“She came here for safety, but she found friendship & independence.” - A Victorian Village Testimonial

Bob Somerville watched Victorian Village being constructed in the late 1990s, and he wondered if he and his family might need such a place sometime. When construction was complete, he suggested to his parents that they might enjoy living in the Victorian Courts townhomes that formed the outer ring of the campus. “It would have been good for my mom,” he says, “because she has macular degeneration. I wanted to get her settled in a smaller, more manageable place while she could still see well enough to learn her way around. But my dad wasn’t ready to give up their house.”

But Bob’s dad began developing dementia, and Bob’s mom continued to care for him in their home — until she fell and broke her pelvis. During the months that she was in rehab, Bob moved his dad to Victorian Village’s specialized Memory Support area.

“He received excellent care there,” says Bob, “but he faded fast without my mom.” 

Bob’s dad died within a few months, and Bob knew that his mom would not be able to live on her own in their bi-level house. “For her own safety, it was time for Mom to leave her house,” he says. “With her macular degeneration as bad as it was, I knew she wouldn’t be able to handle the stairs.” Bob researched several other facilities, but nothing compared to Victorian Village. 

“The physical amenities are really nice, but even more than that, it’s the people. They are quality people. The nurses and the staff are all wonderful.” Bob’s mom moved into an assisted living apartment in the Victorian Inn after her rehab was over, but before long she decided she could get along just fine in an independent living apartment in the Grand Victorian. Today, she goes to dinner each night with the new friends she’s made, but she’s also glad to have a private apartment to retreat to and relax in.

Bob and his family live close, so it’s easy to pick Mom up and bring her to doctor appointments or family gatherings. After one such outing, as Bob walked his mom to the door of her apartment, she said something that confirmed what Bob had been hoping for: “Thanks son. It’s good to be home.”