Alzheimer's-Dementia Unit at the Eaglewood Village Care Center in Springfield, Ohio

My grandmother recently suffered a massive stroke. While she thankfully maintained total control of her body, she has been plagued with frequent confusion and forgetfulness. She confuses family members, has a very limited memory, and, on the worst days, she confuses fantasy with reality. For this reason, my family decided that the best thing for her would be a nursing home. Their first priority was ensuring that she remain close. With this in mind, the next step was looking for a place in Springfield that seemed to suit her needs. Eaglewood Village appeared to possess the best qualities.

If you are thinking of entrusting the care of a loved one to Eaglewood Village, they offer a website that you would probably be interested in visiting: www.eaglewoodvillage.com. The website itself leaves something to be desired. They offer a virtual tour which has been "coming soon" for at least six months. The closest they offer to a picture of the rooms is the floor plan. They give absolutely no information on the nurse to patient ratio. They tell you nothing concerning doctors on staff. The only true convenience offered on the site is a messaging center in which you can type a letter to your relative and it will be printed and delivered to the patient.

Eaglewood is divided into two different "communities": Eaglewood Seniors' Community, which is an independent and assisted living facility, and Eaglewood Care Center which is a nursing home that offers an Alzheimer's and Dementia Unit. My grandmother was placed in the Alzheimer's/Dementia ward.

Upon setting foot through the door at Eaglewood Village, you are immediately greeted by the unpleasant scent of rubbing alcohol. They offer private and semi-private rooms for the patients. My grandmother is in a semi-private room which she shares with one other person. The room is incredibly small. She has about three feet of space between her bed and the curtain which separates her area from that of her roommate, about 5 feet of space between her bed and the entrance to her room, and about three feet between the foot of her bed and the bathroom door. The floor plan shown on the website conveniently does not portray this.

While I am sure this is a common annoyance at nearly every nursing home in America, one thing that truly bothered me during a visit to Eaglewood was the way in which the attendants spoke to the patients. It is as if they think they are addressing five year olds. They do not seem to realize that the people they care for are grown men and women who deserve respect and consideration.

Another thing that I believe to be potentially quite dangerous is the fact that ANYONE is able to walk right into the facility, give a patient's name, and leave with that patient. They do not ask for identification of any kind. They do not check a list to see if you are allowed to take the patient out. You simply sign your name in a "check-out" book when you leave, and sign back in when you return. As long as you are able to give a patient's name, you can leave the premises with them. Being that these people are suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's, many of them would probably never realize they did not know the individual with whom they were leaving.

Patients at Eaglewood are issued security bracelets which are either placed around their wrist or ankle. These bracelets trigger alarms at the exit of the facility to ensure that patients do not leave on their own. However, they are incredibly faulty. My grandmother has managed to leave the building on numerous occasions without anyone accompanying her. During one of his visits, my uncle was horrified to find his mother wandering around the parking lot, completely alone.

When my grandmother was admitted to Eaglewood Village, it was made known that she suffers from diabetes. Since she has been a resident there she has developed diabetic neuropathy, and has had to be rushed to the emergency room due to having a blood-sugar level ridiculously above average.

One thing that I did like at Eaglewood was their garden area. It is directly off of the dining room and is fenced in for the safety of the patients. It is a fairly large area full of flowers and plants where the residents are able to walk around, relax outside on a bench, or even plant their own flowers.

If you are considering Eaglewood Village Care Center for a loved one, I strongly suggest that you visit the facility, and ask as many questions as possible of people with experience.