Almond Road Senior Estates

I have had my father at the above facility for approximately five years. During the last year his decline was rapidly but with the wonderful care of the staff at the facility and with the guidance of Olivia, who is a family nurse practitioner but also the owner of the facility , my father's care was impecable. She could tell me, with some accuracy, when my father would no longer be able to verbally communicate. She warned when time was running short for important conversations. “Have you said what needs to be said?” She asked more than once. “Has your father seen everyone he would want to see?” Or Don't worry about cleaning his room, or changing his diaper because her staff will take care of that but to spend the quality of time with my father that I most needed because I will not have that time anymore after he has gone! I finally understood what Olivia was saying even though was hard in the beginning but it was really nice not having to worry anymore about the physical care because the staff was taking care of that and I got to hold my fathers hand and reminisce about all the good times we had over the years.She explained what was happening, and what would happen.During the last few days, Dad was able to converse with me even eat a bit. A steady stream of family and friends came to visit. During one of those visits, my father was actually joking around, which prompted a visitor to wonder why we didn't reduce his medications and get him to eat a little more. The answer? Because he was dying. I didn't have the courage to say that. What I did say was that the pain would have been unbearable had we done that.My father hung on to independence for dear life and tried his best to retain a quality of life during these last few years. But when he decided it was time to go, it seemed he couldn't get out of this world fast enough.He had a brief hospitalization prior to his passing and the nurses in the hospital who came were awakening him to put li