Chesterfield Villas

Thank you so much for the wonderful event on Sunday .

You guys didn’t miss anything , so much to do , so much to eat and enjoy , very nice and first class.

I really enjoyed being there with my granddaughters and they had a great time also.

Thank you again ,

Sincerely,

Joan W.

Staff of Chesterfield Villas,

Thank you so much for being caring and supportive of Dorothy. A few weeks before she passed away she told me she really liked it at Delmar. That everyone was so nice and doing everything they could to take care of her “so I can walk out of here.” She was so determined and that is what kept her going.

May you all have a “healthy” holiday season.

Steph and Barry

To the Staff at Delmar Gardens of Chesterfield and Chesterfield Villas:

My mother, Thelma R, moved into Chesterfield Villas Assisted Living at age 99 1/2.  She loved it there.  She made wonderful friends and the staff couldn’t have been nicer!

Today would have been her 101st birthday, but she passed away on January 31, 2017, just two weeks before her birthday.  When she needed to go into the skilled nursing facility for 3 weeks for rehabilitation, I saw the same kindness, caring, concern and dedication of the staff as I saw at Chesterfield Villas.  Everyone is very special.

J. B

October 11, 2017

Dear Mr. Grossberg:

My mother had been a resident of Chesterfield Villas for almost six (6) years until her death this past September at the age of 92.

I wanted to let you know how much my family and I appreciated the treatment Mom received during her stay at CV.  I visited her often and can personally attest to the great and loving care she received frm ALL of the employees there.  From Kim, the director all the way down the line to the maintenance staff, she was always treated with great respect and love by everyone.

Mom was fortunate that during the last few years at CV she was able to receive private duty aides with her 24/7.  This allowed her to stay in her apartment rather than go to a skilled nursing facility where I think she would have been lost.  I cannot begin to describe how wonderful aides from Delmar Gardens Private Services were.  Always patient, always kind, always upbeat, taking great care of her and seeing to her every need.  Four (4) of the aides were with her for a number of years and were true gems:P Sandra B, Connie H, Gwen M., and Eloretta.  Cynthia was a more recent addition and I did not know her as well, but she too, was a great addition to Mom’s “team.”  Knowing that these women were taking care of Mom was a true blessing for our family.  And we deeply appreciate their dedication to seeing that our mom was well cared for.

I’ll close this letter by saying that if I or my husband ever have a need for a senior facility or in-home aides, the only company we would contact is Delmar Gardens.

Best regards,

Julie D.

December 2017

Dear Family and Friends:

I am surely blessed to have family  who are friends and friends who are family.  It is also a blessing to be able to greet you again this Holy holiday season.

Now for my annual year end report and summary!  Attaining the age of 90 is not an accomplishment for which I take credit.  It must be good genes, good luck and Good Lord.  Life at Chesterfield Villas suits me very well and I have thrived with all the balance and ability to walk.  My only complaint is the food.  It is too tasty and good!  I have gained nearly ten pounds.  Daily Happy Hour may have added a little also.  I have dinner daily in the dining room, but opt to prepare breakfast and lunch in my own delightful kitchen.

With my car available, I still weekly attend Trinity Presbyterian in the University City and monthly join our our Retired Men’s Lunch Bunch.  Frequently I find interesting events away around to enjoy visits with many local friends.  (if i missed you this year, I’ll try to better next year.)  My most precious times are with beloved family and friends.  Dear Mimi’s legacy family of children and grandchildren are a beautiful ongoing blessing.

I characterize myself as an “amateur artist:   I paint with oils on canvas and words on paper.”  My painting activity and writings have increased because I am a member of the Writers Group of The Villas and a small informal artists’ group.  Both groups have works displayed regularly.  Great for my giant ego!

Aging is inevitable but I do look into the mirror and wonder who is the old man that I see.  Inside my mind I have not grown as old as he.  Life is a wonderful series of changes.

I pray that each of you may be enjoying the daily spin of our remarkable planet.  Despite the darkness of daily news there is a light waiting to shine in our lives.  We honor those dear loved ones who now live beyond this turmoil and rest in eternal peace.  Some time, some where we will all rejoin in beauty and harmony.

To each of you, dear friends, I wish you a Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas (select one or both!)  May you continue on into 2018 in good health, happy and safe.

