Hillary Schaeffler
Jul 2024
Almost a year ago, my father moved into Larmax in McLean. After looking at several traditional memory care residences, we looked at Larmax. No question -Larmax was it. After a year of his living there, we could not be happier with his current living situation. With eight residents and an AMAZING staff, his quality of life is unquestionably as good as it can be with his Alzheimer's disease. The house feels like an extended family. He gets so much individual care and attention. The staff treat the residents with dignity and respect and as they would want their loved ones cared for. They also have fun with the residents. While taking good care of their physical needs and the house, the care givers also dance, talk and joke with them, or play a game of miniature golf. They are also so good at diverting dad when he is restless to leave or feeling anxious and treat us, the family, like family. Dad has a wonderful big room filled with his own furniture and a sitting area for us as a family to hang out in. During most days, however, dad chooses to spend most of his time in the big family room where he interacts with the staff, other residents, and their family members. Larmax plans several events a year that bring together the families of the eight residents. For example, a few days before Thanksgiving, Larmax hosted a Thanksgiving dinner where each resident and several family members all enjoyed a turkey dinner. Recently, there was a Sock Hop where residents and family members danced to Frank Sinatra and reminisced about .prior family events. We know all of the other residents and most of their family members on a first name basis. In addition, residents are regularly visited by a doctor, nurse, musicians, a social worker who takes them to the gym or on walks around the neighborhood, and art therapists; several times a year, horses visit the home that the residents can pet. In other instances, Dad and other interested residents were treated with a trip to the National Zoo and a bus tour of holiday lights complete with hot chocolate and a boxed dinner. I attended the lights bus ride and mom accompanied the group to the zoo. Special memories for our memory banks were made on those days. Additionally, it is great for dad to walk over to one of the two other homes (next door) to see the people in those homes as well as their care giving staff, who also know him by name. I am reminded of an evening two weeks ago when I was sitting in the family room with my arm around dad, I looked around and felt the connectedness in the room. One resident was showing the newspaper to another and three other residents were sitting nearby talking about the events of the day. I felt a harmony, peace and intimacy that I never expected to feel in this situation prior to dad's arrival at a residential environment. Lastly, we are so grateful that he can live at Larmax until the end of his life. We wish we could change Dad's Alzheimer's diagnosis. Obviously we cannot. So we are grateful that his environment provides a fulfilling and happy quality of life for him, and, in the meantime, Larmax provides a setting where we so enjoy spending these remaining years with him.
