The Quadrangle is a Sunrise Senior Living community. A sprawling seventy-four acre campus inlaid with roads, lawns and wooded areas holds the many complexes. A Tudor building serves as the hub of the independent living facility—cottages and condos comprise the residential options. A skilled nursing facility and an assisted living facility also share the campus. The well-spaced layout means transition of care requires moving locations. Onsite hospice services are available as well. The Quadrangle’s entertainment complex is used mostly by the independent living population, although all are welcome.Brass lanterns and white shutters accent the brick assisted living building. Shrubs and flowerpots dot the entrance, where wicker chairs and rockers invite friendly chats. Butterflies frequent the lovely garden that features flowers tended by residents. Inside, tastefully patterned drapes and upholstery abound. Residents’ apartments are all comfortable and sizable. The food and beverage manager ensures plentiful menu options that go beyond the basics seen at other Sunrise facilities; many fresh fruits and vegetables are incorporated into the meals. The Quadrangle’s management constantly incorporates new activities, integrating resident recommendations as often as possible. Presentations on music or other academic interests are common, and fitness activities and special interest clubs are many. The Alzheimer’s unit in the assisted living building is locked. A memory box is located outside the entrance to each spacious bedroom. The director of the unit brings her two beloved dogs to work every day. Dark walls in the bathrooms make appliances stick out visually, to help dementia patients who sometimes have depth perception deficits. This detail is just one example of the great care taken by staff, in terms of relating to residents on a level that takes into account their mental state.Numerous hanging flowerpots add a festive touch to the skilled nursing facility. The nursing station at the entrance acts as a makeshift reception area. Both floors have an activity space, dining room, lounge and nursing station. Tasteful neutral colors dominate the décor. Residents’ rooms are spacious and all have a large window. The lone outdoor area is popular with residents. Raised flower beds entice residents to stop and smell the roses. During our tour, a dozen or so residents were resting or reading newspapers on the benches in front of the facility. Long-term residents seemed dramatically impaired: we watched a handful arranged in a semicircle for a chair dancing class; many were slumped over or had their eyes shut. Patients with dementia are mixed in with the general population, which could account for some of the lethargy we witnessed. A full-time staff developer trains employees. Many of the cheery staff members boast a long tenure at The Quadrangle—in fact, management boasted that staff turnover was never an issue—as staffers might move from one facility to another, but they never leave! Our tour guide has been with the facility since its inception; her mother-in-law had been an assisted living resident before moving to the dementia unit and finally the skilled nursing facility. Our guide’s placement of a relative is not only a strong recommendation, but also a strong vote of employee confidence in the first-rate work that they do.
