I am so happy to realize my dream of opening Southern Magnolia. Our family care home offers a preferable alternative to a nursing home or larger senior assisted living facilities that are not customized or tailored to individual needs. I am creating a place where residents have autonomy, dignity, privacy, and respect.
I’ve been in nursing for 25+ years and had a vision for what quality care could really look like for our aging population. Having worked in larger facility settings and having experienced how they operated, I knew exactly what I would do differently, in a more meaningful way, to improve the lives of senior residents.
One of the most important differences is our small, intimate setting where residents can receive truly individualized care in a home environment.
It’s important to me that the residents maintain a good quality of life and have autonomy and dignity. By being in a home with only 6 residents, it allows them to have that comfort—a favorite chair, beautiful surroundings, and that sense of home.
Having fewer residents means we can provide more personalized and individual care. People tend to find comfort in routines, and the same especially goes for our aging population. It’s very important to have their personal routines preferences acknowledged. Our Southern Magnolia staff will be able to tailor everything to their likes or dislikes and make their experience even more positive.
Everything’s tailored around the preferences of our residents
Although Southern Magnolia offers dietitian-approved, nutritious meals, residents can still order something different if the planned meal is not their favorite. This will give them that autonomy to make their own choices and have control over their experience here.
Another difference, unlike at a nursing home, we are also able to work around every resident’s sleep habits. Say for instance Grandma likes to go to bed at 7 p.m. and wakes up at 4 a.m.— we understand that’s her sleep cycle and we will work with it. Having only six residents means we really get to know everyone’s daily routines and preferences.
Most senior assisted living places don’t accommodate all of the resident’s normal routines. The residents need to adjust to the larger senior living facility instead of the facility adjusting to them. We tailor our residents’ care around their routines, offering them the dignity and respect they deserve.
It’s also important to add in some special activities to provide social engagement and joy that will enhance the residents’ quality of life. Trivia games are very popular with this age group.
I have often seen that residents really enjoy trivia from the earlier days of their lives—It encourages reminiscing and gets them excited. I enjoy watching them share their good memories and it helps us get to know them even better and in turn better serve their needs.
Our resident to caregiver ratio is really low at 3:1. This allows for much better communication because our caregivers get to know each resident extremely well.
In the distant past, elderly people lived with family, friends and neighbors, but when families separated and moved around more for jobs, care homes were established due to necessity. I know that a family care environment with a home setting and feel is a more comforting option for most people as opposed to a nursing home or larger senior assisted living facilities, which don’t offer those personal touches.
Our loved ones need more assistance as they age, and we are here in this comfortable home to be able to give them that loving care that they need. It’s nice to have this family environment so we can give our residents the things that they like and enjoy. There are many alternatives out there, but very few are competitors to Southern Magnolia. The nursing experience, the trained staff, and the beautiful custom home all work together to make Southern Magnolia stand apart. We hope we can be of help to you and your loved one when the time comes.
Candy Moore, BSN, RN, CMSRN