Nightengale’s — a place where love grows
MILL HALL — Nightengales Personal Care Home is described as “a small, 8-bed, facility that provides individualized personal care to it’s residents. Nightengales specializes in the care and support of individuals with Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. The helpful and friendly staff cater to the needs of the home’s residents, yet provide encouragement and assistance toward the goal of maximizing the individuals capibilities.”
But it’s so much more than that.
This is a place where love grows, from the staff to the residents to their families and friends.
Step inside the beautifully decorated ranch-style brick building and it’s apparent that those who work there truly love their jobs and work diligently to provide the best and most comfortable care for the residents.
Credit goes to the owner — Connie Condo Reynolds — who opened the business in 1999 and treats the residents who live there as her family.
“We’re a family,” she said as she posed for a photograph with some of the residents in one of the cozy rooms where one of the women was quilting and another was reading the newspaper and working one of the puzzles inside.
“It’s family oriented here. They can come and go. They like to go out and eat. We take them out to eat every month,” Reynolds said.
“We celebrate every holiday. Families come in… bring the grandkids at Easter and Christmas. We decorate the place… just like they would do at home,” she continued, adding that they’ll soon be making baskets for Easter.
“We have a lot of fun. We have a lot of laughter. There are a lot of candy dishes around here,” Reynolds said.
“It’s like home. I have a good staff. If not for them, I wouldn’t be here. I love it. I’m getting close to retirement age and want to move on at some point, but I’m not ready yet. I’m married to this place,” she said as she gave a tour of the home.
“I just need to be here… it’s not like a normal business where you work 20-30 hours a week. I’m here all the time because I want to make sure these people get proper care … 24 hour care… and I enjoy caring for them,” she said.
Of course it’s not all fun and laughter, when your residents are all elderly… some well in their 90’s, there can be health issues.
“We deal with that, too,” Reynolds said, explaining there is a doctor on call 24 hours a day and residents also get speech, occupational and physical therapy on a regular schedule.
The population, now at seven residents, is mixed. Some have dementia and alzheimers, and hospice is also used at time.
When the weather’s nice, the residents delight in spending time outside in the patio. They have a vegetable garden and enjoy fresh vegetables during the summer. And there’s also a herb garden out back.
One of the residents’ favorite outings is to Country Cupboard in Lewisburg where they enjoy a meal and shopping in the large gift shop.
Then there’s the Ice Shack. “They all love ice cream, and so do I,” Reynolds said. The women nearby smiled and shook their heads. “Yes, we do,” one of them said.
Oh, what a blessing for these men and women to spend their senior years at Nightengales.
This is a place where love grows into one big happy family.
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