A Special Thank you from a former Resident

 

Thank you very much for celebrating my mother's 89th birthday. Only would have been better if we could gotten her there! She got a big smile when we told her you all had cake.

Thank you for all of my mother's great care and special time with you at The Elms.

McMillian Family

Thank you to San Carlos Elms

Scott,
Thank you & your staff for the nice card & wonderful words. I also want to thank the entire staff at the Elms, and especially the staff in The Grove for the care and compassion they showed my mother during her all too brief stay. Your combination of professionalism, care, and compassion is a real credit to your organization. I'll not hesitate to recommend the Elms to all
those in need of assisted care.
Sincerely,
Greg Randich

Gone, But Not Forgotten

Hi there Kathleen,
Sept. 14 in Santa Paula is date for Mayfred's Memorial Celebration of her life. I was thinking that I would love to share some stories from you, Stacie, and Ana, ect. I'll stop by this coming week and maybe we could talk for a few minutes and reminisce. Thanks. You all at the Elms were such an important part of the last 5-6 years of her life. I will always be eternally grateful for the loving care and support. Not only for my mom but also for me as the daughter and "crazy" person. You all have been a big part of my life and I intend to keep in touch. Too bad, so sad, you haven't gotten rid of me yet!
Lots of love,
Sharon

Thank you Caregivers in The Memory Program!

My sister and I wish to thank all of the wonderful, skilled and loving caregivers at the Memory Care Unit! What a difficult and often stressful job they perform with good humor and unlimited patience! It's so comforting to know that we are leaving our mom in such good hands! We can't thank you enough! In addition Scott Evans has worked with us time and time again to help out mom be able to stay at the Elms! What a relief not to have to uproot her to move her to another less expensive care option. Thank you Scott! We are indebted to you for your compassion and for going above and beyond to assist our family!!
With Sincere appreciation,
Nancy Witt and Denise Tsujisaka,
daughters of Ann Jacobson

A Daughter's Awesome Thanks

My mom lived in the same house in San Carlos for 67 years. She had a few falls and a 4-story house was not where she needed to be. She fought me on the assisted living situation in the beginning. She has been at the SC Elms for about 9 months now and she loves it. She has made new friends, participates in social activities, she eats well and has put on some badly needed weight. When I visit her, the one thing I always hear is "I hope I never have to go back home because I'm so happy here." Transitioning a parent from home to assisted living isn't always easy, but I made the right choice. Everyone at SC Elms is awesome and I want to say thank you for all you have done for my mom.
Marlys Walter-Balsamo

A Daughter's Perspective on San Carlos Elms

San Carlos Elms it the most independence-friendly assistant living facility in the area, a very important element for our mom. It's close and accessible to downtown San Carlos, a delightful town with many conveniences and excellent shopping, easy for her to do a lot on her own without driving. It's also close to public transportation for her to do a lot on her own without driving. It's also close to public transportation for those visiting, and convenient to Highway 101 and 280. All this and attentive staff in a well-kept facility. Good going folks.
Daughter

Thanks for his Parents

My two 90+ year old parents are getting great care at the Grove Memory Care Facility at The Elms. The staff of caring professionals has exceeded my expectations and I look forward to seeing my new caregivers friends during visits.
Very Satisfied,
Brian Burgess

A Resident Family Member Gives Praise

I Can't praise San Carlos Elms Enough. The staff and Living conditions are suburb. I would recommend anyone that needs Senior Housing....
Resident Family

A Resident Gives his Thanks

I'm happy to recommend the San Carlos Elms to those who may wish to leave behind the cars of everyday living in our too-busy world. I enjoy being well served in a friendly atmosphere where housekeeping and tasty meal preparation are provided, as well as more personal care when needed. I've decorated my apartment to my own taste.
The Elms provides me with access to nearby shopping, health-care and other appointments. Low-key in-house entertainment and social activities are available to me if I wish them. Our residents, of mixed ages and backgrounds, are friendly and interesting. I couldn't wish for more.
Don Pettengill

A Daughter Gives Thanks

My mother spent the last 2 1/2 years of her life at the San Carlos Elms after moving here from her life-long home in the Midwest.
We were extremely happy with her care in the Memory Care Program and we enjoyed our time with everyone at the Elms.
The staff was wonderful and we had a very pleasant experience. I would highly recommend it to anyone.
Daughter

A Friend of San Carlos Elms

Lee Perterson died at San Carlos Elms 10 short of her 100th birthday-December 15, 2012. She had lived here just short of 5 years...I was a frequent visitor-3 to 5 times weekly-residents thought I too lived here! Whether I came at 7a.m. or 7p.m. Lee was a comfortably beautiful lady...her care givers gave her the attention and respect needed at all times.
A friend for many years-she and her husband introduced me to my husband 55 years ago!
Helen Cross

A Family Gives Thanks

Dear Staff,
   Thank you so much for the excellent care and caring that you extended to our mother, Louise Cline over the past 3 and half years.
   I am sure there may have been a few difficult days, but I never heard of any complaining from the nurses. They were extremely patient with her.
   Thank you also to her social services staff and Hospice for making her last days and hours manageable. It was my pleasure to meet you all at the lovely 100th Birthday Celebration.
Thanks again,
The Cline Family

A Family Thanks The Elms

Hello Maribel,

   If you did not hear this already, my mother, Mary Walton, passed away April 1. My sister and I had a nice conversation with Mom over Easter weekend and my brother was by her side when she passed away. I hope you will pass this note along to Scott and the Staff. It is a story of my mom's journey and our wonderful time at The Elms.
  
