Both of my parents spent their final years as residents of the Churchill Estates Assisted Living Retirement Home in Eugene. So did my grandmother, over 35 years earlier.
My grandmother moved into Churchill Estates in the late 1970's, not long after it opened. She died in 1980. She was in her early eighties. She had divorced young. She had been independent for almost 60 years, so this was a major transition for her. But she made the adjustment easily. She always spoke well of the facility.
My father died in December 2008. He was 91. He enjoyed Churchill Estates immensely. He liked the food. He was not seriously overweight, but he got his money's worth in the food department. The facility made up for this with my mother. She always ate like the proverbial bird. As she got older, she ate even less.
She died in November 2015. She was living in the memory care unit. She had been there for three years. She was just a few weeks shy of her 98th birthday.
My parents decided to move in from the village of Walton in 2003. My father would not have done it except for an accident. He slipped on the ice and banged his head. He was unconscious. It took an ambulance almost an hour to get to him. At that point, my mother put her foot down: "We're moving into Eugene." She had rarely put her foot down about anything. He got the message. He made the mental transition before they moved. That made it much easier.
They shopped carefully for an assisted living facility in Eugene. Churchill Estates offered the best value. They lived in a two-room unit. That was a big change in their lives from country living: contraction. But it was time. My father never once complained. He said it was exactly what they had to do.
My mother moved into the memory care wing about three years ago. She did not have Alzheimer's. She still knew what things were called. She knew who I was when I visited until my final visit earlier this year. But the decline was relentless, visit by visit. The lady in charge of the memory care wing had said it would be, and it was.
She was usually cheerful. She appreciated the care. So did I.
Care is crucial. The mostly young people in the memory care wing were always upbeat and helpful. This would not be easy. They see decline all around them. It is not like being in a maternity wing of a hospital, where nurses are surrounded by helpless infants. There is hope for the infants' futures. There is no hope that the memory care residents will get better.
My mother would say on every visit, "I like this place. Everyone is so nice." At the end, she thought she was in Chicago. I don't know why. She had never lived in Chicago.
Bottom line: caring people make the big difference . . . even in Chicago.
I was not there to monitor the facility. That was why trust was crucial. I live near Atlanta. I still put in a long day writing, beginning around 3 a.m. and working until 7:30 or 8 in the evening. I write at least four articles a day, six days a week. So, my schedule is tight. Oregon is across the country. I could not visit my parents often.
I usually stayed at the room that Churchill Estates offers to family members who live out of town. It is a bargain.
What I saw and experienced on my visits convinced me that they had made the right decision when they chose Churchill Estates.
The fact that the memory care wing is in the same facility is important. The resident who has lived for years in the standard section of the facility does not have to go through a wrenching change. This is important for someone who is suffering from increasing confusion.
No one wants to wind up an an old folks home. You don't. I don't. But sometimes it's necessary. At that point, we go shopping, or someone does this for us.
You can shop for price, but shopping for care is problematical. You just can't be sure.
As of November 2015, Churchill Estates offers a competitive price and excellent care.
Even better news: you don't have to move to Chicago.
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