“Am I impressed with my mom? I’m impressed with her grit, and her determination, and how she persevered. But the main thing is that she’s alive and well, and that holds true for everybody here at Grand Oaks.”

Lori Dove recently shared her exceptional experience of moving her mom into Grand Oaks Assisted Living after her mother, Renata Shaw, had a bad fall and broke her hip. In the immediate aftermath, her mother had to recuperate at the Renaissance Skilled Nursing Facility located adjacent to Grand Oaks at Sibley Memorial Hospital. Ms. Shaw benefited from having the same direct access to the medical specialists and physical therapists of Johns Hopkins Medicine available to Grand Oaks residents because of its Johns Hopkins Affiliation.

Renata thankfully enjoyed a safe recovery through a combination of her grit and determination, as well as the exceptional medical care that she received from Johns Hopkins doctors and specialists. Following Renata’s rehabilitation, she wasn’t ready to return to her home to live independently, so she initially came to Grand Oaks for a respite stay, where she could enjoy recovery in an assisted living environment.

When she moved into Grand Oaks in March of 2020, “the day before everything shut down,” because of quarantine, Lori had to say goodbye to her mom at the front door. While emotionally tough, Lori knew her mother would be safe. She recalls, “I’m just so grateful that she’s healthy, she’s safe…I feel the staff here did a lot of extra work, and they are the unsung heroes.”

After Renata lived at Grand Oaks for six weeks, she wanted to stay and move in as a permanent resident! With a home-like setting and private, well-appointed apartments in a beautiful, tranquil neighborhood, Grand Oaks had a robust activities schedule, housekeeping services, safety protocols, and meals prepared by an executive chef. Lori felt that the care was well coordinated in taking care of her mom. “When she wants to see a doctor, she doesn’t have to get in a vehicle; just go through a tunnel to Sibley and see the doctors and specialists.”

Renata’s decision to permanently move to Grand Oaks has been a positive experience for her and her family. She has made friends, remained close to her loved ones, and settled into Grand Oaks as her new home. Lori emphasized, “They have been exceptional in what they have been able to do for the residents here.”

With the quarantine lifted, her daughter Lori can now visit her mom in her apartment, and Renata can leave and return if she would like to have lunch nearby, for example. Lori summarizes, “COVID is hard, but I can’t think of how Grand Oaks could have done it better!”

To watch the interview, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4RE4zDCBs4