testimonials
At Garden Abode, we work very hard to make the lives of our residents as happy and content as can be. We might not receive words of praise from our actual residents, but we certainly do receive our fair share of high praise from our residents’ family members. Below are just a small amount of testimonials we’ve recently received from appreciative family members.
You Will Not Find A Better Home For Your Loved Ones
August 14, 2016
To Whom It May Concern,
This letter of recommendation for Garden Abode is being written by Debbie Winters, a daughter of a former resident who lived there for 14 months. It is with great sadness that we must depart from this glorious establishment, taking mom with us, because of a change of location to be with the rest of our family in Oregon.
From the beginning, Melissa Deussen, owner and administrator of Garden Abode, welcomed us with open arms into her home. From our first meeting, she conveyed a genuine kindness and compassion for my mother evidenced by her questions and remarks to her medical and environmental needs. She was reassuring, knowledgeable, and her vast experience in working with the elderly was beyond evident. She was also funny, showing her sense of humor appropriately and proving to us that she was very capable of tending to my mother’s own special brand of humor.
Mom was admitted as a Hospice resident. Melissa immediately managed her medical needs including an appropriate doctor, pharmacy, dietary needs and efficient and qualified nursing and home health care staff. For the first time ever in my mother’s life, Melissa was able to pull all of the sadness, confusion, and depression out of her. She knew when to push a little, then pull back and allow my mother’s own personality to surface. After a very reasonable period of adjustment, Melissa announced that mom had gotten up out of bed and joined the rest of the family for a meal at the kitchen table. This she hadn’t done in years.
Through the next few months, my mother continued to improve including the complete removal of Hospice services. She was up and about, cracking jokes, eating 3 meals a day and staying out of bed and becoming a part of the Garden Abode family on a daily basis. This she has continued to do for the past year. The patience and kindness of the whole staff has been remarkable as they listen continually to my mother’s often repetition of the same sentences because of her deep level of dementia. The entire household consistently shows understanding and compassion for every resident there.
The staff has also been very caring to me and my family with our frequent visits. They are warm and welcoming, always offering us food or drink along with the residents. They take time to answer any questions we have and are always ready to share an experience or story about my mother.
As I, too, feel a part of the Garden Abode family, it is with mixed feelings that we depart from this establishment. With great assurance, I can tell you that you will not find a better home for your loved ones. It will be evident from the start, and it will not take you long to feel the warmth and comfort that will be immediately offered to you and your family. I wish you the best of luck in your search, but you don’t have to look any further than Garden Abode.
— Debbie W., San Diego, CA
Loving Care With Absolute Professionalism And Kindness
We moved my 88 year old father here from Emeritus Carmel Valley because he was placed into hospice, and because our experience with Emeritus was a disaster, we wanted to move him to a place where he would be cared for well.
Our hospice intake coordinator mentioned Garden Abode, which is fairly close to us (we are in Carmel Valley), so we checked it out right away. We were surprised to find that it is a beautiful home in an elegant and park-like gated neighborhood between Rancho Santa Fe and 4S Ranch. My father was able to move into a room that opened to the backyard on the ground floor; this room opened onto a view of a chaparral canyon and hills, and backyard fruit trees filled with birds in the mornings and late afternoons. It’s a lovely environment and home. Most importantly however, the owner and staff are absolutely amazing; they are professional, kind, compassionate and really seemed to love and respect my Dad.
Within days of moving him there, he became happier than he had been in months. He received constant and loving care, including frequent baths, lotions rubbed into his aging and drying skin, haircare, as well as excellent medical attention, accommodation for his decreasing mobility, attention to avoid any chance of an accident, and medication management.
The meals they prepare there are in the large kitchen, family-style with the other residents, and they’re home-cooked. Throughout the day, residents are given homemade healthy smoothies, fruit and snacks as desired.
The garden is a beautiful place to sit. The care staff were always beyond kind to me and to members of my family–always offering support, something to drink, etc., and the doors were always open to us.
I don’t know what we would have done without their kindness and support through the final weeks of my Dad’s life, and knowing that he was always being cared for lovingly and with absolute professionalism and kindness.
Not once did we arrive to find him in a questionable or unacceptable state (as we frequently did at Emeritus). We are deeply grateful to all who work at Garden Abode, and to the owner and her family. We highly recommend this facility to anyone looking for a place for their loved one who is independent, but would prefer a family environment over a large facility, or who needs intensive care and can no longer live successfully at home by themselves or in a retirement or assisted living facility.
— Carolyn K., San Diego, CA
I Cannot Say Enough About The Attention And Care We Received
Garden Abode is a place to call home if your looking for assisted living for a family member or friend. I cannot say enough about the attention and care we received from Melissa. She helped us place a long-time friend into her care. She was referred to us by Elizabeth Hospice when we were at Palomar hospital.
She went beyond what I would expect from an assisted facility. But that’s just it. This is a private home, well a mansion really. It is in a gated community with a Tuscan feel easily accessible from the freeway. Everyone here treated us like family, and you can see that it is a happy and friendly atmosphere.
We visited many times during the week for the length of our friends stay and with every visit, the care and compassion shown was consistent.
Melissa helped us guide through the calls and paperwork and that took a huge amount of stress off of us. We had no idea what we were getting into when asked several years ago to become responsible for our friend. Would we have done it over, of course, but we would have educated ourselves on what to expect to be better prepared.
Thank you Melissa, for helping us get through a very difficult time in our lives and showing such compassion for our dear friend when she needed it the most.
— Elizabeth V., Escondido, CA
The Level Of Professionalism, Attention, And Love They Gave To My Aunt Cannot Be Overstated
Melissa and her excellent staff cared for my Aunt for two years before she died at age 96. I can never repay them for the peace of mind they gave me.
The level of professionalism, attention, and love they gave to her and me, cannot be overstated. My Aunt required total care, and was handled gently and with respect. Beyond her physical needs, her personality and individuality were taken into account.
The food is good and plentiful. Melissa makes her own kefir smoothies, which are delicious, easy to digest and healthy.
The home is lovely with a family atmosphere which helped with the transition from her own home.
I feel fortunate to have been able to share the last years of my Aunt’s life with the such loving and supportive people.
— Pam S., San Diego, CA
What An Outstanding And Caring Place Garden Abode Is!
With the help of our excellent patient advocate (Mary Murray), I just moved my 94 year old mother from an assisted living home in La Jolla to Melissa’sGarden Abode.
What an outstanding caring place it is! Her staff constantly go above and beyond and Melissa is always around to cheer them and the residents on!
There was no transition bump and my Mom felt like she belonged there as soon as we walked in the first time.
The food is fresh and delicious and not out of a freezer or a warehouse.
I can’t wait to see my mom thrive in her new hope!
— Dean P., New Haven, CT
17067 Coyote Bush Dr.
San Diego, CA 92127
Tel: 858.776.9730
Fax: 858.759.8403
info@gardenabodesd.com
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