Print this PageTestimonials
We just wish to thank you so very much for all the great care you gave our grandma, Rose Balen, and the love and support to us in her final hours. We can't imagine how difficult it must be to be surrounded with sad circumstances when someone passes, but you all were great and very much appreciated. Thank you again.
-Annie and Kris Oberton ~
Thank you for providing us with a good nursing staff. On several occasions, I've noticed Jody going out of her way to take residents for walks and giving one-on-one attention besides staying on top of their medical needs. Thanks!
-Family of Inez DeFoe~ Diamond Willow Proctor Cottages
Natalie: I want to thank you all for accommodating my mom, not only for the excellent care she received, but for letting her move in when she was homeless upon a hospital discharge and not being able to return to Bethany Rehab.
I will recommend your facility to anyone who is looking for great senior care. Mandi and Raymie were excellent. I have nothing but positive to say about your place.
Thank you for all that you've done.
-Claudia ~ Diamond Willow Alexandria
MY ADVENTURE WITH SARA:
Mom was dying. We all knew it. We were all there. Children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren filled the halls, the room, and the link. Rather than being made to feel a bother, lunch was cooked for us. We were continually asked what we needed and Mom was cared for in a caring, competent manner.
When Mom made it through the day and everyone went home to sleep, I stayed on to spend the night once again with Mom. Every two hours Mom was repositioned and checked. At about 2:00 in the morning, the staff came to switch Mom to the other side and Mom got extremely agitated. She swung her legs down and grabbed the bars to pull herself up. She cried out, "Help me, Help me." Then it was, "Let me go." When we were able to calm her, the night person went to call Sara. I was almost afraid to be left alone with my otherwise sweet, gracious mother. Yet I was relieved to have Sara come and help us figure out why Mom was so upset. I felt guilty to once again call her as she had been with us so much through this whole dying process. But, we needed her calmness, and her control of the situation.
Sarah came immediately and we worked to try to make Mom more comfortable. Nothing seemed to set Mom at ease so we tried different approaches. She pulled at her pajamas so we got different ones that weren't so warm. She fought to sit up so we set her up with Sara on one side and me on the other side. We talked to her and just held her up. She seemed better, but still said, "Help me." We decided to swab her mouth and she tried to bite the swab. We laughlingly said, "Maybe she is hungry or thirsty?" She had been refusing food and water so we were surprised. Sarah suggested applesauce. So, should she get it or should I? Both of us were holding on to Mom! I volunteered to go! Mom was a handful right then and I felt like I had already gone through a wrestling match with her. I brought back a very small amount and she ate it all immediately!
Kathy came in to check on us and we asked for the thickened orange juice and more applesauce. We had such a good time feeding Mom, smiling, talking, and laughing together. It was a moment I will never forget and will forever be grateful for. When we thought Mom had enough, we laid her back on the bed. Bedclothes were changed and we made her comfortable enough for her to sleep again.
An adventure with Sara in the middle of the night during a difficult time holds a special place in my heart. I will take that memory out and hold it close to my heart as the gift it was.
Sara is an exceptional caregiver. She always goes the extra mile for the family as well as the client. She shows love and concern for all. She always took our concerns seriously. She listened and never dismissed us as we struggled with all that was happening. She kept a balanced perspective and helped us understand what was happening. Plus, she has a sense of humor that helped to lighten the atmosphere. Sara is one special lady.
I share this story just to show a picture of the care we received when my mom was at Diamond Willow Little Falls. I did not want my mom to have to go to a home of any sort so I was prepared to not like it from the beginning. What changed for me was the great staff. I could probably name them all because of how well we got to know everyone as we were there daily. They treated Mom with gentleness and respect, just as I would have. It made it easier to have her in a place where she was well cared for.
Thank you for offering a home-like atmosphere and a caring staff. Thanks for supporting our family through Mom's illnesses and through the dying process.
Sincerely,
Joyce Heffron and Family
-Family of Ruby Nuehring~ Diamond Willow Little Falls
Just want you to know how much we enjoyed the Grand Rapids Diamond Willow Christmas Party. It was a highlight of our holiday season and my parents really look forward to the event. Your staff here in Grand Rapids are so welcoming and kind to all, which makes it a wonderful party.
The care my parents receive from the staff in Grand Rapids is the very best. I've been receiving calls from friends and acquaintances from the area and I tell everyone how fortunate we are to have great care from everyone under one roof. I so appreciate the great employees you have at Diamond Willow.
Thanks again. Have a great 2011.
Diane Gross
-Diane Gross~ Diamond Willow Grand Rapids
It was in July of 2004 when Diamond Willow's Misty Ivy Suites opened its doors and accepted Sophie Steif as a resident, to provide their unique brand of kind and compassionate service to her. She was very lonely, but with the help of your caring staff, she was able to live there for five years. For this I am truly grateful. From the beginning, Mom needed help with dressing and taking care of her personal hygiene needs; and with her medications. All of her needs were taken care of by the staff and nurses.
