Our own family circumstances inspired us to open this business. A few years back, as the health statuses of our parents began to change, my husband and I were both faced with challenging decisions on how we would care for them. We never fully prepared for this, and we didn’t think we would need to make these types of decisions so soon. We assumed our parents were still healthy, strong, and independent. Then, reality kicked in, and we realized that our parents are now older and sudden changes in their health were starting to occur. Many complex and difficult decisions had to be made, and there were so many challenging questions to be answered. What was the best way to care for them? Could we truly provide what they needed? What was the best setting for them to transition to for care? How were we going to pay for it?

As much as we loved our parents, work obligations and other responsibilities made it impossible for us to provide them with the care that they needed, and the guilt of this was heavy on our minds. We knew we had our research cut out for us. In the beginning, it was overwhelming and stressful. We were committed to finding an affordable setting that could provide them with the assistance they needed, but would still feel like home.

After looking at all the different types of senior living options, we were most drawn to the residential assisted living home setting. We chose this setting because it felt like home. It wasn’t overwhelming like many of the big-box facilities, and it had a more personal touch, with smaller caregiver-to-resident ratios that promoted a higher quality of life. On top of that, the all-inclusive pricing models usually made them more affordable than other care facilities. This was a place we felt comfortable having our parents transition to because they could still maintain their independence, receive assistance with daily activities when needed, and have opportunities for social activities and interaction.

As a result, we were inspired to take it a step further and build Affectionate Care Assisted Living Home (ACALH). This would not only be a place for our parents when they needed it, but also for ourselves when we get older and need assistance. Our vision is to support families so they can spend quality time with their loved ones — doing the things they truly love.

As a medical professional working for many hospitals in various states over the years, I realized I was not able to truly care for patients on a personal level like I will now be able to at ACALH. Unfortunately, I was stuck in medical settings working for companies that cared more about the quantity of residents than the quality of care. The process of developing and building Affectionate Care Assisted Living Home gives me an opportunity to utilize my skills as a pharmacist and a health care professional in a much more impactful way, focusing on improving the quality of care for all residents. I realized that in order for me to live up to my truest potential, I had to create my own opportunity with the vision and values that are the most important to me, for the people I love.

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