Seeking Homelike Setting for 85 Year Father in Mesquite/Dallas Area

I can tell you two place that I don't recommend - Autumn Leaves in Dallas & Golden Acres in Dallas. Bristol at Buckingham in Richardson is nice - it is a senior living apartment complex. They have lots of activities for their residents and they have their own apartment. But I don't believe they provide medical care. Nann is the manager and she can answer your questions as far as what is available medically.

My grand parents, and great grand parents were in Christian Care Center. It's located at hwy 30 and Northwest Dr. It's very close to where you live and has a very good reputation.

I HIGHLY recommend Chambrel at Club Hill in Garland. It is nestled in an old prestigious neighborhood and has both assisted and independent living on the same property so that they can progress as needed. It is a beautiful property with a great dining room and lots of social activites. It does not feel like a nursing home at all but rather a social club. They provide transportation to events, shopping, doctor visits and lots of on property events.
Good Luck
C.

Hi, I work at Christian Care Center. I have been there for 16 yrs. I love working there and I want to be put in there when I can't take care of myself anymore. They have all kind of activities including going to the State Fair when it opens. They take them shopping at Wal-Mart right down the street. You can check it out on line at www.cccinc.net. The phone # is ###-###-####, if you would like to call and ask questions. Ask to speak to Stephanie Paul, she is the Admissions Coordinator. S. Lee

My mom lives at Evergreen Senior Community. But it is independant living apartments. There is no assisted living there. It is also a tax credit property which means he has to be under a certain amount of income.(the rent is VERY resonable) They do have activities etc just like the assisted living facilities. It is a beautiful place & is kept in tip top shape.

Hi N., my father lived at the Waterford at Mesquite senior community 700 N Town East Blvd Mesquite, TX 75150 ###-###-####. He had his own apartment which helped him to feel more independent, he could either cook for himself, or eat in the main place where they have 3 meals a day. below is from an article for them when they first opened. I promise your father will love it, it is truly a home away from home. I am sorry but I do not know the prices. I was a case worker for Katrina Survivors for 2 years, if there is anything I can do to help your father out please let me know. Our grant ended, however, there are still organizations that are helping Katrina Survivors. Good LUck & PLEASE if I can help in anyway, please let me know.

For a reasonable monthly fee, residents will receive up to three meals daily, social and recreational programs, basic cable, all utilities except personal phone service, weekly housekeeping and flat linen service, emergency call systems in bedrooms and baths, and 24-hour staffing. Residents also will enjoy attractive lobby and lounge areas, main and private dining rooms, library, beauty-barber salon, activity rooms, arts and crafts areas, exercise facilities and complimentary laundry facilities.

N., you don't say specifically what level of care he needs.
There is one called the Bristol at Buckingham in the N. Dallas/Richardson area. It has all levels of care starting with a nice apt. Food service, maid service etc is available if you need or want it. If you don't drive there is bus service. It offers lots of activities and there is Richardson Senior Citizens Center nearby.

My best friend lived there and like it until she needed to be closer to her daughter in Lewisville. It is fairly new so it looks good.

My friend Nancy Smith is manager. She says the rent is based on what you can afford to pay.
The number listed in the phone book is ###-###-####.

My neighbor cares for older folks in her home (specially modified of course). I kinda think they are at a level that require quite a lot of care altho not exactly bedridden. If he needs that level of care let me know and I'll get her tel no. I don't know if she has any openings right now. She is a wonderful, caring christian person. She loves her old folks and says God created her to take care of them.

This is a nice neighborhood near Berkner High school. I was surprised the city would permit the facility but we have been glad they did. They are great neighbors and Angela is sweet and fun.

This is not real close but my 89 year old grandmother is in an awesome nursing home in Allen, it's called Victoria Gardens of Allen. It's on Jupiter near Main street (McDermott). It's a drive but she's close to my aunt. She is extremely social and LOVES it there. It's the best one I've seen, but I haven't seen many. It's always very clean and the staff are nice. In Mesquite, on Town East blvd, somewhere between Beltline and Galloway there is a brand new one---not sure of the name.