   As you know, when we first came to The Elms in October of 2011, my mom was already quite ill. After being told about her diagnosis, CBGD (a rare and aggressive form of Parkinson's Disease), the neurologist would not release mom from the hospital until she found a board and care home or an assisted living facility. After researching 25 possible options we were very excited about touring The Elms. My mom had lived in San Carlos about 30 years before so she was familiar with the area. She always said the building looked like the apartments in the neighborhood and did not "scream" assisted living. We met Kathleen who took her time showing us around the building. She makes an amazing first impression. Then we met Curley and  I knew our fate was sealed. The idea of having a dog made the decision easy for everyone. In a matter of thirty minutes my mom went from being sad to wanting to move immediately. The case manager suggested we may be better off going directly into board and care (we knew she was probably right) but the idea of mom going directly from independent living directly into board and care was too much of a change. She always valued her independence and we felt compelled to give it a chance. I will be forever grateful when Scott called to say my mom had gotten the apartment she wanted. I left the next day to return home with a huge sense of relief.

   My brother, sister and I loved coming to The Elms. Amanda, manning the front desk, seemed like an old friend in two visits. Curley came by frequently. We took mom to Laurel Street for lunches and an occasional dinner when she felt up to it. We enjoyed meals in the dining room and meeting the other residents. Sitting in the sun on the front patio in the afternoon was our favorite past time. We decorated mom's room (333) it awesome. My brother was able to visit at least once a week and my sister and I visited as much as possible from the East Coast.

   Maribel was instrumental in helping us evaluate mom's needs. My mom quickly settled into the downstairs dining, finding a great friend in Don Richardson. She enjoyed the company of her dining companions and the staff immensely. It was the happiest I had seen her in years. Unfortunately, things quickly changed. After 9 trips to the hospital in three months (COPD and heart related) we enlisted the services of the AIM program, a light version of hospice. Maribel made more services available to my mom including dressing her, medication management and a wheel chair escort to and from the dining room. Looking back her decline seems so rapid. After another hospitalization in April we began to use the service Hospice and Senior Assist to provide full time care 8AM to 5PM. At first we hoped it would be temporary and we could cut back the hours. That proved to be impossible as my mom's needs increased almost daily. Again Maribel and her staff stepped up to help with our growing demands. Neredia was amazing.  My mom always smiled when she walked into the room.
  
   As my mom's mobility became compromised and she no longer had use of her arms or legs, we faced the difficult decision to move to Board and Care. Her lungs were failing and we needed a full time care option. This was a huge challenge. After visiting 30 board and care homes, we only liked two, each with 6 beds and each of them with no availability. It turned out one of the two homes, which did have a room became available decided they did not have the ability to care for mom. We were down to one. With the help of Mission Hospice, a wonderful group of people, we were able to move mom to Enchanted Gardens. Leaving The Elms was tough for all of us. We never wanted her stay to end and we knew this would be her final move.

   The people at Enchanted Gardens took wonderful care of my mother. Again we were so lucky to find the right care for this stage of life. Many of the staff from The Elms came to visit my mom. I want to thank each and everyone who took the time to stop by. She missed all of you so very much.  It is a testament to the wonderful people who work at The Elms

So to all of you,

Thanks for making a tough year a wonderful year. I will make every effort to come back and visit.

With my most heartfelt thanks,
D'Anna Hardesty and Family

A Resident's Good-Bye, But Back Soon!

   You guys have been fantastic to me-I've already spoken to Kathleen about coming back as a volunteer, that's how much I like this place and the people in it!

Scott,
   I came here from another community which was about $1,000 cheaper - but you guys are worth the extra $.
   -There, I found several medications errors, including one that set my vision back about 6 months; here, I have not noted a single med error, ever.

   -Your staff is wonderful! I especially want to single out Laura for praise in the Dining Room. Nereida and Dora deserve extra praise as well, Meling is detail, oriented, conscientious, and oh so pleasant!   August does a great job and I've noticed he's very patient and careful with residents using walkers and canes. He makes sure people are at the right office verifies the pick-up time, assists them if needed. Stacey, Amanda, and Michelle at the Front Desk are polite, efficient, caring - a great "front" for the first impression in the Lobby. But, there is not one single staff member who isn't cheerful, patient, kind, and knows their job right down to the room cleaners, the janitorial staff, the busboy, everyone! A special "shout out" to Kathleen.

   I'm sure there are others equally deserving. Ismary does a wonderful job engaging the residents in the memory program. June was great in explaining things when I was first signing up. Lisa is a miracle of exactitude and efficiency. Dave actually showed up at my door to discuss a suggestion/ comment I left in the Dining Room Comment Box. Nick often checks on how we are enjoying our meals and "takes questions" the roast lamb is not only restaurant quality; the salmon is also wonderful - my two favorite dinners! The salad bar always has a protein source to fresh fruit as well as veggies - I've gained not quite 1lb per month since I've come here!And yes, I appreciate the extra exercise area, I'm just too lazy to use it...

   No doubt there are other I've forgot to mention, but again, every single one of your staff is well-above average in all aspects.
   I have told everyone I know that if they are looking for a place for their parents, or planning a future for themselves, this is the place to be.

Thank you again,
Shari Silverman

P.S. The Residents here are lovely too.
P.P.S I also love the fresh fruit and occasional muffins in the Resident Lounge.

Addition to the Elms Family...

Scott,

Thank you very much for meeting yesterday with my mother Katherine and me. Your Elms team is really great. And my mother is very happy with her choice, as is her family. We all appreciate the 6- month check-ins.
Again, thank you for your time and attention to the details for those residing at The Elms. Such a vulnerable time.

Thank you,
Mary