Fondly yours, Tom

Dear Mr. Grossberg,

I am writing to thank you for running a top-notch facility in Chesterfield Villas.  I know you must be a special person to have assembled a staff who treats their jobs more like a vocation than work.  I’d like to tell you about my experience.

I reached out to Chesterfield Villas over a year ago when my mom broke her arm. Following her time in the hospital and a skilled nursing facility, she decided it was time to sell her house and move into an independent living facility. Fiercely independent and will full mental faculties at age 96, she was somewhat reluctant at first.  We were both nervous about making such a big decision and one that had to be made quickly due to her imminent release at the skilled nursing facility.

I remember my first conversation with MaryAnn like it was yesterday.  She was so kind and accommodating and like an answered prayer to me during a difficult journey with my mom (who went from independent to helpless in such a short time).  I was tired and desperate and MaryAnn seemed to solve all of my problems and allow me to breathe again.  I kept thinking ‘this is too good to be true’ but it wasn’t. Throughout my mother’s entire stay, MaryAnn was warm, honest, kind and supportive.  She laid the groundwork for what evolved into a wonderful experience for my mom (and my family).

Next came Tom.  Has there ever been a more hard-working, patient man?  The day my mom moved in, he was there like family doing this and that to meet her every need.  My mom can be demanding but there seemed no task Tom couldn’t conquer (and with a smile) and I went home that night in disbelief at my luck at finding her a place where people truly cared.  To an onlooker, it would be as if it was his own mother.  Tom’s sense of humor and pragmatism was like a breath of fresh air to me and my entire family!

My mother was so happy at the Villas.  She loved the organized activities like bingo, Rummy Cube and the various parties and events such as movies during the Oscar’s season, Christmas parties, the fall party and the newspaper that published her poems.  When her first dinner table experience was not a great match for her, MaryAnn found a tactful way to move her to a different table of women and dinner became a joy for her.

The last formal event was your Christmas party that my sister and I were able to attend.  What a lovely event that was.  Watching the workers was like watching a family.  I could tell they really liked their jobs and each other and it was such a comfort to know my mother was in such good, loving hands.

Then on Dec 28^th, my mom passed away suddenly and unexpectedly.  Just the day before, my son and I had lunch with her there and she showed him around the facility as if she owned the place with such pride and happiness.  But the morning of the 28^th she had chest pain and I came out to assess the situation.  She died quickly and peacefully of a heart attack as I stood over her bed talking to her.

I called 911 and then pushed the button she wore around her neck.  Mabel was the first to arrive and what a comfort she was to me in a difficult time of disbelief and shock. She hugged me and comforted me and gave me strength to face the heavy task of calling my five sisters to share the news.  She brought me water and reminded me to breathe.

Shortly after, Stephanie arrived and stayed with me for what seemed like hours during the period when my family arrived and the funeral home came to pick up my mother.  She knew just what to say and cried with me as if it was a loss for her too.  At all times, she was professional with an answer to every question and a calm assurance that she knew exactly what to do.   I will never forget her kindness that day.

Finally, the day of the visitation a bus arrived with my mom’s friends from the Villas.  It was so kind to offer that ride to them and it was so comforting to the family to get to talk to the people closest to our mother the last year of her life.  Your staff also took the time to make a collage of photos which was at the visitation when we arrived and it was incredibly heartwarming.

Finally, your staff made the difficult job of clearing out my mom’s apartment bearable with offers to help carry away trash and agreeing to waive charges for the two weeks we had to wait for Salvation Army to pick up her remaining items (a big thank you to Kim).I want you to know you have a staff made up of angels.  Every single person I came into contact with at Chesterfield Villas including the cook, waiters, driver & cleaning ladies were like family.  Do you know how rare that is?  I hope you give each and every one of them a big bonus!  You must be doing something right to have assembled a staff of folks who have stayed for so many years and seem to truly love their jobs.

My mom’s last year on this earth was a happy content year and her experience with the people at Chesterfield Villas was part of the reason.  Thank you for running a facility that encourages people to be human and empowers them to treat elderly people with dignity and grace.  I will tell anyone who asks that Chesterfield Villas is the best independent/assisted living facility in town!

Sincerely, Carol T.

