My father-in-law recently moved into Tequesta Terrace, which has recently been purchased and is under new management. He was residing in an independent living facility and at 95, with the beginning symptoms of dementia, it was clear he needed to move into an assisted living facility.
Mary D. guided us through the transition, from the initial tour of the facility to moving in. At the initial meeting we received a tour that started with a sit down meeting where Mary listened to our needs. She not only explained the services available at Tequesta Terrace, but she educated us regarding the differences between various assisted living facilities, explained how different licenses allow some facilities to support aging persons throughout their life, while others are limited and require an aging person to move to a different facility if their needs change. Tequesta maintains services and licensing so that their residents can *age in place*.
This meeting was followed by a tour of the facility, and then an introduction to many staff members including the director of nursing, the director of the facility, the reception staff, maintenance staff, the director of physical and occupational therapy (OT/PT), and the food service staff. We truly felt like we were the most important clients at Tequesta Terrace that day.
At our second meeting, we brought my father-in-law to Tequesta Terrace and the format was similar to our first meeting. But this time, in addition to Mary, the directors of nursing, OT/PT, the facility, and the food service staff, all spent time with him to converse and get to know his needs - including what his favorite foods were.
During both tours, we met residents who were walking through the halls or who were in the dining room. When residents in an assisted living facility are genuinely happy and say things like "you are going to love it here" and "this is a great place to live, the staff are wonderful", my father-in-law (and my husband and I) were assured that this place that felt like home, was the genuine deal!
Mary guided us, and was clearly supported by others on a team at Tequesta Terrace, through the application and move in process. On move in day, the staff immediately guided my father-in-law into the daily routine while my husband and I moved his belongings in and set up his apartment. The maintenance staff were there at 8:00 a.m. that day, greeting us and getting the TV, cable, and phone set up. This place runs like clock-work! And what is more impressive, their extraordinary efficiency is truly outdone by their warmth and commitment to service.
The staff at Tequesta Terrace far exceeded our expectations and continue to astound us by their unbridled thoughtfulness. After moving my father-in-law into Tequesta Terrace, and seeing that he was already fully immersed in his new home at Tequesta Terrace, we said goodbye and returned home. Leaving a loved one in a new place is an emotional time, and the experience was no different for us. To our delight, we received several texts that evening - around dinner time. These texts were from Mary and contained photos of my father-in-law smiling and engaged in conversation with others while enjoying dinner in the dining room. Since then, from time to time, we receive texts from Mary, containing photos of him enjoying a beautiful day on the front patio or engaged in other activities that clearly bring him joy.
Perhaps what says it all is this. My son, who grew up with his grandpa - - a grandpa who for a period of time even lived with us. In early June 2022 my son flew to Florida to visit his grandpa in his new home at Tequesta Terrace. I spoke to my son on the phone after his visit with grandpa and my son said "Mom - I have never ever seen Grandpa so happy. His new home is beautiful, he has friends, everyone is so kind, he loves the food, and he was smiling the whole time we were there!". Grandpa is so happy - now that's a 10-STAR review!!! read more