GINGER RYAN RECENTLY BECAME A RESIDENT of the new memory care campus at The Gardens of St. Francis—at the venerable age of 102. Her close friend and neighbor Sherry B. couldn’t be more pleased.
Sherry explains that Ginger, a former teacher at Ottawa Hills Elementary, has no family in town (her one daughter resides in New Mexico) and lived on her own across the street from her. “We became good friends, and we always kept a close eye on Ginger. We’d get together on holidays, and we always invited her for Mother’s Day brunch. We would also help her out whenever she needed anything, like bringing things up from the basement or removing snow,” Sherry recalls.
Ginger was very active and relatively independent until about a year ago when she began to need extra care. Sherry notes that her vision and hearing were beginning to decline and she needed rehab. She also had a bout with COVID, though fortunately her case was mild and she recovered rapidly. Prior to this year, her memory was fairly strong— quite impressive for someone whose age has surpassed the century mark—but lately she has begun to show signs of confusion. Before coming to The
Before coming to The Gardens of St. Francis, Ginger resided in two other facilities, but neither proved to be a good fit for her. The Gardens of St. Francis, on the other hand, exceeded Sherry’s expectations on many different levels. “One of the reasons I really like The Gardens of St. Francis, in addition to the wonderful people and atmosphere, is the sense of community there. They have a chapel for church services, which is important to Ginger because she was always very active in her church. Also, the facility is huge, with lots of places to walk and wander, and they have a gorgeous pond on site. They even took Ginger fishing for the first time in her life. In addition, they have a beautiful bus that they use to transport residents for activities like shopping or dining out. It’s all the little things in life that really matter, and that’s what they focus on,” Sherry says.
Sherry comes to visit Ginger once a week and is impressed not just with the many amenities at The Gardens of St. Francis, but also with the residents and staff. She remarks that everyone who lives there has been very welcoming to Ginger, even stopping by her room to escort her to dinner, and the staff members are highly attentive to residents’ needs and make every effort to encourage a spirit of togetherness. “When visiting The Gardens of St. Francis, I made a point of observing how the staff treats and interacts with people and how the residents relate to one another, and I got a really good feeling. I was so impressed with the interpersonal communication and the level of kindness and compassion I saw,” she says.
Sherry gives special praise to Kristy Wortketter, Director of Admissions and Marketing for The Gardens of St. Francis, noting, “Most of the time, people who hold Kristy’s position at other facilities take an interest in new residents only until they get moved in. After that, you seldom see them. But we’re two months in now, and Kristy is still very involved. If I tell her ‘Ginger had a rough morning today,’ she’s on it right away. She’s very dedicated and caring. They really got the right girl for the job in Kristy!”
Having a mother with Alzheimer’s (who currently lives in Windsor, Ontario), Sherry is attuned to the feelings and needs of people with memory issues and understands how isolated they can feel. She encourages anyone with a loved one in memory care to visit them—and visit often. “They really need that interaction, and they need to know you love them. Usually a half-hour to an hour visit is all they can tolerate because they tend to get tired easily, so it’s not that much of a commitment,” she states.
Asked what advice she has for others who are exploring senior living options for a loved one, she replies, “Just go there! Walk around and meet the staff and residents. Experience firsthand what the facility has to offer and what the atmosphere is like.”
The Gardens of St. Francis is located at 930 S. Wynn Rd. in Oregon, Ohio. For more information, please call 419-698-4331. ✲
