I can not overstate how significant it was that we found Westwind to care for my mother the last 8…read moremonths of her life. Our experience with Westwind was fantastic, and I HIGHLY recommend the facility.
Many organizations reflect the leader, and the leadership team at Westwind is first-rate. Steven, the Executive Director, is the even hand that keeps it all together. Parv, the Wellness Director, is an experienced registered nurse whose advice and loving care for my mother were invaluable to us. Erik, the Program Manager, was so reliable -- diligent about precisely coordinating my mother's pharmaceutical and care needs with the med techs and care workers who daily watched over her. Raina, the Business Manager, was professional and unwaveringly loving towards my difficult-to-handle mother. My family owes these blessed people a debt, for caring for my mother in ways that our own family could not.
Westwind has 2 floors, with approximately 25 residents per floor. I visited almost every other day, and I don't recall one time where I saw less than 5 care workers plus a med tech on the floor. Not to mention the several janitorial and facility techs, the activities team, receptionist, food service workers and leadership team that are also on site, should the need for extra hands arise. Having adequate, experienced staff available is not an issue at Westwind.
And what can I say about the staff? Exemplary, every last one. My mother was difficult from Day 1: banging on the door to leave, yelling / demanding that the staff pay constant attention to her, rejecting the food offered to her, becoming incontinent yet taking off her adult diaper at night, disrobing herself in front of others, having tantrums when she didn't get her way, etc. etc. My mom had all the bad behaviors of someone with dementia. I, as her son, was lost to understand how she was behaving, and frustrated by it. And let me be very clear about what I am about to say: NOT ONE TIME did I hear a frustrated negative comment from the staff about my mother. Ever. Not one.
What I saw instead was Prima and Joan, undaunted, coming into my mother's room time and again, asking if she wanted to join that hour's activity. I saw Fritzi and Stephanie and Anais so carefully trying various strategies to get my mother to take her medicine, and not spit it out of her mouth. I saw Maria and Marie and Andrea cleaning my mother and dressing her and fixing her hair every morning to make sure she looked good. I saw Connie hug my mother and hold her tight, as long as needed, to calm my mother down when she was trying to repeatedly punch Connie. I am thankful for all the times Josh and Kadafi and Matteo encouraged me, telling me how much they liked my mother. And it is just countless the number of people that sat with my mother, and lovingly held her hand, and tried to ease her anxiety and agitation.
This place did more than we asked, and more than was required. It was worth every penny we spent for my mother to stay here. As a final word, let me just say: thank God for Westwind Memory Care, and God bless the people that work there.
