Marycrest

We used Marycrest for one week of respite for my elderly mother with severe dementia while we went out of town. She is nonverbal and goes from her bed to her wheelchair twice a day. I was VERY nervous, since this was the first time she had been away from us, other than being hospitalized. Our experience with her hospitalizations had been that any more than 3 days away from us resulted in terrible diaper rash (!) and pressure sores (!!), neither of which she had had when she arrived! So I was overly specific about my mother's needs and brought everything for her (in case some things were allergic sensitivities to hospital brands). She came out after 7 days in beautiful shape, talking more than she had when she had gone in, and very happy. I was impressed, to say the least. I had left pages of instructions and they had followed them! So I HIGHLY recommend them! Absolutely!

Ben, the building manager, was wonderful and did not take advantage of some fine print that would have added another $500 or so to the bill (and we were completely willing to pay!). Ethically, it was not right to charge it, and therefore he did not. How great is that?! He also explained the difference between non-profit facilities like Marycrest and others I had contacted that were for-profit that wanted me to pay for services a la carte (if my mom needed transfers, that would be x, needed to be fed? add y. Laundry? another fee. And on and on until they came up with a total. My sense with the for-profit facilities was that when we were out of town, if my mother needed something that had not been agreed upon, either she would not get that service, or I would return from vacation to find a bunch of extra fees tacked on. Marycrest charges a flat fee. My mother would get whatever she needed without question or additional charge. HUGE.

Deb and Jess and Tiana took great care of my mom and made sure all the instructions were followed. I was able to call in and hear what her glucose levels were and how she was doing. HUGE.

The head dietician (I wish I could remember her name!) let me pick and choose individual menu items for my mom for every meal from their list. This was important because my mom has diabetes and if she is just fed what everyone else is, her sugar level will go through the roof. So I was able to limit her carbohydrates, balance her fruit and sweets intake, and make sure she got lots of soup, meat, and vegetables, which gave me great peace of mind while I was away. HUGE.

Laura and Sarge (sp?) of the physical therapy department worked with my mom daily and stretched her and worked on her standing and just kept her stimulated and flexible. HUGE.

My one recommendation to anyone considering Marycrest is to have a conversation with the care supervisors about exactly what you need to bring in. We were very early on in their process (the second client, I believe), so I certainly think this will have changed over time, but we had to bring every single item that would be needed. Marycrest provided the room (bed, linens, dresser, chair), the food, and the caregivers. We had brought everything for my mother since we did not want her to experience any issues, but it turned out we were supposed to, and I hadn't realized that. I had to call a daughter to have her bring additional items. It would make it easier to know ahead of time what items Marycrest provides and what you need to pack. Nothing we took got lost, all was in great shape, so no problems on that end.

5 star, absolutely. Caregivers are sweet and willing and careful. Supervisors are on site and involved.

Oh, and they pay their caregivers well! I was SO impressed! Most for-profit places pay $11-$13 an hour. Yikes! I don't want my mom cared for by exploited labor! I am glad that my money is making it to the the pocket of the young ladies doing the actual labor and not stockholders. Again, the difference between non-profit and for-profit. You'll never get rich (in money, that is) being a caregiver, but you ought to be able to pay your rent.

Very attentive caregivers. 5 stars.

Kind and loving staff💕