"Coming Home"

Hi! My name is Evelyn Garrett! I am a native Montgomerian, but I have been away from Montgomery for many years. Both of my parents and their siblings grew up here, so I had lots of family around when I was a child. I had grandparents on both sides, aunts and uncles, and many cousins right here in Montgomery! We all lived close together and mostly went to school together. To make it even nicer, because my parents were raised here, they had childhood friends who were also raising their families in Montgomery, which gave us even more close family-like friendships. It was an almost “storybook” place to grow-up. I, in turn, raised my own children here…...How could I resist the charm and legacy Montgomery held?

When our last and youngest child went off to college, my husband’s work took us to Fairhope, Alabama. It was a lovely place to live and we put down roots while we were there. That is actually how I became involved in the senior living industry. My husband’s mother was living alone and had determined the time was right for her to move to a Senior Living Community. We visited a place called Homestead Village, which is owned by Community Senior Life, the company with which I am employed to this day.

I like to say that my mother-in-law and I went to Senior and Assisted Living together! We both really liked the community and established an immediate rapport with Vicki Gordon Wagner, the Community Development Director. During our tour of Homestead Village, Vicki casually asked if I would be interested in working there. She said, “I can see that you would be a good fit working with seniors.” I never dreamed she was serious!! Late that afternoon, Vicki called and asked me if I would apply for the Business Office Manager’s position, which I did. My mother-inlaw moved into her new apartment the same week I joined the company … and the rest “is history”.

Community Senior Life is a family of not-for-profit healthcare-related organizations specializing in senior independent living, assisted living, and memory care communities in Fairhope, Foley, Gulf Shores, Madison, and Montgomery, Alabama. Dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for an ever-growing senior population, each organization within the Community Senior Life family offers a service tailored to meet the lifestyle needs of senior citizens while preserving one’s dignity. The longer I am involved with the CSL company, the more I admire and appreciate all it stands for.

Eventually, as our children married and started having children of their own, we began to feel the pull of family ties. We had been spread out between Dallas, Nashville, Birmingham, and Auburn. Because they all lived in different cities, it seemed that my husband and I were beginning to spend almost every weekend driving to one place or another to see them. Finally, late one Sunday evening, after a long drive home from a weekend visit to Nashville, Tennessee, my husband said,” we are just going to have to move closer to our family”. We believe that close proximity to our own grandparents played a critical role in our development and happiness; our hope/aim/desire is to do the same for our grandchildren.

My husband and I decided to move to the Huntsville area to be closer. I discussed the move with my boss, Executive Director, Kim Neal, who was very instrumental in helping me transfer to one of our sister communities in Madison, Alabama. Kim and I worked closely together at Homestead Village, and she has always been an outstanding role model for me in the Senior Living industry. I gained a life-long friend the day I walked in the doors of Homestead Village! Another positive characteristic of CSL is their willingness to help employees develop within the company. It is rewarding to feel that you are supported by your company and able to grow in your skills and opportunity. While working at Madison Village, CSL provided the opportunity for me to obtain my Assisted Living Administers License, Level II. I am immensely grateful they did so.

After spending only, a year at Madison Village, the Vice President of Operations, Nick Wilmott, asked me if I would be willing to help our sister community, Haven Memory Care on Halcyon in Montgomery. They needed an Interim Administrator, and it would only last for about two months. I would be “back and forth” between communities for a while, but I knew it was an opportunity for growth….and it was in my “beloved Montgomery”. I said yes! As the weeks went by, I fell in love with the community of Haven Memory Care. I grew to love the residents, their families and the staff. I believed that I could make a difference for the community and for the Montgomery community, as well. Nick and Kim discussed making my position permanent at Haven Memory Care on Halcyon. My husband and I were thrilled with the idea of moving home!

Haven Memory Care on Halcyon is a full-service Memory Care Community. Memory Care is our specialty. We are committed to providing the highest Alzheimer’s and Dementia care level. Our memory care services provide each resident with a tailored plan of care that focuses on their cognitive abilities and skills. We offer a safe and secure environment that seeks to provide meaningful interaction and experiences for our residents. This provides family and loved ones with peace of mind knowing that the senior in their life is receiving the care and attention they need and deserve.

As we are all unique in our own way, and as there are no two cases of Dementia that are alike, the determining factor of when to transition into memory care assisted living varies. For some individuals, it is the inability to manage the day-to-day care of their loved one who is struggling with memory loss concerns such as wandering or how to perform simple tasks; for some with the inability to manage the activities of daily living such as bathing, toileting, dressing, and grooming; Finally, the financial strain of being able to afford in-home care is the impetus for the transition to assisted living.

Our community supports both the resident in need of assisted care and the family. Our purpose is to be the bridge with the family, to provide the appropriate care to allow their loved ones to have dignity and quality of life in the midst of a terrible disease.

My mother was in the last few months of her life when I began coming back and forth to Montgomery. I would go see her early in the morning before I started work and often visit her again late at night after I finished. She would say, “Darling, you are working so hard” to which I would reply, “Mama, every day, when I am taking care of my residents, I see your face in theirs and am doing it for you!” It was truly a gift God gave me during those months. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart.” That does not mean God will give us whatever we desire, it means He will put His desires for us in our heart and it will delight us.” I believe God placed me on this path and I am working hard every day to do a good job and I am truly delighted.

Please come by and see us at Haven Memory Care On Halcyon. We would love to show you our home and, if needed, help you navigate the sometimes intimidating path of Alzheimer’s and Dementia. We are here to help.