Good luck!

hi N.,

if you are looking for a setting..like assisted living. there is a retirement community right off galloway and range in mesquite. you should check it out. as far as homes go there are not any here in mesquite that i would recommend. good luck.

It has been a few days since you posted your request, but I thought I would offer a few thoughts. A few years ago my brother and I had a similar decision to make regarding our mother. However, her needs at the time seem almost opposite of your father's. Mother, although intelligent, was most certainly not educated beyond high school, but her most critical attribute influencing her care was that she was INCREDIBLY shy; almost a non-talker, certainly not an initiator of conversation; she was a listener. She would have died very soon if we had placed her in a nursing home. She did not want to live with my brother or me (I live in a big city which she was fearful of). She, too had medical issues, including mod-severe dementia. However, she managed to live in her own home until the age of 85. Our solution was to place her in an "adult foster home", a private home with a family who took care of 3 elderly women. The woman was an LVN and we felt mom's medical needs would be addressed properly. It was the perfect solution for her and us; she lived 3 more contented years there.

I don't know if an adult foster home would be appropriate for your father. I would imagine he has more capacity to be social and a private home may be too isolating. I'm sure you have considered assisted living centers. There is a good one in Mesquite at Northwest Drive and I-30, although I'm told they have a waiting list. I don't personally know of others, but I'm sure you will receive lots of recommendations and will check with the Adult Protective Services, etc to see if there have been any complaints filed.

My heart goes out to you and your father. This has to be one of the most heart-wrenching times in your life. Good luck and God bless you all.

R. B.

My Mother in law was at Summer Ridge in Rockwall and it is very nice. Also not a bad drive from Mesquite. Email me if you have any questions. S.

On Town East Blvd. between Galloway and Belt Line there is a fairly new assisted living facility. It is very nice and they have about the best care one can get. It is a nice homey environment and from what I understand if one becomes ill and unable to provide any care for themselves they can accomodate them as well. Good Luck and welcome to Mesquite!

check out http://www.aplaceformom.com/. It is a free service where you enter what your needs are and they recommend local places and services for elder care, and connect you with a local contact- all free! We used this when looking for a place for my husband's grandmother who had Alzheimers - he had just become her guardian and we were moving her to town with no experience in this realm either. The support contact would e-mail me to check on how things were going and forward me relevant articles. We didn't wind up going with any of the 9 or so places she recommended (we found another through a coworker's reference) but all the support was wonderful.

I recently searched for a place for my mom (didn't happen but that is another issue) and the place I chose is Loyalton on Plano Rd at Walnut Hill. I know folks there but mostly the difference the the happiness and caring of the residents/staff plus it was one of the more reasonable places (Medicare does not pay anything)............good luck.....there were also some apts on Northwest HWY that were awesome and I can look up the name if that interests you......

I would highly recommend Christian Care Center in Mesquite. Their number is ###-###-####. It is located at Northwest Highway and I-30. My mom worked there for years. The employees are terrific. It is clean and smells good. They have many activities during the day. Good luck!
K. N.

Well, I think the only real homelike setting is a home. There are various people who will take in an elderly person to care for them. I have met a few.
We remodeled our home three years ago and brought my parents there. It has been wonderful. There is a little more cooking and cleaning that before but my father helps with the care of my mom and my sisters are around to jump in with various needs.
There are several nice places that aren't homes. Summer Ridge in Rockwall seems a pleasant spot. I have a friends whose mother is there.

I know a RN who recently moved here and is looking for a job. She's previously done home health. She has a neck injury and can't life, but is very sweet and qualified. I have permission to pass along her contact info if you're interested.

Look for a book called the Gilbert Guide. You may be able to find it online, or at a bookstore. It is supposed to have candid reviews of all kinds of nursing homes and I think assisted living places as well. I would also encourage you to look up a company called "A Place For Mom" online. They can help with referrals and it's free for you. By law they can't just give you the names of places they get a referral fee. There are local consultants and you can talk to them online or on the phone. I've used them to find help for my step mother in another state. There are also group homes that might be able to meet his needs. They're pricier, but nicer too. If you call "211" they should be able to provide some guidance/ideas too.