Holiday Walnut Woods

We are looking at independent senior living and the first tour was Holiday Walnut Woods. The first thing we noticed was how clean it is: notably so. It's nicely quiet so introvert I felt it was private enough, but extrovert partner was also comfortable. The staff we met on the tour were exceptionally nice and kind. I like that there is pretty outdoor space. Tamika, who did our tour, was friendly and helpful, showing us everything we'd need to know, which is important since this is new to us. The apartments are a little small, but more cozy than tight, and, again, very clean. The only thing that disappointed me is that you can't bake or cook in the apartments. On the other hand, the dining room is pretty and the food certainly smelled good.

I want to provide some really great feedback and some really bad feedback. My mom was recently at Walnut Woods for a short time before we realized she needed the next level of care. She is now living at Chestnut Knoll. If it was up to her, she would have preferred to stay at Walnut Woods. Her apartment was beautiful and she had a great view. I want to call out three team members that went above and beyond for my mom and I while she was there. Amy, Edwin and Rhoda, these three staff members know how to interact with the residents and their families. Each one of these folks made the time to talk when we had questions and if they did not know the answer, they made the time to find out and get back to us. They were accommodating to our requests, and just generally super nice people. They also spoke to my mom directly when she was leaving, letting her know they were sad to see her go. I am glad you have people like them on your staff. Now the not so nice...when I realized that my Mom needed more care, I met with Tamika to let her know that I would be moving my mom out of WW. That conversation is one that I hope no other resident or their family member will ever have to endure. Immediately Tamika became defensive about the move and then proceeded to tell me several extremely dismaying reasons why I should not move my mom into Chestnut Knoll or any of "those places". She told me that my mom would go "downhill" if moved over there, and that "those places" don't really take care of the residents. She proceeded to elaborate with several examples of how the residents are not taken care of. The icing on that cake was her telling me that she moved her grandmother into a "place like that" and her grandmother was dead in 90 days. I can't express how horrible and unprofessional that conversation was, I left with a feeling that no one in my circumstance should have to feel. This is a woman representing your organization and considering Chestnut Knoll At Home staff are onsite at WW, I would think there is also a professional agreement between your two businesses. Please make sure to recognize your exceptional employees like Amy, Edwin and Rhoda and as for employees like Tamika, I can only hope that she can attend some training and learn some empathy skills.