Masonic Home

Today I am checking out from Masonic home in Union City after three weeks stay. This is the place that made me stronger and made it easier to recuperate from my second major surgery in the last six months. I would like to thank Mr. Franco Diamond, administrator for Masonic home, for organizing a place that is virtually a second home for people needing to recuperate after a major medical event. It’s impossible to mention everyone that make this place so great, however thank you Agnes and Efren, Mary Jane, Ian, Rose, Silvia and all the rest great people employed by Masonic home in Union City.

My mother moved in to the skilled nursing unit at the Masonic Home for Adults just a couple of weeks ago and our entire family finds it to be a wonderful place. It’s a 305-​acre hilltop gated community that includes 10 buildings. The community offers Independent Living, Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing, secure Alzheimer’s/Dementia care and hospice. There are about 300 residents total.
Our mom is 96 and has dementia. She loves it there — and we do too. They have everything from a beauty salon to an upscale «new to you» thrift store where residents get to shop for free! The grounds are beautiful, the brick buildings are lovely, each floor has a lovely solarium on both ends, and the staff is wonderful.
Here are a few reasons we love it:
1. Everyone is treated with respect and kindness. They are not treated like children, they are treated as esteemed elders. This is not just because of a few good nurses, it is an integral part of the Masonic philosophy.
2. The food is great. I know that for a fact because I eat there a lot myself. It’s not cafeteria junk. It is fresh, well-​prepared, appetizing, delicous food. There are many menu choices for each meal. Sometimes we go down to the main dining room/​restaurant in the main building (not the nursing unit), where we are seated at tables with lovely linens and flower arrangements and served delicious food as good as any restaurant.
3. The place smells great. You will never, ever smell even a hint of urine or cover-​up disinfectant at the Masonic Home. That’s not just because the maintenance staff is so fastidious — which they are — but because the caregiving staff are so attentive to the residents. No one is left to sit in wet Depends. It simply doesn’t happen.
4. The staff is responsive, includes family in all care-​planning, and follows up. When we said our mom would eat better if her plate had less food on it and the food was cut up first, they immediately took action. Her meals aren’t just chopped willy-​nilly, either. They are thoughtfully presented in a way that appeals to her.
5. The individual living/​bedrooms are large, sunny, and painted in great colors. The furniture is nice, too. Wood chests and armoires warm up the rooms. My mom’s accent wall is a lovely rust color to complement the warm beige/​camel walls near her bed. They strongly encouraged us to decorate her room in a homey way she would like, so we have lovely bedroom chairs and soft table lamps along with a large painting on the wall. She has a huge picture window that looks out on a lovely courtyard with big shade trees. She tells us all the time how much she loves her room.
I could go on and on, but I will leave it at this. The Masonic Home is a fantastic place. We feel blessed to have our mother there.
*** UPDATE ***
My mother died peacefully and painlessly on October 4, 2010. She was in her own bed and surrounded by her children. She was 96 years old. She loved living at the Masonic Home and in turn was beloved by everyone who worked there. Every member of my family is grateful beyond words for the amazing, tender care she received at the beautiful place she was so happy to call home.

This was 1 of my favorite places to have clinicals! Not only was this place HUGE, but the staff was helpful (with the exception of a few snooty RNs), and the facility didn’t smell bad!
From what I remember, there are 3 floors at their SNF? 3 or 5, I can’t remember cuz it’s been a while. They have a separate floor for Alzheimer’s patients. This is the place that made me fall in love with Alzheimer’s patients.
If you forget your lunch or need a snack, they even have a little convenience store!
When going here, make sure to take a map along with you. This place has so many buildings! It’s easy to get lost!