Testimonials

The Family of Duncan & Isabella Gould

On behalf of the Gould family, I would like to thank everyone at Hamlet Estates, Woodland Towers, and Spruce Lodge for the friendship, care, and support given to our parents for the past twenty years. They were one of the early members of the Hamlet Estates Community and were sorry to leave, but found the care and assistance they needed at Woodland Towers, then Spruce Lodge.

Many staff became like family. Mom and Dad loved hearing about their lives and our parents found special connections with more than a few, both at Woodland Towers and at Spruce Lodge. These special people made life better for both of them, especially Mom after Dad passed away. For that we are very grateful. She treasured the relationships she made.

Staff were respectful, supportive, and understanding of their needs and went above and beyond on many occasions. Family concerns were quickly addressed, discussed, and resolved, always in a professional manner.

We are also very thankful for your proactive approach to the pandemic and we applaud the efforts of all staff. We appreciate how stressful and exhausting this past year has been and continues to be.

Our parents were wonderful people and we will miss them forever. And we will miss you. We enjoyed getting to know everyone and we always felt welcome and supported. We especially appreciated your compassion and respect in Mom’s last days.

Thank you for taking such good care of our Mom and Dad.

Rob Van De Cappelle, Spruce Lodge

I cannot thank you and all the staff at the lodge for the care and professionalism they have with and for my Dad. As I am sure you know, it is hard to watch your parent go through this. When we leave Dad, he is at the mercy of his staff, your staff. I realize that it is a job and they are paid to come to work but their dedication and care go far above what is expected. Dad spends more time with staff then he does with us now. I feel okay with that because, in a way, the staff have become our extended family.

I feel confident that they watch over and care for Dad no different than we would.

My family and I have nothing but heartfelt thanks and appreciation for the hard work, caring and dedication all the Spruce Lodge staff show every day!

Ruth, Woodland Towers

I feel very fortunate to live in my new home called Woodland Towers. Since I enjoy music and swimming, those are the two activities I mostly participate in, although there are many others – something for everyone. I can do as much or as little as I prefer. I enjoy some meals in the dining room as well as keeping my hand in cooking in my apartment. The staff are well trained to put residents first and are kind and helpful. Need I say more?

I am where I want to be! 

Guy Chadsey & Alison Chadsey, Spruce Lodge

My connection with Spruce Lodge is one of hope, peace of mind and compassion. My wife, Alison, was diagnosed with early-onset dementia at the age of 61. She rapidly deteriorated and, after months of caring for her at home, I was advised by everyone to allow her to be moved to a care facility in Stratford.

She took up residence at Spruce Lodge in March 2012 and quickly adapted to her new home. For me there was a sense of relief that she was being professionally cared for, that she was secure (she had become a wanderer), and that her continuing decline would be well-monitored.

Alison continues to live in the same room and cottage , and her condition has reached a stage, termed late-stage dementia, where she requires assistance with all aspects of daily life – dressing, personal care, feeding - she has lost her faculty of speech and comprehension and, most distressingly, no longer recognizes me.

Throughout this time, I have come to appreciate the critical importance that care-giving professionals – PSW’s, nurses, long-term care administrators, doctors, recreational aides – are in ensuring that my wife, and her fellow residents, receive not only daily care and security but compassion, respect and understanding.

The staff at Spruce Lodge have been unerringly professional, efficient and understanding towards both my wife and myself. They demonstrate patience, kindness and calmness, even when situations become potentially stressful. They anticipate and respond to Alison’s needs, informing me of any changes in her condition or situation.

One incident sums up for me the gentle, caring professionalism of the staff. Alison’s dementia has caused her to be quite agitated, moving constantly, unable to focus and sit still. When she was taken to see Bonnie, the stylist in the Spruce Lodge Hair Salon, Alison would not sit still in the chair for very long. With the patience of Job, the PSW and Bonnie coaxed Alison by distracting her, holding her hand, talking to her soothingly, for enough time to allow Bonnie to cut one side of Alison’s hair. Looking a little lopsided, they returned the next day and completed the haircut using the same means.

This sort of care and understanding is why I am so happy that Alison lives at Spruce Lodge; and why I have been able to recover my sense of hope and peace of mind.

The Family of Bill & Ruby Dick

After living in their own home for 50 years it took a little while for Mom & Dad to become accustomed to their new surroundings as first residents of Woodland Towers life lease program. 

It didn’t take long to find that they fit right in and found that a lot of old friends were living there as well.   Mom & Dad found that Woodland Towers could not have been a better choice for both of them.   Activities and functions that are available are top notch and kept them engaged with others.

The rest of our family lives out of town and for us to know that Mom & Dad were so well cared for provides peace of mind.    Any medical or other issues were dealt with in such a caring manner, we could really rely on the staff for their well being.

All of the staff should be complimented on the way they go about their duties, it’s like a very big family! 

J. Kohler, Spruce Lodge

Thank you. Such a small phrase, I feel it can never fully convey all the things you have given my family over the years.  Thank you for your time, love, compassion, attention, food!, entertainment, tears, hugs, clothes, alterations, brilliant ideas and even the occasional failure that meant people were still trying.  Thank you for everything. 

Your combined efforts changed our lives for the better.