We're excited!! After much discussion and much research and much worry the family has decided to move our mom, Estelle Halberstein, to Alexandria, Virginia. Barring any complications, she will be moving here (by ambulance) on Monday, March 14, 2011. One of us will be riding with her so she will not be alone for the trip.
She will be moving to a Rehabilitation and Healthcare center called Woodbine which is located here in Alexandria. Hopefully she will feel at least somewhat at home here having been a resident of Fredricksburg, Va. for much of her married life. We're a bit north of Fredricksburg but we have the same beautiful magnolia and dogwood trees and she'll also be here in time for Cherry Blossom blooming. There are trees of all kinds on the grounds of Woodbine that she should be able to see from her window and as soon as the weather permits we can take her outside to the patio area where she can smell them and touch them as well as see them.
Woodbine is a beautiful facility (there are some pictures posted below) located about 4.5 miles from our condo. It takes between 10 and 20 minutes to get to there from here. There is a hospital located just 2 miles away and it is centered directly between our house and the nursing home. Hopefully there will be no trips there but if the need should arise it is close by and we can get there quickly.
Woodbine is located on King Street, just a few blocks north of the high school, T. C. Williams, made famous by the movie, Remember the Titans, and a mile or two south of our famous "Old Town" area.
Her new physician is also our physician so we are very comfortable with having him take care of her. He specializes in internal medicine and geriatic medicine and his patients all seem to love him. Hopefully Mom will like him, too.
The address and phone number to Woodbine is located on the sidebar. She will eventually have her own personal phone and phone number but that'll take a little while to get installed. We will give everyone the information as soon as it becomes available. Her room assignment right now is only temporary. It is located in a three-bed room and she will be moved to a two-bed room as soon as one becomes available.
Woodbine is a large facility with over 300 beds. Mom will be on the second floor in one of two long-term care areas. It is bright and cheery and there are lots of nurses and nurse's aides in sight at all times. There are several large sitting rooms on each floor - all with lovely furnishings and large fish tanks. There are also several outdoor areas for patients and visitors to spend time in.
They also have a huge physical and occupational therapy area which we hope that Mom will be able to partake in once she becomes acclimated to the move and the change. Even if she is not able to go to them, they will continue to go to her bedside with the therapies she is currently receiving at The Manor and hopefully she will get an in-room visit or two from my favorite therapist - a full time (and very friendly) dog!!
We are also in the process of enrolling Mom (and ourselves) in a local synagogue. Once she is enrolled she will receive regular visits from the rabbi and from a group of volunteer members of the congregation called "The Caring Community."
If anyone wishes to speak to Estelle, please feel free to call me (Laura) at any time and we can set it up. If you do not have my phone number please email Dan or I (or contact me here) and we will gladly give it to you. While Mom does not always speak to people on the phone you can tell by the look on her face that she is very glad to hear from them - so any time anyone wants to talk to her we will be very happy to oblige.
If anyone has any questions please let us know and we will do our best to answer them. Family and friends are very important to Estelle and we hope to supply her with lots of contact with both. It's not something we can do alone, however, so please, stay in touch with us.
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