difficult it was, so I was particularly impressed with the extra effort she took to mold her staff.
You see, I'm aware of how difficult the job is because our previous facility went through 4 nurses in one year. Moreover, through my volunteer work, I've watched other facilities grind their wellness directors down to a point where PRNs are abused and residents are overmedicated for the convenience of the staff. In our experience, Mariposa does NOT do this. In fact, when my mother arrived at Mariposa they worked with our doctor to reevaluate my mother's "med cocktail." My mother suddenly began to show signs of improvement. She was happier, calmer, and more lucid. She really did flourish at Mariposa.
One thing I feel the need to mention is that the work done by the team at Mariposa is thankless work. It's tough and it sticks with you when you leave the "office" for the day. What you see, what you hear, what you smell, and the implicit humanity of it all. It sticks with you. I lovingly call these memory care facilities "circuses." The residents are a moving target day to day. They have good days, bad days, scary days, needy days, etc. Through no fault of their own, they require a nimble staff to lead with understanding and kindness. In my experience, Mariposa's staff does this in spades.
Simply put, I felt uplifted every time I came to visit my mother because of the quality of people they have working for there. I hope for everyone's sake they can keep and contain this magic for a very long time. They made an extremely painful experience less so, shepherding our family through one of most difficult times of our lives. I will forever be grateful for the care my mother received at Mariposa. Specifically from the following caregivers: Nicherin, Elena, Estefani, and Jocelyn (forgive any name misspellings!!). Four women who may someday forget us, but we will never forget them. They treated my mother with such respect and kindness. I will forever consider them angels and I hope they understand the deep, positive, and lasting impact they have had on our family.
