visited convalescent homes

Hi this is Abigail,
My mom and i visited three nursing / convalescent homes.
i'll start with my favorite and end with my least favorite.

1. Foothill Nursing and Rehabilitation center 401 west Ada ave, Glendora,ca 91741 626 335 9810
this was in my opinion the best. first off its 1 mile from a dialysis center. the waiting room was much like a middle-upper hotel. feels like a nice hotel. it was newish and clean. fake and real wood everywhere made it less depressing. fresh flowers in the dining hall. the whole place was well lit and did not smell weird at all.very helpful staff gave us a tour and answered our questions. dining room was nice. this place is for short term patients like my dad, and so there are not permanent residents. the activity board looked OK. they said they have activity for people who have to stay in their rooms. meals looked OK. 2 to 3 people per room.  the rehab room looked clean and roomy. standard equipment. patients did not have much from home in the rooms, all rooms looked identical. they have in house kaiser nurses and doctors, have meetings weekly just pertaining to kaiser patients. Kaiser has an office in the building next to the nurse station on the 3rd floor, so getting answers about anything kaiser related will be much eaiser. easy to drive there too, road not super busy. this one seemed the best all around, plus seemed more appropriate for Dad. not all geriatric people there.

2. El Encanto Convalescent 555 S. Encanto rd. city of industry,ca 91754 626 336 1274
this nursing home was in an industral area of the city. the staff was really friendly. easy for patients to get outside, lots of little courtyards, and across from a park. they gave us a tour and answered all our questions. the rooms have only 2 people each.  this place houses people with developmental problems, and long term patients as well as short term all in separate sections, and we liked that. it was dark and kinda dingy , the least clean looking place. carpet floors and dirty doors. lots of folks in wheel chairs in the halls just hanging out. although that seemed very soical and a bit liberating. patients hanging out in the shade in the courtyards. lots of big and low windows in the rooms was also nice. staff was very nice and engaged with patients. seemed like they get them outside and into activity, i liked that alot too.  loses points for Dad because its little big grubby, and very much full of long term people who live there. friendly place that felt like a public school, but definitely a second choice based on everything else.


3. Santa Teresita Manor, 819 Buena Vista st. Duarte, ca 91010. 626 359 3243.
Knowing that Dad has never been religious, this place will not fly. The Manor sits on a campus that included a Catholic church, lots of statues of Catholic icons, crosses everywhere and Nuns. in fact there was a room full of Nun's as patients wearing their habits. When we arrived we did not see anybody around, then found the head nurse. she needed to call her supervisor to give a tour, this was going to be 'sister' something or other indicating the top dog was a Nun as well. she was not available, so we gave  ourselves a tour. the halls were clean, floors clean, not over crowed, people were watching a Marlen Brando film in a cafeteria. seemed roomy. each patient room was painted differently, and had lots of stuff from home, and crosses in every room. the activity schedule was just like the other two places, except MASS every morning, under lined.  other religious activities daily, also under lined. i am sure they have prayer before meals and such in the dining area. it was clean, friendly, but this is not the place for Dad. as we left through a courtyard past huge statue of Mary and child, past the metal guard rails made of crosses, i noticed a Nun in full on traditional regalia staring at us from the other side of the yard, at a distance, and i actually got the chills.