Google Reviews
I think about Carewell with great fondness, always, as a one-of-a-kind miracle solution for our Dad who passed away this year. As he descended into dementia he was increasingly agitated, scared, and so vulnerable (resorting to hitting staff at his previous homes) before we left him at Carewell. Carewell calmed him. He felt safe and was always comforted by reassuring caregivers that he learned to trust given the dedicated staff as opposed to the high turn-over rates at the senior facilities in the US. Carewell restored his dignity, allowed him simple things like his beloved daily naps (monitored to prevent the fall risk by a sweet caregiver always waiting nearby) and provided a sense of community and socialization with real parties and outings. While he couldn’t participate coherently, you could tell that he very much enjoyed the routine and the Carewell staff was able to understand his preferences. He lived his best life in Carewell.
He arrived severely drugged out, confused, and was at risk for a foot amputation due to an infection on his toe that we just could not get resolved even when hiring a private nurse for special attention to this problem. At Carewell, with a fraction of the pharmaceuticals and with caring attention medically and therapeutically he was able to walk again and healed thanks to the daily footbaths which allowed him to remain whole. He was also always clean with white fluffy grandpa hair like I hadn’t seen in a while and his gray, dry skin became tan and moisturized.
While the dementia can’t be reversed his spirit and humanity returned. His days included excursions to the beach, exercise, relaxing poolside in the open air and warm climate of Thailand, an impossibility in Seattle. He also ate delicious and healthful food that I would look forward to myself. This in stark contrast to being locked into a Memory Care floor in a western city with all the windows closed staring at a TV he could not comprehend — and only having only the worst meals to look forward to.
While the distance is an obvious barrier to routine visits, his high quality of existence and care (24 hours a day) was incomparable to what we could find in the United States. The Thai healthcare system as a back-up is also great. Without hesitation Carewell was the most profound and best decision we made in our adult lives regarding our parent’s care. It seemed unconventional at first so we were tentative, but our family and his extended friends came to realize that Carewell was the best possible choice we could make. The skeptical interest quickly turned to admiration of the “think global” solution we found. Monthly updates and constant social media coverage are helpful to get a sense of life at Carewell between visits. I can say that almost immediately after returning home from Thailand after the drop off, I was finally able to sleep again knowing that he was being cared for as an individual human that still has moods, emotions, needs, and not managed as a body to warehouse. He could operate on his own schedule. There was life around him again including house cats and beautiful plants. Carewell was our family’s salvation.
Please feel free to get my contact information from Carewell to learn more about our first-hand experience. I remember speaking for over an hour with two adult daughters of a current resident before we felt comfortable moving forward with our plan. I can also share how we organized the logistics of travel.
