These letters, from residents and their families, make all of us at Apple proud!

Dear Rose Haven,

I am so pleased that I chose Rose Haven for my rehab program. I am back to my regular activities now and I owe it all to your cheerful, patient, and caring staff members. I am truly spoiled by all the attention I received.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate Rose Haven a 20! And I will certainly recommend your wonderful facility to anyone in need of your services.

Thanks so much to each and every one of you!

Betsy F. French

In this day and age when you hear so many negatives about nursing homes, it is a pleasure to tell you about one with so many positives. This facility is Ridgeview Health Care Center in Cromwell. My mother has been there for a year now. Ridgeview is a caring place for residents and their families. Let me tell you why I believe this is so.

From the administrator to the admissions director, my family has always felt welcomed and accepted. The recreation directors plan many wonderful events, such as a Christmas party, and many entertainment gatherings, not to mention the wonderful fireworks display for Independence Day. All the nurses and nursing assistants are very nurturing and caring to the residents and their families. My family knows that if there is a problem with my mom we will certainly get a phone call. There is no voicemail to the general phone lines, which makes wonderful connections without delays.

We have seen fantastic progress with my mom, who, we believe, has become happier and more alert since arriving last July. I cannot forget to mention all the caring aides who help my mom and all of the other residents. Everyone depends on them daily. My mom was also getting physical therapy. She is in a wheelchair but, with the very professional PT services, they are able to walk her everyday. The food is very good and they are always providing goodies for all. The laundry and custodial workers are top notch. Everyone at this facility works together for the good of the residents and their families. My family feels very safe and secure about having my mom at such a terrific facility. I am also speaking on behalf of all the other families at this facility. We all praise Ridgeview.

John Giove, New Britain
(Printed in the Hartford Courant July 16, 2004)

Dear Nurse Ghidini,

This letter is to express appreciation for the care provided to my mother, Rose Benoit. As you know, she passed away recently after spending about three years at your facility. My wife and I always found the staff at Coccomo Memorial Health Care Center to be helpful and caring. We feel that my mom’s last years were happy ones due in large part to the home-like atmosphere and dedicated work of the staff. At this time of Thanksgiving we are thankful that my mom had a place like Coccomo Memorial to reside in for her last years.

Please share this letter with the staff. They should know that the work they do is important and appreciated.

Sincerely,
Robert J. Benoit, Jr.

Dear Mr. Foley,

My thanks to you for helping us admit my mother to Chesterfields Health Care Center is long overdue. However this is not the purpose of my letter. I feel compelled to find the words to describe the loving attention that is shown to all residents, not just my mother. I have observed this seemingly expected behavior at all levels, from the cook, to the nurse’s aides, to the housekeeping staff and, of course, to the nurses. A few stand out but I would be remiss in naming names because everyone is so caring and thoughtful. What I can do is provide examples to support my accolades. I visit a minimum of 2 times a week and most often more frequently. I have arrived in the morning, at night, on the weekends and during the week and below are my observations regardless of the time of day or day of week:

On a more personal note, it was most difficult for me to make the decision to place my mom in a permanent residence. I worried about her isolation and her loss of independence. The Chesterfield staff, especially few who have shown a special affection for her, have helped me to understand and accept my decision. I know that she is surrounded by individuals who care for her as though she were their mom. Actually a recent incident compelled me to write this letter because, as my mom reported to me, “It was a terrible event and everyone was fighting over who was going to get to help me. They all wanted me to be okay. They made me forget about the problem and made me feel special.” It doesn’t get any better than that.

Sincerely,
Sheila K. Brown

Dear Apple Health Care,

I would like to take this opportunity to write to you about your wonderful skilled nursing facility locate in Mystic, CT., namely, the Mary Elizabeth Nursing Home.

For the second time in my life, I have been confronted with the difficult decision of having to place a loved one in a nursing care facility. This is never an easy choice, as one sometimes believes that nobody can care as much about your loved as you do. Approximately seven weeks ago however my mother became ill and required hospitalization in Westerly Hospital. Knowing she could not return home, a difficult decision was made by my family to transfer my mother, Ethel Burke, from Westerly Hospital to your facility, Mary Elizabeth Nursing Home. My father was well aware of the fine reputation of Mary Elizabeth and was happy that my mother would be “close by.”

My mother was a patient at your facility for five weeks and during that time; my family and I came to know most of the employees of the healthcare facility from the housekeeping staff to the nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, recreational therapy, and administrative staff. I cannot tell you how wonderful they were to my mother and to us. Never did a day go by that my mother was not made to feel like a very special person and her care was superb. As a daily visitor to the facility, I observed that same care and compassion shown to other residents of Mary Elizabeth.

Two weeks ago my parents moved from Connecticut to a retirement facility in Tiverton, RI. My mother is slowly continuing to improve in her new facility. One distinction however between this new facility and Mary Elizabeth, is that despite the newness and luxuriousness of this new facility, it lacks the heartwarming love and compassion of Mary Elizabeth.

Thank you for your operation of such a fine facility. It is evident by the care that my mother received at Mary Elizabeth that you are truly committed to maintaining an organization with integrity, dignity, and care.

