 |
|
|
|
Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Gladys Mondrell, 93, enjoys an early morning read of the local newspaper at Orchard House in Sunnyvale. The house, a non-profit organization, was opened in 1996 and offers 24-hour assisted living for up to six people in a quiet, residential neighborhood.
Sunnyvale has options in size and care for elderly
By Amy Jenkins
As people age and become less independent, they are often left with some choices. One large decision is whether to live with family or in an assisted living facility. But the selection no longer stops there. Now they must decide whether to live in a large or small facility.
When driving through the residential neighborhood on Bedford Avenue, it is difficult to imagine a senior care facility would be nearby, but nestled in between neatly manicured, two bedroom houses is a residential senior facility called Orchard House.
Orchard House is an assisted-living facility that started in 1996 when the son of one of the current residents donated the seven-bedroom house, administrator Helen Bradshaw explains. The facility is nonprofit and operates from the monthly cost of $3,000 per resident.
Currently there are four female residents, between the ages of 91 and 94, but the facility is licensed for six. Bradshaw says a license for residential care may be obtained for up to 6 people, between 7 and 14 and between 15 and 30 or more residents.
One of the advantages to a small facility is the residents get to know one another on a personal basis, Bradshaw says. Another advantage is full 24-hour coverage for the residents. Bradshaw and two other employees take eight-hour shifts to ensure someone is available to assist the residentsm at all times.
Another large contribution come from volunteers who come to play games with residents, read with them and take them to doctor and hairdressing appointments, Bradshaw says. Because the facility is an outreach project sponsored by the Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church, many of the 20 volunteers are members. The church decided to help in the transition from independent living to assisted living, before people need to enter a skilled nursing facility, Bradshaw says.
As an assisted-living facility, the staff distributes medications, cooks three meals a day, facilitates activities and drives residents to appointments. Assisted living is governed by the Department of Social Services and are not medical facilities, but staff can administer first aid and can provide oxygen if they are given permission, Bradshaw says.
Bradshaw says the women living at the house now enjoy visiting with each other in the family room, watching the staff cook meals and going outside when the weather is warm.
Larger facilities offer things smaller ones can't, according to Eva Aber, owner and administrator at Crescent Villa in Sunnyvale. She says that after working for 15 years in both small and large facilities--such as Crescent Villa, which can hold 44 residents--she prefers larger facilities.
"The main difference is we have lots of activities for people," Aber says. "There is lots of interaction, like dancing, crossword puzzles and exercise classes. We have half men and half women in their early 70s to late 90s, so there is lots of socialization and we keep our residents very busy."
Aber added that most small facilities have live-in staff, who need to sleep, so residents cannot be active at night. She says that at Crescent Villa, some residents stay up and watch movies or television until 3 in the morning and staff is on hand because they take shifts.
"Residents are very happy and it is really fun and still 'homey' even though we are larger," she says.
Even though Orchard House is small, they do have staff shifts. Lucille Munnerlyn, 91, has been at Orchard House since it opened. Originally from Texas, she has lived in California for 10 years. She has two sons, seven grandchildren and a great grandchild who come to visit her often. She says her favorite thing about the house is the volunteers who play Uno with the residents and give them baskets of baked goods.
Myrtle Forbes, 94, says she moved to Orchard House from Gilroy, where she was living by herself after her husband passed away. When she needed help, she found this home, says her daughter, Helen Sherman.
"This house is very nice," Forbes says. "My daughter comes to visit every day without fail; the Lord was good to me and blessed me with four children."
|
|
|
|
Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
