What is the single most challenging issue today for memory care? Hiring. Cottages of Fox Lake has cracked the code. I moved my wife in at the beginning of 2024. This is not the same Cottages of Fox Lake that I interviewed in late 2022. The Executive Director has done an extraordinary job of finding the right permanent hire people for the right roles and retaining the best of them. The result is a team that works very well together to help people with extreme challenges to live their best lives. My wife is doing better now, half a year later, than when she moved in, despite having an advanced, progressive condition. That isn’t an accident, and it’s all about the team. The same gerontologist makes regular visits to the facility and all permanent staff gives a continuity of care and friendship you can’t get by primarily using temporary workers. Cottages has the flexibility to bring in temps if needed, I suppose, but I can’t remember the last time I met one, and I am there daily. Staff connected her with a physical therapy company appropriate for her medical insurance to work on her mobility. Cottages Staff got to know my wife and always listen carefully as I relay what I’ve learned over ten years of managing her condition at home. The facility layout also helps quite a bit. Instead of many people in one building, the four-building approach keeps people who need similar care approaches together, and there are less people in each building to care for. My wife has about 15 housemates, and they’re good to each other. You won’t find better care, particularly not at the price. I interviewed ten facilities in the area to find that out. They have two spaces left in memory care as of last week, the end of May 2024, and five spaces in Assisted Living. My best advice if you’ve found that your loved one needs more help than you can give is to talk to Cottages to work out a plan to move them in.
Google Testimonial – Dave Beemer
