My poor grandma...

My Grandmother (81 I think...maybe 82) lives just a couple miles from us at a place called Holly Creek. It is a Christian Retirement facility. It has 2 levels of independent living as well as assisted living. Grandma has her own apartment (is not assisted). The place is awesome under normal circumstances. It is like the Ritz Carlton for the elderly. They have a salon, 2 restaurants, library, games, exercise, pool, and so much more. Grandma has been living there for a few years now and it has been wonderful for her! She has gotten so much more out of her later years than she could have anywhere else...So why do I say poor grandma?

Well, just before Thanksgiving she got a stomach bug...and ICKY stomach bug. My mom actually had to take her to Urgent Care. They told my mom they thought this was something more than the flu, possibly food poisoning but the facility should check their kitchens and the ER doc felt very strong about that.

My mom called Holly Creek and talked to the Nurse and told her what the ER said...the nurse actually told my mom "Hold on, we don't want to start rumors now" At that time they had about 12 - 15 cases of this "FLU?"

Well, it has been a month - the number of cases has soared well above 50, the health department has finally stepped in and these poor elderly people have been quarantined to their rooms, with no social times, until AFTER CHRISTMAS...it has been like this for almost 2 weeks already. They canceled all the holiday activities and shows and other plans they had for everyone, they started delivering food to rooms and will allow the residents to walk out to get their mail but nothing else...HOWEVER, in the early stages of this quarantine they did NOT enforce it well...some ladies got together for scrabble etc.

Personally I think it is ridiculous. I don't think they took it serious in the early stages...the health department has declared it a Norovirus (you know like the nasty bugs we hear about on cruise ships) and have taken over operations for a while.

It saddens me and the rest of my family because we think of all the elderly alone, in their rooms on the holidays. The food they are delivering has been less than desirable (this coming from a woman that I swear would eat anything and LOVES liver and onions). It is just sad.

If they would have taken my moms call seriously or at least had some protocol in place earlier they could have done the quarantine in late November and the sickies would be gone by now.

I am personally disappointed and sad...for my grandma, all her friends at the center and for my mom and dad who pay for this for Grandma.

Tomorrow the girls and I are going to drop off some goodies to her...My mom brought her stuff a few days ago (Grandma can walk to the back door so we don't have to go in and expose ourselves too) but it is still sad.

So, my point. The Ritz for the retired is operating more like a motel 6 and they should really be doing better by their residents. They could have catered box lunches brought in, they could refund food credits for the month they could do SOMETHING to make it more bearable. I mean seriously...81 (or younger or older) and stuck in your own apartment with a TV and no friends to socialize with is NO FUN, especially in December.

Soapbox done.