Interview with Grace Resigo, Resident Family Member
Q: What brought you and your mother to Kei-Ai LA?
A: After a hospital stay, she was sent to Kei-Ai for after-hospital care therapy. At the time, she lived at home and participated in the Altamed program. That program recommended that she not live alone anymore for her safety. We were familiar with nursing homes because both of our grandparents had been in another nursing home in the past, and we immediately noticed the difference in the quality of the facility. We inquired about my mom staying as a resident.
Q: Describe your first interaction with the Kei-Ai LA.
A: We were very impressed. Everyone was nice and friendly. The facility looked and smelled very clean. We had visited other nursing homes where this had not been the case. We could see residents participating in activities.
Q: What has impressed you about the staff?
A: The staff is amazing. Absolutely amazing. If there are any issues or questions, we are able to call the nursing staff or social worker. Tanner sends out regular communication and is very good at responding to questions.
Q: Do you feel that the Kei-Ai LA team is responsive and communicates well with family members?
A: My family has built a great rapport with the team. My mom’s primary language is Spanish, and she understands English a little. The staff is very accommodating to her needs. All three of her nurses speak Spanish. The team does a great job of reaching out to our family to discuss my mom’s care plan. My mom’s charge nurse is also amazing.
Q: Please describe your mother’s experience with the monoclonal antibody treatment.
A: My mom was diagnosed with COVID in December and was able to receive the monoclonal antibody treatment. We are very thankful that she had minor COVID symptoms. The team was on top of her health. She will be 90 years old in May, and we look forward to celebrating her birthday.
Q: During the months when you could not visit your mother, what impressed you most about Kei-Ai Los Angeles Healthcare Center? What about the team brought you comfort?
A: We talk to my mom at least once a day via FaceTime. We are fortunate that her bedroom window faces the parking lot, so a family member visits her almost every day. The activities staff has also been very accommodating when we have scheduled group video calls or Zoom family meetings, since she needs help with technology. The system set up for the outside visits was easy to do online. We have also made arrangements with the activities staff to bring my mom down to the first floor so we could see her through the glass door. The only time we were not able to see her was when she had COVID. Even then, we spoke to her and FaceTimed her every day. We received weekly messages from Tanner with regular COVID-19 updates.
Because I live nearby, the staff has been receptive to me volunteering with mask sewing and activities for residents. This makes me feel good about being able to do something for my mom and her fellow residents.
Q: Are there any last comments you would like to share?
A: I am so grateful to the staff that works at Kei-Ai. They have a challenging job caring for the residents, especially during this last year with COVID, going into work each day knowing that they may be at risk, especially those working on the third floor. I feel like Kei-Ai LA employees have done everything they can to keep the residents safe. From the beginning, they closed the facility to outside visitors before the state mandated it. Although we were not able to see our mom, we knew it was for her safety. I also know that they bought PPE equipment and masks on their own and didn’t wait for the city to provide them. I think they were trying to be proactive about dealing with the pandemic.
My mom has been at the facility for four years. We recommend Kei-Ai to our friends. I love that the facility keeps the residents busy and provides them food choices. My mom has health issues that have improved because of the diet and care she has received, like her diabetes, for example. Although she still has it, it is now controlled primarily through diet and not medication. We are happy with the staff, facility, and care that she receives and feel this is like a five-star facility compared to others we have visited. It really is a great place.