Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Grandma's new home

We got home last night after spending a week in Eugene helping get Grandma moved into a nice apartment at Solvang Retirement Living. She seemed to be adjusting to the change remarkably well, and I think she will truly be happy there, and may even wonder after awhile why she didn't move there a lot sooner. Here are some pics for you to see what it's like:














The dining hall is set up like a restaurant, and she can go down to eat anytime of the day from 7 AM to 6 PM. Good food. We ate there 3 times. They take people shopping two days of the week, and two days are set aside for doctor visits. If they have an appt on one of those days, they will take them there and then pick them up when they're through. They go on trips to different places of interest at least once a month, have entertainment come in, have Bible studies and church services, etc. They encourage the residents to keep active by awarding them "Solvang Dollars" every time they attend an excercise session (chair excercises) or walk around the building. When they have accumulated 7 solvang dollars, they can trade it in for a guest meal ticket so they can treat their guests to lunch or dinner with them in the dining room when they come.
While we were there, several people came to meet Grandma, and one lady in particular was very helpful and had her go to two or three meals with her. I think she will continue to be a friend for Grandma. She attends the church where Grandma goes, but they didn't know each other before.
Of course Grandma is hoping for frequent visits from her kids and grandkids. There is a guest apartment there (I didn't see it) where people can stay for $50 a night, which includes all meals.
At this point, I'm glad we made the decision and moved her there. I'm praying for good times and good friends for her there to fill her days and help her begin to live again with joy.