Her room, (with its private bath which was very important to her) was of such a size that she could bring some of her personal belongings and furniture with her to help her remember her home, even though she could no longer function in a private home setting. At the end, this was all she had.
As her ability to function in her own home deteriorated, we had to sell her house and we moved her to our home in Duluth from Central Wisconsin. The move went well and she adapted to our home fairly well. But it soon became apparent that she needed professional care as her Alzheimer's disease began affecting more and more of her mental functions - hence the move to Diamond Willow. From the beginning, we felt she was welcomed and cared for in a very loving and kind environment. Many times I would come to visit Mom and some of the staff would be there to listen to her reminisce about the past because she was having a bad day.
Many residents and staff members came and went, but the "loving aura" of the Misty Ivy Suites never changed. More than five years after becoming a resident, she passed away. The nurses and staff members that were on duty stood by her side with me, demonstrating the same love and compassion that was apparent when she arrived five years previous. My thanks extend to everyone that final afternoon and evening, and to the entire staff who looked after mom for those many years.
I wish I could have known Mom when she was younger. She loved the outdoors and to paint, and she loved the farm she grew up on, and to garden. I never knew of her love of cats that became apparent at Diamond Willow. We had cats on the farm, but never in the house. At Diamond Willow, she had a special stuffed cat that she would hold and sleep with. She called it "Kitty Cat" and the staff would always place it in Mom's bed for the night. "Kitty Cat" was laid to rest with Mom and we are sure that they are both looking down on us now.
Natalie and Lynn: You can be proud of your homes and the people you have selected to staff them. Thank you and all the staff from the bottom of my heart, for making Mom so comfortable in her waning years. God Bless you all.
Jerry Ostroski
-Family of Sophie Steif ~
Thank you all for the wonderful care you provided to Drucilla. The Diamond Willow "Home" was a safe, happy environment for her this past year. With our deepest gratitude for your care and kindness, May God bless you all!
-Family of Drucilla Sando~
Just a personal note to thank each one of you for making Mother's stay at Diamond Willow as comfortable as possible. You truly were her family when we could not be with her. We never had to worry that she was alone. How fortunate that she received such excellent and compassionate care. I enjoyed hearing the humorous stories about her. We will miss her but the memories will always be with us. God bless each and everyone of you.
-Karen Jacobson~ Alexandria
Dear Staff: Thank you so much for all the love and care you gave my mother while she was with you. Your card full of memories of my mother was such a blessing to my family. It is so comforting to know she was with people who loved her and appreciated the lovely Irish woman she was. If my mom was here today, she would thank you for taking the time to listen to her, comfort and care for her and love her. Thank you for your friendship and for all you do every day that goes without being noticed. You will forever be in my heart. Love, Katie Godfrey and Mike Aultman.
-Family of Norah Kinkel~
Just want you to know how much we enjoyed the summer family picnic at Diamond Willow in Grand Rapids. It has become our family's yearly summer event and we all try to take time from our busy summers to be with this huge extended family at Diamond Willow. Our entertainment, the Ophoven Family, was the highlight of the day. Thank you!
Your staff in Grand Rapids is truly an outstanding group of caregivers. I am there for extended periods of time every other day, and I have grown to love every staff member there because they care so much about my parents. I am so appreciative of all of your Grand Rapids staff.
Thanks again.
-Diane Gross~ Grand Rapids
Dear Diamond Willow Staff: Thank you so much for the warm and gentle care you provided for Marguerite Carlson. It meant a lot to her family and friends.
-Family of Marguerite Carlson ~ Little Falls
It is with a very sad heart that I write to all of you, yet I know my mom is in a much better place and at peace. In many ways, it is a relief for her quality of life has been so poor for so long and I know how she has no pain and can actually walk again! These past few years, you all have given of yourselves to make Mary Lou happy and comfortable. Never, being so far away, did I ever worry about her or have a concern about how she was being taken care of. Every one of you has been wonderful and caring. We could not have asked for a better place or a more caring staff when we chose Diamond Willow.
Thank you for the love you showed my mom. Our fmaily will be forever grateful. Also, thank you for the beautiful memorial serivce. With thanks and appreciation. Nancy White
-Family of Mary Vangsness ~ Baxter
Thank you so much for the beautiful pink carnations and lavendar daisies for Cecilia Scandin. We cannot tell you how much it meant to us to have her in your loving care her last few weeks of life. Your kindness and love touched our hearts. You are all angels and we so appreciate everything you did for her and for us.
-Family of Cecilia Scandin~ Proctor Misty Ivy Suites