I have two parents in Timber Ridge, so I can share a bit of their experience, and my family's, for a The Times we have visited, and dealt with the facility's staff.
My parents have lived there going on 10 years. They purchased their unit after having looked at a lot of higher-end condos around the Eastside. They had not had ANY intention on going into a progressive care community. They were both healthy, and in their mid-seventies, having no need for any level of care. But as family members we were concerned that they might need some level of care soon enough, as my dad had Parkinson's. He wasn't experiencing many symptoms, and so far it had progressed slowly, but you never know. So we hated the thought of them having to move again in just a few years, when it is so disruptive to their lives. But they had categorically dismissed even the idea of looking at progressive care options, as they prejudged what they would find, and were unwilling to move down-scale that much...at least as they perceived what they would find.
So I met with their real estate agent, privately, and expressed the family's concerns. I strong advocated for doing the research, and then presenting what he found, and then we would go from there. While he was their agent, not ours, he understood the concern, having been recently through it with his own parents. So he agreed to give it a serious look, but only presenting anything worthwhile, directly to our folks. I was good with that.
Less than a week later my folks had seen Timber Ridge, and fell in love with it. And they were trying to CONVINCE US that it was the way to go!! What a turn-around!! They discovered an absolutely beautiful campus, built up on the eastern slope of Cougar Mountain, as a part of the Talus community, with a commanding view of Sqwak Mountain, downtown Issaquah, the Issaquah Highlands, and the Cascade Mountains. The building is LEEDS Silver Certified for energy-efficiency. Anyone who knows realizes this is a very high standard that few new buildings meet. The overall building is designed in kind of a neo Northwest Lodge look, with exposed wood, open timbers, etc, without being rustic in the least.
It has full facilities to meet almost every need except doctor's appointments and shopping! It included a beautiful dining room, with patio seating for the Summertime. The dining room is menu service, with daily specials, a wine list, and bar service; not cafeteria-style dining. You don't have assigned seating, but you can make reservations, including bring in people from the outside with you. A full-service lounge, cafe, and a grab-n-go convenience food counter, with espresso service. Car service, for those who can't drive but need to get-around. Hair salon and barber services. Workout room, swimming pool, library, meeting/craft rooms, larger event facilities for large meetings, and hosted events. The units are spacious, with full kitchens, and all the normal condo facilities, with the addition of emergency call buttons built-in.
They were fortunate to get on the waiting list to purchase at a time when several units came open. A 2-bed/2.5 bath penthouse-style unit came open, with vaulted ceilings, which provided a spectacular view to the East. They were allowed to remodel the unit to the degree they wanted to...even though the condition of the unit, which was very good.
The care facilities allow for increased care all the way up through memory care. Our folks have had to move up in care, unfortunately.
My mom moved to memory care this last year. What a blessing it was that she was less that 100 yds away, and my dad could walk over to hangout with her, as often as he liked.
My dad moved up to assisted-living this last Fall. The facility even helped move him, even hanging his pictures.
The staff have been wonderful. So loving and caring, both based on what I see, and what my folks tell me. And they go out of their way to take care of things they don't have to, like meals. Rather than my dad going back down to the dining room to eat his meals, they bring up a menu, and bring his dinner up to him, so he can eat with her two meals a day. That takes effort on their part. Three floors and 50 yds, just to take care of his special needs...twice each day.
My mother has recently been put on Hospice care, and I have met some of the new staff members and nurses, and they treat her as if she was their own mother.
I see them be tender with the other residents as well. Sitting and doing crafts, reading, playing the piano and singing...and none of this in a scheduled activity time...just to make their lives better. That's not always easy, or possible with memory care residents. read more
