Letters, Faxes, E-mails

To the Editor:
In May 2008 our family had to make the difficult decision of putting our mother-grandma into a nursing home. The nursing home we chose was Colonial Estates in Shawnee. My grandma was put in the middle wing and, from the moment we walked into the room, our perceptions of a nursing home were changed. The aids and nurse on duty that day made what was one of the worst days of our lives into a relaxed and enjoyable day.
There is not a perfect nursing home, but what we found in Colonial Estates is probably as close as you can get. There are many angels who work there whom we came to know and love, but there are two women who, if every nursing home had employees like them, would cause many nursing home problems to be dissolved. These two women are Cindy Roe, grandma’s nurse, and Mindy McDowell, grandma’s aide. They treated my grandma like she was their own. They went above and beyond what they were required to do. My grandma loved them and my entire family came to love these two women. We watched them each day, not only with my grandma, but with all those in their care. They have a genuine love for these people who are in their care. There was never a harsh word or an impatient act. We saw hugs, kisses, loving words and time for special attention to each one. We found these qualities in most of the workers there. John, my grandma’s nurse at night, was as caring for her as we were. There were so many others who will always remain special to us, but Cindy Roe and Mindy McDowell became part of our family and we will always be grateful to them for making our mother-grandma’s stay at Colonial Estates a loving and caring experience.
My grandma passed away just before midnight Aug. 25. A couple of hours before my grandma left us, standing beside her, along with her family, were these two remarkable women. They were off duty and there because of their devotion to my grandma.
We will forever be indebted to the wonderful staff at Colonial Estates and to these two remarkable women we consider the Dream Team of Colonial Estates.
Connie Greenlee
Shawnee