Edgewater Conv Hospital

Given the growing critical mass of elderly care needed in our community, Edgewater Skilled Nursing Center (ESNC), Long Beach, CA, does a stellar job.

My 89 yr. old mother has become increasingly immobile. A recent bout of inability to swallow, and other issues, caused her a handful of trips to the hospital and other local rehabilitation centers. Because of mother?s unpredictable mental state, care for her became challenging. Newly implemented bolus feedings became tricky when bouts of agitation put the feeding tube and staff in jeopardy. Restlessness, made keeping mom from trying to walk away from bed, when she was really unable to walk unattended, difficult to monitor. Resulting falls led to additional hospital trips and setbacks in recovery. To say the least, the situation was very difficult and frustrating.

Where other facilities refused to take mom back after a fall, ESCN accepted her with a positive, cheerful, patient, persistent willingness to see mom back to health. Despite mom?s bouts of uncooperative behavior, the staff continued to be helpful and flexible, looking for means of success. At any hour of the day or night, staff was there when needed, carefully, and sensitively caring for mom. They went out of their way very often to help, even with small things like finding a vase for cut flowers, when the need was not even mentioned or requested, this included nurses, daily care assistants, physical & speech therapists, nutritionists, etc. Specialists, such as psychiatrists, were more infrequent to come by.

The attention of immediate family is invaluable in fine-tuning specific, individual care, but ESNC staff will listen and do their best to accommodate.

Admittedly, ESNC is very busy and seems near capacity. How ESNC continues to provide daily, consistent, positive care in such a potentially depressing environment, is beyond my comprehension. Regardless of how they do this, I am immensely grateful. Now mom is back in her home of nearly 60 years, under the care of her children, in a quiet, stable, familiar environment for the encore of her life. Thank you, Edgewater Skilled Nursing Center!

by Eric Rohlfing, Jun 2016