Janette
October 2021
Silver Creek Assisted Living in Azle was the choice my family made for my dearest 91-year old mom when she could no longer live with her family. She took a fall at home, ended up in a rehabilitation hospital for several weeks and when she was discharged, we were forced to find a place that could take care of her. She had a broken wrist, a broken back, and she had congestive heart failure. And she had Alzheimer’s disease, to boot. It was an emotional time for both my mom and the family. We looked and toured many memory care facilities in our area. Important to us was the cleanliness of the facility, the quality of food, the quality of the staff, whether there was a Director on site, the overall ‘feel’ of the facility, and what kinds of activities that my mom would be involved. Silver Creek is a small residential facility for no more than 16 folks. We especially liked the size because the larger facilities just felt sterile and uninviting. Silver Creek is located in the countryside so it is quiet, with no street noise. Very pleasant. The residence is a bit dated but, it is super clean and well maintained. It really feels like a big house, like home. There is a really nice lobby for residents to sit and talk with each other, watch TV, work on puzzles, and just hang out. The dining room just off the lobby has several big tables and residents sit together for each meal: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They always sit together but, they are rotated a lot so that all residents get to know each other. There are semi-private and private rooms available. My mom had a private room with her own bathroom. It was well laid out and had big window so she could look outside, if she wanted. We were able to decorate it with mom’s things and it became very homey pretty quick. The food is excellent. All meals are home-cooked and very nutritious. The Director does most of the cooking. The meals are plentiful and my mother absolutely loved the food. The menu was always different and well-balanced. She had such a great appetite while there. They also provide snacks to residents during the day and before bedtime. When my sister and I visited mom, we were always invited to have lunch or dinner, if we were there, at no charge to us. We were always offered tea/coffee on our visits and staff would actually bring it to us wherever we were when we were visiting mom. Little things like this are really huge to family. We didn’t have to call ahead to visit either. This is important. No advance notice means that the staff stood behind their care. If you can walk in anytime, unannounced, then you know that your loved one is being treated in a consistent manner. When we showed up, we signed in, masks on, and our temperatures were checked. The entire staff and the residents were vaccinated. In the time of Covid, these safety protocols were of great importance to make sure that our mom would be as safe from the virus as possible. The Director is pretty much always there. She is a hands-on person and she is one of the most genuine people I have ever met. It was really difficult for my family to give over care for our mom to someone whom we did not know. It is a heartbreaking and traumatic decision. But, after just a couple of days there, my fears were put to rest. [The Director] is a passionate caregiver. She was instantly ‘family’. She and her incredible staff cared for our mom, as if she were her/their own mom. Mom was always clean, hair always combed. She didn’t languish in a room alone and was never just left unattended in a wheelchair someplace in a hallway. Mom was always up and sitting out in the lobby enjoying TV or looking through magazines. Staff was always close by and I witnessed many times staff sitting with mom, holding her hand, giving her kisses on the cheek as they would leave for the day. This brought us such solace knowing that mom was surrounded by people that loved her and that showed that love on a daily basis. And she loved them in return. That in and of itself was worth a million dollars to us. She was as happy as she could be. In addition to TV, residents had puzzles and magazines and each other to pass the time. [The Director] also conducted exercises every day for the residents and mom always participated as much as she could. She loved [the Director]. And, she loved the staff of young, energetic people, who loved and cared for her. And after a couple of weeks, mom recognized her new apartment as ‘home’. This was truly a blessing. My mother died at Silver Creek after only having been there a short 6 weeks. When she was placed in Hospice, the Freedom Hospice group that worked with Silver Creek were truly wonderful, caring people and together with the Silver Creek staff took outstanding care of mom during this very difficult time. The personal care and love my mom received during her last days on Earth was beyond special. Her medications were always on time, if it took three people to bathe my mom, three people it was. Never heard a cross word, never witnessed anything but absolute patience and genuine regard for my mom, no matter what kind of mood she was in. Mom was a feisty soul and her Alzheimer’s disease would sometimes make her harder to handle. But, no matter, this staff of amazing people took her in their collective arms and helped her through her darkest days. And they helped us, too. We were hugged and loved and treated with the same level of respect that they showed my mom. Always at the center of their care was the maintenance of personal dignity and respect. Everyone at Silver Creek will be forever in our hearts and will forever be part of our family. This level of care is truly hard to find. If you need to find a place for your loved one, a place where you can trust your loved one will be cared for in a professional, dignified, and loving manner, Silver Creek Assisted Living of Azle should be your choice.
