B. W.

Dear Rita, Julie, and all the Buckingham South Staff,

As I go through the year telling everyone how wonderful the people at Buckingham are, I realize that you aren’t there to hear me give all these compliments. And it occurs to me that this time of year is a good time for me to share these comments with you.

My father has simply blossomed at Buckingham. You all started out by making him a place “at the lively dinner table” so that he could make friends and have entertaining dinner companions. You encourage my dad to attend Exercise Class and compliment him on answering the History and Geography trivia questions correctly. You call and remind him about class if he’s late. Everyone makes sure he knows about all the offerings you have, and, stunningly, he attends many! And I am blessedly confident that you are checking to see that he eats his meals, that his room is clean, his clothes and sheets/towels are washed and dried and that his a/c filters are changed…and so on and so on. It would be impossible to enumerate all that you do and all of your work shows in his enjoyment of life. He is not only reading books and newspapers again, he even has people to discuss them with. He is relaxed and comfortable for the first time in years.

My mother has the safe environment that I wanted for her. The first time we called for assistance and two of your caregivers arrived, I almost cried with relief. Your staff, who know her so well and treat her with such kindness, were there to be the familiar face that let her relax and accept help when she needed it. For all this, I thank you for the life you have returned to me and the comfort you offer my mother. To know that my mother will attend any activities such as sing-along or ice cream socials is astonishing. There were four years when her only activity was to get her hair done once a week. She refused all other attempts, and yet you have succeeded where we failed.

I extend my thanks, my love, and my gratitude to you all you have not only improved the lives of my parents, but also my life. I wish for all of you to have the happiest and healthiest of new years.

With love,