Avita of Needham — Local services in Needham

My mother has been a resident at Avita for three and a half years. When she arrived, she was in the first stages of Alzheimers, transitioning from a facility in New Jersy that did not meet our expectations. When the decision was made to move my mother closer to my family in Boston, we wanted to be as certain as we could that we found the best place for her, given our past experience with memory care facilities, and given the fact that this was a huge transition for her since she spent her entire married life in New Jersey (my mother is 98). We looked at 4 facilities in the Boston area, and settled on Avita for many reasons. First, it was highly recommended by the person we consulted with who places residents in similar facilities, and we instantly connected with the director of marketing whose mother was a resident. That’s just about the best recommendation one could get! Second, from the moment we walked through the front door, we felt as though we were becoming part of a family. The director greeted us at the door, took my mother aside, and we set up my mother’s room with the help of Avita staff who could not have been more accommodating. We were told it would take about 6 months for my mother to adjust. In fact, within a few weeks, she and we felt part of a caring, supportive, loving environment. Third, it makes a real difference that Avita is solely a memory care facility. In other facilities we explore, the memory cae unit was clearly a second citizen to the rest; it was usually a lock down unit with little or no access to parts of the building that we would be subsidizing. At Avita, regardless of position, they are all trained to deal with residents with dementia. We soon got to know the aides, the activities director, the nursing staff (who can be contacted at any time of day - and they truly know my mother), the business office director, the head chef (who knows my mother loves grilled cheese sandwiches and prepares them specially for her) and the receptionists. Whenever I walk into Avita, I feel a sense of joy - there is always an engaging activity (visits from musicians, indoor games, flower arranging, proms (yes, proms - we had to dig up a long dress for my mother to wear) - makeup, corsages, and all!), celebrations, etc. There are student volunteers who give their time to spend with residents. And Avita doesn’t feel institutional - the neighborhood concept works so well - residents eating in small dining rooms at tables of 4. And the food is great - always a tray full of cookies when you walk in, and other treats each day. I always get the sense that people care for my mother just as they would someone in their own family. To convince you that this is a real review, I’ll mention just a few things that needed attention. Once I noticed that my mother had run out of certain toiletries, but I hadn’t known about it and worried that I should have known but wasn’t told. When I mentioned this to the director, she immediately put into place a system where each resident has a list on his or her wall with items that need to be supplied, and whether there was something needed so that families can check the list and take care of it. This response is typical of Avita - ownership and immediate problem solving. I should also add that we have two grandchildren, and they love coming to visit, mostly because they’re treated as part of the Avita family. They participate in balloon tosses led by Yvette who includes them whenever she can. Although my mother is now in hospice (fortunately for us she can remain at Avita while she is in hospice), she still seems delighted to be where she is, and every member of the staff makes a point of telling us how wonderful she is. We can’t imagine a better place for my mother given her present condition. I highly recommend Avita to any family in need of experts, loving, high quality care for...

One of the most challenging times in a persons life is when one's parents can no longer care for themselves. It had become clear that living at home was not safe for our mom, due to her dementia. The concerns of safety, happiness and peace led us to search for a facility that could care for her and support her in this chapter of life.

The decision to move our mom to Avita was a difficult one. But it turned out to be a blessing for her as well as for our family. The team at Avita was sensitive to our needs and more importantly sensitive to the needs of our mom.

After the move, we were confident that she was safe and well cared for. The services that Avita provided created a wonderful space for our mom. And as we got to know the other residents and staff, it also allowed us to feel part of a bigger family. Our daily visits felt like "coming home," where we were greeted by name and could have a fresh cookie and cup of coffee. And instead of spending our mom's last years as her caretakers we were able to enjoy her personhood.

During her five years at Avita our mom was always treated with compassion and respect. And as her skills declined, her care was adapted to meet her needs.

Finally, when appropriate, Avita staff recommended hospice to ease the transition of her passing. We will always be grateful to the Avita staff for their patience and support.

Peter Kevorkian &...

The Avita of Needham staff are simply incredible! My father was a resident at Avita for 14 months until he passed away. The entire staff was there for our family during every step of his journey and have truly become like extended family. We are so grateful for all of the care and support they provided not only to my father, but my mother and I as well.

We were welcomed with open arms when my father moved into the community and the entire staff made sure the transition to my dad's new home went smoothly - for all of us. The staff truly takes the time to get to know their residents - their likes and dislikes, their hobbies, their professions, their family, their sense of humor, and even what they like to eat. They helped create a care plan that allowed my father to be as independent as possible while proving the care and support needed to keep him safe, healthy, and happy.

The activities team provided wonderful activities and programs for the residents - from concerts to cooking - dancing to planting flowers - community walks to religious services and celebrations - there really was something for everyone!

The nurses and aides are kind and caring and take great care to get to know the residents and their individual needs.

We are so grateful to all of the "Avita Angels" for everything they have done...