Piñon

From Sandy, a Family Member at Parkview, March 26, 2010

"Parkview has the ability to see qualities in people that go with their philosophy. I can feel more peace knowing that my parents have people who look out for their social and psychological needs in addition to their health. I will try to write letters to commend the people who mean so much to us. We recently had a care meeting for my father, and it would not have been nearly as fruitful if Jessica, the Social Worker hadn't "taken the reigns" many times and allowed my father to express himself. I was truly amazed at how someone so young could have that much wisdom and ability to redirect things whenever they went off track. We got my father’s therapy plan revamped to meet his desires, but with realistic expectations and safety measures, and many other things were discussed and clarified for him."

From a Satisfied Caller, July 29, 2009

We received a call from a gentleman in Steamboat Springs about excellent customer service from Tammy Gleisner, Admissions Director⁄Social Worker at Piñon’s Rowan Community in Denver. He said that Tammy listened to him describe the challenges he was having with his mother, explained to him why Rowan may not be the best fit for his mother, but then gave him five referrals. He said that he was lost in the system in Steamboat, did not know where to turn or what to do next and that Tammy talked to him about how the process worked and what to expect. He did get a referral from someone who had a fax with information about Rowan. He said he worked in the home health care business in the past and that the discharge planners he worked with were not of Tammy’s caliber and that he hopes we recognize her as an asset—which of course we do!

From Kathy Mekelburg, NHA, Fairacres Manor, July 13, 2009

At Fairacres Manor, we have two female residents that have cats. “Elinor” came to us without much will to live, angry at her daughter and she had just lost a son to suicide. She was very unhappy, crying a lot and refusing to get dressed. We asked her about a pet and she agreed to a cat. Since her new pet came into her life, she has fixed up her room (she was an interior decorator), she is active in the community and she laughs, jokes and shares with us good and bad times. She had a very bad virus that we were sure was going to cause her death, but I truly believe that taking care of the cat and the love that she received from the cat kept her alive.

Our second lady, “Mary,” has a history of psychosis and was at a geropsych unit. When she returned, we introduced her to a cat who had been a pet in another nursing home. Mary and the cat bonded. She has been very stable with her psychosis and dementia delusions since the cat. She sometimes forgets the cat is hers, but says it just stays with her. You can often see the cat riding on the seat of her walker. Her daughter is very pleased with the stability of her mom and feels the cat plays a large part of that.

When we had our first cat at Fairacres, we had some resistance from staff about who was going to care for it and possible allergies. It is amazing to see how those issues of become non-existent as the staff have seen the improvement in the elders and have to grown to love the animals. Everyone helps the elders with feeding and with cleaning the litter boxes.

Those are just two of our stories. We also have birds, fish and visiting animals.

From Judith, a Family Member, July 8, 2009

“I do want to tell you how much I appreciated the care your staff at Highline gave my husband while he was a resident in the Rehab unit. Having provided care as a chaplain in various health care facilities around the Denver metro area, including nursing homes, independent and assisted living facilities and hospitals, I carefully screened Highline, among others, prior to admission. My husband and I decided on Highline, not because of the newness or richness of the physical plant, but because of quality of the program offered and the Piñon Management philosophy. A tour of the facility led me to believe that my husband would get the best care and rehabilitation at Highline. We were not disappointed.

We especially want to point out the efforts of Emily in working with us on my husband’s nutritional needs and the great care she took to make sure he got some unique items such as bottled water. We also want to compliment her dietary philosophy and friendly demeanor. She was delightful. Chef Cristino provided not only us, but all the residents, with well prepared, tasty food—something not always available in institutions. I asked for one of his recipes which he gladly provided.

We also very much appreciated the services of Helen, the Rehab Social Worker. Watching Helen work was like watching a dynamo! She was very helpful to my husband about a number if things. Nurse Manager, Erin, deftly managed the nursing staff, sorting out any issues that arose with aplomb and fairness. She’s extremely capable.

The physical⁄occupational therapy staff provided the motivation and professional services my husband needed to move him from wheelchair to walker and cane, and to strengthen his muscular infrastructure so that he can live successfully at home. I wanted to make sure you heard about our experience at your excellent facility. We have been spreading the word to our older friends.”