Diane Quinn knew her dad deserved better.

Walter Quigley was an Army Reservist and a facilities engineer as a young man. Now 87, he’s the survivor of three surgeries in three months following a broken hip, plus resultant short-term memory loss. Perhaps most importantly, he’s a father, grandfather and great-grandfather to a loving family. Yet before Walter transferred to Bickford of Chesapeake, Virginia, he was not getting the care and respect that he–and all seniors-deserve.

At his previous facility, Walter sometimes wore the same clothes for four days straight. He suffered a half-dozen urinary tract infections and three falls, all of which could have been prevented. When Diane and her sister alternated trips to the facility to get him ready for bed each night, they’d find the halls desperately understaffed, one nurse responsible for two floors of residents.

“We felt so bad for all the people there,” Diane remembers. “You’re paying for all this care, and he’s not getting it.”

When Bickford opened nearby, Diane and her sister attended an open house and knew almost immediately that Walter belonged there. It felt like a home, not a facility. The single-story, square-shaped building meant that even if he got turned around on the way back to his room, he’d find his way without the panic that an elevator could induce. Most of all, the staff restored Diane’s faith in other people.

“They truly make you feel like family,” Diane says. “When you can walk in and see your director doing morning exercises with the residents, you know you’re in the right place. Those are people that care.”

Walter has flourished in his new surroundings. As part of Bickford’s HigherPath program, his health and well being are continuously monitored to avoid the kind of issues that can lead seniors into a downward spiral. Thanks to proactive testing and treatment, he hasn’t had a single full-blown urinary tract infection since he moved in about a year ago. When Diane and her sister take Walter out on the weekends, he’s comfortable and content when it’s time to return to Bickford. They no longer need to come get him ready for bed, because the staff keeps him clean and well dressed. Bottom line, Diane says: “My father is so much happier.”

“It has taken the stress level off my sister and I tremendously,” Diane says. “We go see him three times a week, but we can’t be there all the time. We’ve been very pleased with all the staff there just because they show that their heart is in it.”

Finally, Walter is getting the care he deserves.

“We all come in as babies, and we’re all going out as seniors if we’re blessed with a long life,” Diane says. “We want the best care for our dad. We love him so.”

Contemplating the next chapter in your loved one’s story? Click here to learn more about Bickford Senior Living and to find a branch near you.