Very truly yours,
Cheryl McStay

Dear Mr. Foley:

It is with the deepest gratitude to the entire staff at Chesterfields that I write you this letter of praise for the extraordinary care given to my father, Harry J. Steigelman, Jr., at that facility. From the cleaning staff, the kitchen, the administration, social worker, recreation leaders, physical and occupational therapists, CNA’s, to the nurses, and anyone I may have missed, we have only the highest compliments.

As I noted in your questionnaire following my dad’s discharge on October 18, I was informed in NJ that my dad would be in a nursing home for the rest of his life. Here, only 4 months later, he is with my mother in an assisted-living facility-how wonderful!

None of us know what the future holds, but for now my dad is living as independently as possible. I know one thing for sure-if we could put reservations in now for the possibility of needing a nursing home in the future, I, and all of my family, would be “putting in” for Chesterfields!

Thank you so very much for establishing facilities that strive to care about people, their dignity and their well being.

Sincerely,
Barbara Genther

To All Our Friends at Fowlers,

How does a family begin to thank everyone for caring for a wife of fifty-seven years and a mother of forty-seven years? Your staff got to know my mom when she could walk, talk, and enjoy eating a meal. Your staff also knew my mom when talking was an effort, eating was difficult, and merely standing was impossible. Your entire staff brought my mom, dad, my family, and me through an incredibly difficult time.

Thank you for always remembering there was a person to be respected in that bed. Patients come to you after long and fruitful lives, and have all those memories locked inside them. Thank you for always doing things on my mom’s schedule rather than by the rules. Thank you mostly for never giving up on her, for never telling her, or us, there was nothing else you could do.
My dad didn’t have his soul mate around for three months, but he never felt separated from her. You fed him and let him share as much time as possible with my mom. The support he felt from all of you got him through.

Our only regret is that we couldn’t bring Mom back “home” to die. Her needs towards the end were immense. Hospice was our only choice. Her care continued to be outstanding and Dad felt at peace that she was finally comfortable.

As not to forget anyone, we have not mentioned any names. To each and everyone who cared for my mom… we thank you, and hold you in the highest esteem. Your efforts as a team were outstanding. We hope these forsythia bushes will brighten both the patients and staff’s days for many years to come.

With Sincere Gratitude,
Louise Dunphy, and the family of Sylvia Garbarino

Dear Apple Health Care,

The Ledgecrest Nursing Home in Kensington is the best home I have visited. When you enter this home, there are no odors to greet you. What you see is a shiny, well-decorated, immaculately clean home. All the nurses and certified nursing assistants during the day and night are kind and caring. They can’t do enough to make you comfortable, happy and well because they really care.

The residents are clean, well dressed, and happy. They all eat in dining rooms. There, you are part of the family.

Everyday, the Director of Recreation has so much planned: arts and crafts, sing-a-longs, bingo, exercises, church services, and so much more. Everyone is there to participate, listen, or rest. No one is left out. There is rehabilitation every day, which I attend. The delicious meals are cooked by chefs who surpass the best ones in New Orleans or on any cruise ship. Every day, you receive three well-balanced meals that are out of this world.

Best of all, everyone in all of the departments work together with the Administrator, Chris Johnson, to make Ledgecrest a “Top Notch” Nursing Home.

Ann M. McGee

Dear Mr. Bedard,

I would like to take this opportunity to let you know what EXCELLENT care your employees at Waterbury Extended Care provide. Most of us with family members living in the facility find it extremely difficult and heart breaking to leave our loved ones there after our visits, however, the personal care that ALL your employees deliver is outstanding. It makes it just a bit easier to leave.

One person I would like to acknowledge is the nurse “Judy” – I’m sorry, I do not know her last name. She is absolutely the most wonderful and caring woman I have ever had the privilege of meeting. Not only does she treat our loved ones as her own, but she treats the families with just as much care and respect. Words cannot express the gratitude I feel towards her. She makes having my grandmother (Rose Bellemare) there a bit easier to deal with. I hope you let her and all your employees know just how valuable they truly are. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Michelle Viglione

Ms. Cathy O’Connor

Please allow me to take this opportunity to thank you and all of you at Chesterfields Health Care Center for the wonderful care and attention you gave my mother, Helen. Even though I was an English teacher for 35 years, I’m having difficulty finding the words to truly express my appreciation for all you did for her, and for me. No one was ever too busy to listen and help; everyone was always kind and compassionate.

I’d like to list all of the people who came to mean so much to us. I could go from A to Z… Anne and Alicia and the aides to Zoe the lovable lab, but I know I’d forget someone (I forgot what I had for breakfast). Joan Dibble went well beyond the call of duty many times to talk to my mother; Dianne Criscuolo listened to me at my lowest points. Janelle and Alicia brought my mother from nowhere to almost where she once was, in spite of her frequent resistance. The health aides never made any of us feel like a burden. And Emma and Tara made Hannah the cocker spaniel feel home every day.

Although I’m thrilled that Mom is coming here, I will miss visiting every day (and Hannah will miss your courtyard). Your support got us through. I won’t forget you.

Most Sincerely,
Judith E. Blasko

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