Once I realized that Jeanne's next stop would be a skilled nursing facility, I wanted to be sure that I selected the right facility. My first stop was the local office of the Southern California Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. There, I learned about Hillcrest Care Center -- a skilled nursing facility in Long Beach, less than 30 minutes from our home, that specialized in dealing with MS patients. It was sobering to realize that only one facility in all of Southern California specialized in working with folks with MS -- but I felt lucky that this particular place was so close to home.
I contacted Brad DeHaan, the Executive Director of Hillcrest, and arranged a meeting at the facility itself. At our meeting, Brad explained all of the programs that Hillcrest has established (many in partnership with the MS Society) specifically for its MS population. Unfortunately, I knew that Jeanne's physical status would prevent her from participating in most of these programs, but I felt that just having a staff that was used to working with MS patients was going to be a real plus in providing Jeanne with the highest quality of care.
After Brad ran through the programs that Hillcrest offers its MS patients, he took me on a tour of the facility. As we came across several residents, he introduced me. After our tour, Brad invited me to wander back on my own through some of the areas that we had visited and speak directly with any of the residents. So far, my visit to Hillcrest had gone pretty much "by the numbers." But this was completely unexpected...a nursing home director inviting me to pose my questions to any of the residents without any staff personnel around us. This was transparency!
Less than a week after my visit, Jeanne was discharged from the hospital and arrived at Hillcrest Care Center. She's now been there for approximately 2 months. It hasn't been perfect -- there aren't any "perfect" situations. But I can confidently state that I am certain that she's receiving a higher level of care than I could provide for her at home. And that's the whole point, right?
The transition has been difficult for both of us. For me, our home is now too big and too quiet. I've made it a point to visit Jeanne every day, and that helps. And I've come to see my role as her caregiver transition to a role as Jeanne's advocate. More about these changes as we move forward in this next phase of my life with Jeanne.
