Mount Vernon of Elizabeth

The community closed and only gave residents a month to find another community. During my loved one's stay it was an ok place. You could tell that things were going downhill due to the food taste going down, and the staff turnover.

I believe that Mount Vernon of Elizabeth is a 5 star rated facility because of the friendliness and empathy of all staff members, the care services, and the overall experience my mom had when she was a resident last year. When we determined that my mom needed to find a place to live prior to even...

I believe that Mount Vernon of Elizabeth is a 5 star rated facility because of the friendliness and empathy of all staff members, the care services, and the overall experience my mom had when she was a resident last year. When we determined that my mom needed to find a place to live prior to eventually moving into hospice care, after reading the book “Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End” by Atul Gawande, and understanding what was important to her, given her medical condition, the outlook provided by her oncologist and neurologist, I contacted A Place for Mom to request a few recommendations. The insights I gained by reading that book based on a recommendation from her neurologist helped inform my decision of places to consider as to where she should live prior to going into hospice at a later date. After reading the book and understanding her requests regarding criteria for a place for her to live, I went on a tour of Mount Vernon of Elizabeth. Their philosophy is to treat their residents with dignity and respect while providing the essential care services each resident needs as if each resident is one of their own parents and they are receiving essential services in their own home. The property is laid out in such a fashion that you feel as if you are staying at a hotel, not in a nursing home or extended care facility. The minute you walk in the door, you feel very comfortable. And there is very ample lighting and places where the residents can go outdoors in good weather. Once I met with certain members of the staff and I had an opportunity to speak with a few of the residents, I knew it was the right place for my mom. After the tour and the associated conversations with staff and a few guests, I decided it wasn’t necessary to tour any of the other facilities on my short list. I wanted to take my mother to a place where she would be treated with dignity and respect. From the very beginning, after meeting the staff members and a few residents, it just felt very comfortable. I made the decision immediately that this was going to be where she was going to live. When I went to the rehabilitation center where she was staying at the time to share the news, my mom was very supportive of that decision. The food was excellent. Not only was the food very good, but what really made it work was the flexibility they provided for their residents. If my mom did not want what was on the menu, the staff was very accommodating and allowed her to order something else from an optional menu. My mother also enjoyed dining with other people in her wing. It was comforting to be able to have the food you like with the people you want to be with. Everybody there, the culture they have created is all about making sure the residents are comfortable and to do whatever they need to help them out. While my mother didn’t enjoy many activities she absolutely loved playing BINGO. She played bingo her whole adult life. And they played bingo a couple of times a day at Mount Vernon of Elizabeth. It made it very enjoyable for her and she made many friends. One of the other many highlights of the time my mom was a resident that she shared with me was when they encouraged her to go off property on the community bus ride to enjoy lunch with some of the other residents and care service staff to a local restaurant. The community bus was also available for her to be transported to and from the facility to go for cancer treatments. I would absolutely recommend that this facility be included on the list of a possible place for other moms to live given my mom’s experience and the feedback she shared with me.