# Success Stories

CB used to live in a big assisted living facility. He has no family or friends, and makes all his decisions by himself and says he is his biggest advocate. He was not very keen on the idea of moving to a smaller setting because he was not sure if it is a right fit for him. He took the plunge and now says, he now has the family that he never had before. He enjoys going on walks, participating in activities and loves the small intimate setting where all residents live like a family. He has made strong bonds with caregivers as well as residents and considers us as his family.

CA is one of our biggest success stories! She moved in with us about 4.5 years ago and was severely depressed. She would go days without eating/drinking, would constantly cry and make no eye contact with anyone. Her family told us that she has been the same way for the last 20+ years since her husband passed. She also suffered a childhood trauma that she was very reluctant to personal care. With a calm, peaceful and loving environment and consistency of care staff, CA has come a long way. She is now always happy, smiling, making friends and participating in activities. Her family has congratulated us over and over again for giving their mom a new life. They never thought they would see their mom smiling again. We are very grateful to our wonderful staff who have made a real life difference in our resident’s lives.

When SB first came to us, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He was very anxious, restless, and mostly agitated. He was always looking to escape/ find a way out. At our facility, we were able to provide him more 1 on 1 attention. We were able to spend time listening to him and indulge in conversation about his past, his family and the things that were important to him. He developed a bond of trust with our care staff and now he asks to be accompanied for his walks outside. He still has moments where he misses his sister, however, he has enjoyed participating in activities, forming bonds with other residents and the variety of food offered at the facility.

CD had a traumatic experience before she came to us. She was dealing with a lot of bullying behavior which had led her to become scared and was easily triggered. She was overly paranoid and could not sleep. Her anxiety was uncontrollable. We worked hard developing a bond with CD. In addition to this we worked closely with CD's psychiatrist in identifying her symptoms and the medication that could help her. In a few weeks, as CD noticed the constant people and environment around her, she started getting comfortable and was able to relax. She now enjoys going grocery shopping with us. She likes to help with tasks such as laundry, clearing out the table etc. She loves socializing and spending time with other residents. And the best part is,she is now always smiling.

AC had severe dementia and was supposed to move to our facility from her home. She was not willing to make the move at first and her family was very worried about her transition. On her first day, AC was not willing to enter the facility. She stayed outside the house for a very long time, upset and agitated at her family for deciding on this move. In a few hours, as each of our care staff introduced themselves to her, offered her a meal and just some company, she began to lighten up. When she walked into the facility, everyone greeted her and it was a warm and happy atmosphere. She enjoyed the rest of the day dancing and signing with the other residents. A short week later, when she went out with her daughter, she could not wait to come back "home". Her daughter shared this story with tears of relief in her eyes.

BR lived in another facility for over 3 years and was considered bedridden. She moved to our facility and within a week of her move, we were able to get her out of her room using hoyer lift assistance. Her daughter started taking her for walks almost every other day, and even to her house for celebrating festivals/special occasions/ Family could not thank us enough because they never thought that their mom will see the world outside of her room ever again.

RM was a 98 year old "tough cookie", as her social worker described her. She was never happy with anything and had a lot of behavioral disturbances where she would yell, scream and curse caregivers all day long. She was over 300 pound and would only want to be in her room at all times. Within a few weeks of being in our care, her behaviors got much better. She started smiling more, she agreed to come out of her room using hoyer lift and doing activities. She still had some behaviors but her friend/POA told us that this is the happiest she has seen her in a very long time and we made a real difference in her life.

SR moved to our facility at the very beginning of COVID. She was previously living in a bigger memory care unit and when she transferred to our care, she was on hospice and we were told that she has a few days/weeks to live. She had advance dementia and extreme behaviors. Her demeaner and condition changed considerably in a loving family friendly environment, so much that she was discharged from hospice and lived with us for over 3.5 years before she passed away in December 2023.

JS was a professional boxer when he was younger. Now he has severe Alzheimer’s and dementia. He was admitted to the hospital because he showed extreme aggression towards his care team and other residents at his previous facility. He stayed at the hospital for over 6 months because his social work team was not able to find a right fit for him, who would accept him because of his history of aggression. We took on the challenge and in short 1 month, he is very calm and composed. He has started to trust our care team, lets us do his personal without being very defensive, he has started to feed himself which he hasn’t done in a long time. His wife says that this is the calmest she has seen him in 5+ years. First 1 month was not easy and we needed 3-4 caregivers to help him with his ADL’s but now he only needs 1 person assistance. His family could not be more grateful for our determination and care.

LG lived in El Cajon in another facility for over 6 months and was never happy because of constant changes in staffing and inconsistency of care. His sister moved him to our care and has been very satisfied especially because we make sure that LG gets out of bed everyday to participate in activities. His behaviors have also improved a lot where he does not get aggressive and agitated with staff anymore. He has developed a warm and cordial relationship with our staff in short 4 months of being with us.

AW is our 99 year old, very loved and pampered resident. He lived with his wife before moving in our facility 3 years ago. His wife says, he used to sleep over 18-20 hours a day and would only wake up to eat/shower. Ever since he has moved in with us, he is more alert, has started feeding himself, walks at least 30-50 steps a day and has become more independent. His wife tells her son that when the time comes, he should make sure that she is in our care as well. The family is very grateful for the love and support we have been able to provide Mr. W.

Yet another “tough cookie”! IL has now lived with us for over a year but when she moved in, she was never happy with anything. She was used to 1-1 care that she was getting in her home which got too expensive and she decided to move to a facility. But her expectations remained the same to get immediate attention when asked for. It took us some time to build a rapport and for her to understand that we have others that we have to care for as well. Now she is a happy camper, always being goofy and loves everyone around her. She is constantly buying gifts for the administrator, staff members and their families even after telling her not to do that. She says, she does it because she loves us too much.

JR comes from a big closely connected family. She was being cared for in her own home by her children. But given the progression of her dementia, her family was not able to care for her any longer. It was a very hard transition for her to move from her home to a facility, but in a very short time, she now considers our facility as home. When her kids take her out to eat, within an hour or so, she requests them to take her “home”. She loves the care staff and other residents and has formed a close bond with everyone. From missing her kids every awake hour to now wanting to come back to the facility, even when she is out with her kids, we have come a long way!

PS moved with us just about 3 years ago. When she moved in, she was about to start hospice because she was not thriving. She was a hoyer lift assistance and needed a lot of care and support that the previous facility was not able to offer. Ever since she has moved, she has continued on a journey to get stronger and better and is now a one person assist. She and her POA are very grateful for the personalized care we have been able to offer.

LS always sees me and tells me, “I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop. How can everything be so perfect?”. She moved with us about 2 years ago from a bigger ALF where she was suffering from major depression because she didn’t feel loved. She always said that because she didn’t have any family, she craved to make personal and meaningful connections which wasn’t happening in her previous facility. But since her move, she enjoys her time with our consistent care staff and other residents. She very actively participates in all activities and relishes all her meals with other residents and care staff at the dining room table. She had a major health crisis a few months ago and said, being in a home like environment and around people who loved and cared for her deeply, made the hardest days of her life sail smoothly.