Aljoya Thornton Place

there is a good system of having a mentor for a new resident. My mentor called me and I have called her a few times. But after a month here I have not met her. Others are friendly but because of pandemic it is hard to make friends.

Aljoya has been a wonderfully warm and welcoming community for not only my mother, who suffers from dementia and even at the beginning of her residency could not remember people’s names and how to get from one place to another, but also for us, her family. As an only child I was concerned about my mother continuing to live by herself. I knew that, although I was with her frequently and doing things with her, I could not possibly give her the care and activities I knew she would need. Mom and I had visited other retirement communities and mom was very adamant that she did not like their environments or décor. For my own part, I wasn't very encouraged about either what we'd seen or by my mother's reaction. One day, after our weekly routine of shopping at Northgate, mom suggested we visit Aljoya. We made an appointment and the moment we walked in mom smiled, breathed in the aroma of the espresso in the Bistro and said “This is it!” She was of course very impressed by the elegance in the décor and the bright warm colors. (She often complained that most of the other facilities were depressing in colors etc.) What impressed me the most were the employees. To this day, 2 ½ years later, the employees are the most amazing group of people of all ages who always have a smile, who greet everyone by name and enthusiastically always try to do something to help residents and visiting family members. The Wellness center, headed by Annie Atienza R.N., who is our number one “Angel,” as my mother calls her, and all of her staff have become an extension of our family. They monitor mother daily and all of her vitals and are sure not only to watch over medical needs but also her psychological and emotional needs. It is clear that Eli and Rebecca Almo and their amazing son, Jacob, have approached the creation of their facility as though they were creating a home for one of their own family members. They have not overlooked a single detail, from the outstanding staff that they hire and train to the smallest details of fresh flowers on the dining room tables to bowls of fresh fruit available to the residents as they wander throughout the complex. The Almos are an extremely caring family, who are concerned about their residents from the day they walk in to the days that follow as some residents become more frail or ill. They have been a huge and very responsive support system to my family. I truly do not know what I would do or where I would have been able to turn in these recent months as my mother has continued to decline. At Aljoya the Almos have created a positive caring community. From those who work there to the other residents who live there, Aljoya has provided a welcoming neighborhood that surrounds my mother with life, love and caring. In many respects, giving up living "on her own" in her later years has been a gain and a blessing, not an ever increasing struggle. It has in fact brought her new comforts, new security and a new environment of great beauty. Because of Aljoya, the staff and the Almos my mother will be able to live her last days in a warm and friendly atmosphere with exceptional nursing care and surrounded by her own personal possessions and family by her side. We can’t thank everyone enough for all that they do every day and what they have done these past 2 ½ years.

The place is the finest I visited and am overjoyed to be able to have my mother be able to live there. It is designed like a fancy hotel. Large wide corridors, lots of marble, art work on walls etc. The dining room is white cloth napkin type like an upscale restaurant. Large and varied menu. Large well stocked library with fireplace. Huge meeting rooms, theater, art room, business office with computers. Game room, video golf room too. The apartments have full size kitchens with full size appliances. Every other place I saw had small appliances if any. Only drawback is some units have not the best views. Overlooking apartments across the street. The staff is VERY accommodating. Very friendly without being cloying. Handled all setup and moving problems with speed and patience. Very professional. The safety features in place are excellent but not intrusive. The economics for living there are different than every other place I visited. By placing monies up front we easily saved well over a thousand dollars a month in costs. Definitely worth looking into. Do not be intimidated by the unusual financing options.