Dominion Senior Living Of Bristol

After 10 years of caring for my wife who suffers from vascular dementia, her increasing confusion and acute anxiety led me to place her in Dominion Senior Living of Bristol two and one-half months ago. I was impressed by the appearance of the facility, the fact it is built around a beautiful courtyard and is devoted 100% to dementia care, with the staff trained and devoted solely to that mission. This is by far the most emotional and heart wrenching decision I've ever had to make and my emotions were barely under control upon leaving her. The staff swooped in and distracted her as I departed and they had recommended I stay away for several days giving her time to adjust; those days were absolute hell but I was determined to do what experience had proven would be best for her. From my first visit till now, the staff has exceeded my expectations in their caring attitude, compassion, patience and kindness - and not just for her as I see it demonstrated time and again with other residents. I have visited all but 4 days since she moved in, generally spending from one to two and one-half hours each visit; we often spend an hour or more in the courtyard or I participate with her in group activities so I've had considerable time to observe the staff interact daily with many residents. My conclusion so far is that the vast majority of the staff feel called to do what they do for it would be very difficult to continually, day after day, exhibit the caring and patience that they consistently demonstrate. I am MOST grateful to have found this facility and highly recommend it.

My dad suffered from early onset dementia and lived 10 years after diagnosis. Being a large framed man who was relatively young, he was still quick and strong even though he didn’t have clarity. This was a challenge for facilities. We first moved him into another local facility with a more polished front. Less than 24 hours into his stay they notified me it wasn’t going to work out and if I was able to provide a personal sitter for him then he could stay for another 36 hours, otherwise he would have to be picked up as soon as possible. After that we tried at home care again but just couldn’t manage it. That’s when we spoke to Dominion. We expressed all our concerns and challenges and they assured us they would do everything possible they could to provide him the care he needed - and they did. Dad was still a challenge especially at first, but they worked with us and gave time for medicinal adjustments to take effect to help relieve his anxiety and stress. Dad lived there for almost a year and I’m not sure there’s a way another facility could have provided a better quality of life for him for his last year of life here. He was always clean and shaven and well fed when I would visit him. The nurses and especially the shift staff truly cared for dad. I’m very thankful to them for the care they provided dad and the love shown to him.

This is our family's first experience with Alzheimer's. Mom is late stage and this is her 3rd home. It's absolutely the best option in the area for our needs. The outer doors don't open unless they're badged or there's a fire alarm, unlike most other facilities in the region where the doors when pushed enough will eventually open. That baffles me. Mom is a wanderer like many other people in the facility and she's constantly trying doors, also just like the others. At facilities where the doors eventually open, if they can't keep up with your loved one "eloping" they'll demand you provide a caregiver, at $25/hr which adds up quick. It did for us until we moved her here. The staff is kind and the food is good. That's been a hard spot at other places as well. I had one very small issue that I brought up and it was addressed immediately. The staff is always up and moving when I'm here, addressing needs all over the building. It's a much longer commute for me to see her, but in the end it's best for her and that's what matters. The place is bright, with plenty of natural light and there's plenty of room for everyone. Once the residents are up (if they're able) the caregivers get them out of their room and lock the door so no one can get in without a key. They stay out in the common area walking, doing activities, or watching TV. It seems like a well thought out process and seems to be as healthy as it can be for everyone.