Unlike the other reviews regarding Barry Community Care Center, I happened to have a POSITIVE response to the compassion, care, and quality of the staff and care-givers. They do care and try to go above and beyond expectations to make living in a long term nursing facility feel like home. Yes, they have animals. They have an aviary and a kitty cat that makes rounds to the residents. Her litter box is at the service door entrance at the back door, cleaned and cared for by housekeeping, and the aviary has a variety of small rare birds, cared for by a specialist company.
Everyone can ALWAYS see the negatives when expectations are unrealistic. Especially when there is an attitude of "Me-ism", implying a sort of entitlement must come before the more serious needs of others in the community. In some cases, it is imploded when there is a role refusal in the family's structure due to age, causing some grown adult children to treat their loved ones as the 'only individuals' who deserve "dignity and respect", despite the feelings of others less fortunate due to their declining health status.
I have visited many nursing homes and my grandmother was living in one which was horrible. It had a good reputation, a wonderful looking building, BUT, the care was substandard, smelly, and unkempt, staff was rude, short, and hurried in their tasks, but it was the only place her income could afford at the time. My mom and I were vigilant in keeping watch over her as often as we could to make sure she was safe, clean, dry, and well cared for. We didn't just depend upon PEOPLE to do it all. WE VISITED HER! WE CHECKED ON HER! WE ATTENEDED THE CARE PLAN MEETINGS REGARDING HER CARE! Who knew her better than we did? How can we expect strangers to properly care for our loved ones without our input?
Yes, the nursing home has call lights, but so does the hospital. Staff try to answer them promptly, but it's difficult to answer everybody's light at 1 time to toilet, which is often the case after a meal or before bedtime. It sometimes takes 2 staff to assist 1 resident, and someone is going to have to wait. Elders lose the concept of time and often 5 minutes seems like 30 minutes to them. It's not an easy task providing quality care in the long term setting. These people are more dependent on staff to assist them, and these needs can't be met in just a minute or two.... It takes time, and families don't often realize or comprehend what is actually happening with another resident in the other room.
As people get older, they wander about. THAT'S GOOD! They're walking and are active! Barry Community Care IS NOT A LOCKED UNIT FOR ALZHEIMERS. They do have alarms on the exit doors to allow residents the freedom and safety to be at home and protected. They also have a few residents that are more vulnerable and require special attention to keep them safe and lower their risk to leave unsupervised due to wandering. They wear small monitors that activates the front and service back doors only. They take precautions to keep more vulnerable elders safe without restricting their freedom to being at home. Before you pass judgment on nursing homes based on posted blogs, GO VISIT THE PLACES FOR YOURSELF. See for yourself. Talk to the staff, talk to the residents, come walk around and make your own conclusions for yourself what the home is like.
I happen to appreciate the reputation of this home in the community, the quality of care, respect, and dignity that they've provided to the residents, staff, and families over the years. Barry Community Care Center Is a long-term caring Community where the residents become like family and the family-centered resident care becomes like home.
Respectfully submitted, read more