May 4, 2020

To the Management and Staff:

I don’t know most of your names, but I do know a few of them; Sandy, Kay, Janette, Nicky, Melissa, Jerry!  I know your names because I talk to my mother almost every day.  She speaks of the ones who help her most often constantly and all of you generally.  I am aware of the nurses, aides, helpers, servers, kitchen teams, maintenance team, and managers who are on duty and making personal sacrifices to be available to work at Chesterfield Villas to meet the needs of your residents.

My mother tells me often of the kindness and help she receives just to manage to get through a day in her life.  As with all your residents right now, she is room-bound as part of the effort to keep the facility shut down and safe.  I can’t imagine the challenges you all must face to manage the facility and serve the residents in such an environment.  I salute you for your magnificent effort!

My mom also tells me, and my sister confirms this report, that you have been successful in keeping the residents safe from the coronavirus.  I understand that there are no cases of the virus among the residents or staff!  I commend each and every one of you for this major achievement in the face of one of the most contagious and dangerous viruses we have seen.  We know it is especially dangerous in long-term senior facilities like Chesterfield Villas.  Your early decision to lock down the facility was obviously a critical factor along with your procedures for separation and recommend precautions (masks, gloves, etc.).

I am just writing to express my appreciation for all that you have done and are doing for my mother and all the residents at Chesterfield Villas.  Though I am not one of the regular visitors like my sister, I want you to know that you are appreciated and valued for your excellent and very difficult work among your residential populations.  You are all indeed on the “front lines” of this battle and, from all accounts, your are winning the war!

Gratefully,

Bill H.

Dear Mr. Grossberg:

I wanted to take a moment and express my heartfelt appreciation for all of the loving care my mom, Mary Johnson, received at the Chesterfield Villas facility over the last few years. The decision to move my mom into a assisted senior living facility was a very difficult one to make, but with the assistance of your staff everything worked out perfectly and the move became a blessing for her.

My mom thrived over the last few years, making friends and adopting the staff as family. She immensely enjoyed participating in all of the activities with other residents. Most importantly, she established a wonderful companionship with all of your staff members, especially Stephanie and Kim.

All of your staff members provided excellent care for all of the residents at Chesterfield Villas. I would like to recognize a few of the staff members that mom always mentioned and loved so much. Their names are as follows: Stephanie, Kim, Tiandru, Nikki, Sandy, Liza, Mary Ann, Tommy and Zach. I’m sure there are more, but those are the names that I vividly remember.

Kim, Stephanie and all of the staff on the 3rd floor were so kind and provided exceptional assistance to me when my mom passed. It really touched my heart. I could not have gotten through all of this without their support and guidance.

It was devastating watching my mom take her last breath, but I feel comfort in knowing she was pain-free, surrounded by her family and received her sacrament of last rites. I’m really missing her………

The outpouring of love and support my mom received was not limited to just the staff. Many of the other residents were very kind to my mom and friendships developed. This shows that Chesterfield Villas is not an institution but a community of elders who love one another and their caretakers.

Keep caring, loving and honoring these elders who have placed so much faith in all of you for their care.

Much Love to all of you,

Patti Z.

Dear Kim,

I’m sorry it’s taken this long to write this, but as is said, “better late than never.” From the morning of December 30th when Elnora left the Villas in an ambulance headed for Missouri Baptist, we wondered exactly what it meant for all of us, but especially for her. I know you understood the time our new transition has required and we wanted everyone at the Villas, especially the assisted living staff, to know Elnora is doing well. Most of all, we wanted to say thank you to everyone, and I do mean everyone, on staff at the Villas. Let me say that Elnora’s 2 and a half years with everyone at the Villas were nothing short of great. The attentive staff, first in independent living and then in assisted living, made all the decisions, changes, and adjustments to the increasing care requirements bearable for all of us. The sense of belonging and being recognized by name is something your staff models for all of us to emulate. Their smiles and good attitudes when in contact with the residents added to that sense of individual value. Elnora, as well as everyone in her family, noticed the staff’s willingness to try to make things as comfortable as possible for all the residents. The sense of personal concern for Elnora’s daily well-being was always evident, but particularly so during those points of transition. Thank you. As the days go by, Elnora’s family will continue to hold her caregivers to the high standard set by those on staff at the Villas. Be assured that you and your staff will be remembered with love and prayers by Elnora and her family. Again, let me say a sincere thank you.

Sincerely,

The Family of Elnora