Alto Wheaton — Local services in Wheaton

If you are considering Alto for Memory Care for your loved one, you might be interested in reading this review.

My four sisters and I chose Alto for our mom, Jean, who was initially on an assisted living floor. We were a bit apprehensive when we first realized she needed to transition to Memory Care, but it has proven to be the best possible place for her to live.

Why? Because the staff on the 4th floor Memory Care Unit is superb: Oumer, Jerri, Juana, Liz, Journey, Maya, Oliver, nurse Renee… let me explain.

My sister Annie and I are there every day, so I feel qualified to speak to the atmosphere created on the 4th floor by this remarkable staff. I come straight from work in the evenings, arriving around dinner time or a bit after. There is an atmosphere of peace in that dining room, which is amazing because the staff themselves are heavily engaged in all aspects of that very busy time. But the residents are at peace, being served, fed, fussed over, and cared about. The staff notices when they need something, and they meet their needs with kindness, despite the obvious pressures of the moment.

After dinner, though, is when the most remarkable thing happens. All the residents are cleaned up and taken to sit or rest in the “great room” — either near the TV or in the sitting area. Somehow, the staff has created a sense of “home” during this hour like I have NEVER experienced before in any other facility. I look forward to it every evening that I’m there.

I often get to the unit at that point in the evening. The staff never knows exactly when I am going to arrive, so there is no way that what I find there is manufactured for “show” in any way. I will INVARIABLY find Oumer, Jerri or Juana sitting next to my mother, holding her hand, talking to her, making her laugh, asking her about her life when she was young, etc. If Oumer is sitting with my mom making her chuckle, I might see Jerri with an arm around Marilyn’s shoulder, having a real conversation with her, and Juana hugging Betty and asking if she can get her more juice.

The only way I can describe this accurately is to say that when I sit down in this circle, I feel like I’m sitting down at home with family. We all talk together, and laugh together, and I feel like I know the staff as people, and know the other residents a bit too, which is nice, because they are the people my mom is spending her time with every day.

There is something magical about this moment, and when you are there witnessing it, what you see is that your parent is not just a “number” or a “task” that needs to be completed. Your parent is a person who is cared about by a staff who has taken the time to get to know them as a human being, with all their quirks and issues. There are times when my sister and I can't be there, and to know that our mom will still get a loving hug from Oumer, Jerri or Juana while we are away, absolutely means the world to us.

One final thing I want to add: Last week my sister Annie had breast cancer surgery. Those same three stellar staff members, Oumer, Jerri and Juana (The A+++ Team ☺️) got together and bought her the most beautiful flowers, a sweet teddy bear and a card, and sent them home with me to deliver to her (see photo).

Think about that. Are those the kind of people you want taking care of your mother? Yes, they are. ❤️

My sisters and I are grateful to the 4th floor staff for their care, and grateful to Courtney as the Executive Director for creating an environment where staff of this caliber can flourish and do what they do best.

Thank you, Alto staff, administration, all of 4th floor, and especially Oumer, Jerri and Juana, for not just loving our mom, but caring about our whole...

I agree Chris my mom is resident there on Friday Nov 3 she choked on a carrot in the dinning room The ambulance was called before she left she asked for her coat for the ride back no one got her coat .POLICY SAYS FAMILY MEMBERS SHOULD BE CALLED. Bob the nurse gives my mom his cell phone to call family member. No one answered and she didn't leave a message plus the caller ID number up with his name .My question is why did my mom call she just choked on her food Plus Bob put in the notes no one answered and he didnt call any of the other phone number. By the way my mom is 92 years old and beginning stage of dementia. Now my mother is in the hospital by her self cold sacred with a blouse on and I believe the temperature was in the 30 degrees. No from travanse went with her .After the hospital was done with her they put her in a hallway and very time the door opened she was blasted with cold air .Now its 10 pm She's freezing cold scared when the medi cab shows up he doesn't know how to find travanse .Now my mom is more sacred and afraid. And what is really sad is Ryan carney and Katherine Jankowski are as cold as ice about the way my mother was treated. And by the way the food is disgusting the service in dinning room is terrible. So I did called the nursing hot line and put a complaint in so this type of treatment doesn't happen to another resident or family. I left a message at there corporate office but no one had the courtesy to...

I really do not understand why Google Map kept on messing this direction. Was there something wrong with the Google Sattelite? Or maybe my xfinity Mobile didn’t know how to point the GPS Direction. First when I turned on for this Travance Assisted Living Place which my co workers said it’s Brand new place. The Star wasn’t meant for the place it’s for the Google Map that sucks in giving direction. Travance is an awesome place great workers and all brand new facility. When I get here the Google Map pointed me to make a left along Main St. in Wheaton unfortunately when I made a turn it directed me to a the Walgreen’s Fence of course I cannot jump into the place and when I made a left on Parkway street which is the main street towards my direction, the Google Map sent me again to a different direction. I am hoping Google Map would be able to fix their satellite GPS, otherwise it’ll take me to a cliff of...