Challenge Met

Wesley Woods is uniquely positioned to meet the healthcare crisis that is upon us. With eight retirement communities and the only dedicated geriatric hospital in the country, we have a wealth of experience in treating older adults. The Wesley Woods continuum of care is comprehensive, holistic and—above all—compassionate.

Patients and residents of Wesley Woods share their experiences below.

When her husband began to need constant care, she put their home up for sale, located a nursing home that met his needs, and then searched for a place to live nearby, so she could visit him everyday.

An apartment in a Wesley Woods residence provided the answer-comfortable, affordable, and secure. "At first I was just thankful it was so close that I could look after him," she says. "Now I'm thankful I've got new friends who look after me."

The son had brought his father to Wesley Woods because of progressive memory loss. "The doctor told us he'd been having little strokes," the son recalls. "We didn't even realize."

Then a major stroke hit, and the father spent weeks in the Wesley Woods Geriatric Hospital. "They told us there was damage, but that he could improve a lot with therapy," says the son. "My sister and I really prayed he could get it here at Wesley Woods. We trusted them. When they said he was moving to the Budd Terrace for rehab, it was such a relief. He's already come back more than I would have believed."

As the pastor of the local United Methodist Church in a small Georgia town, he took pride for years in ministering to his faithful congregation. But at retirement, after the death of his beloved wife, he experienced the general decline and loss of interest in life that affects many retirees. Depression seemed to envelop his life.

His health and emotional state improved dramatically when he moved to Lanier Gardens in Athens. Buoyed by companionship and activities, he soon was putting his pastoral skills to work again for his neighbors. Now he is the first to volunteer for projects, and he even got married again. He has said many times, "the wonderful folks at Wesley Woods saved my life."

While living at an area nursing home, a man in his eighties developed unruly behavior. The home would no longer keep him, and sent him to a metro hospital. The hospital assumed he had dementia, and transferred him to a psychiatric facility. His condition worsened. Desperate to help him, the man's daughter brought him to the Wesley Woods clinic. Our doctors are enlightened about geriatric complications. They realized the underlying problem was not dementia, but a debilitating kidney infection. With treatment, the father's gentleness and better health returned.

She had no family, but many friends. After her retirement from her job at a sewing plant, her living expenses were stretched very thin. She moved to St. John Towers in Augusta and was thankful for the subsidized rent and sense of security. After several years, her medical condition worsened. She knew she would require more care, but could scarcely afford it. With the help of the staff, she applied to the Foundation of Wesley Woods for benevolence and was accepted, and she moved to the Plaza Personal Care Center in the same building. Always humble, smiling and caring, she reminds us often "You're the only family I've ever known."