“We had confidence that she was being well-cared for.” – A Royal Atrium Inn Testimonial
Everyone at Royal Atrium Inn knows Henny Van Beek, the resident scrabble champion and social butterfly. When her son Ken visits, he often finds her in common areas visiting with other people, or her apartment will be filled with people visiting her. It’s these social opportunities that makes Ken especially thankful for the assisted living community.
“My mom was living in a condo living independently, but she had a little bit of a medical crisis and spent a some time in rehab,” Ken says. “We knew she was at the end of living independently, so we began looking for assisted living for her. While most of the family lives in the Grand Rapids area, her community was really Zeeland, and we wanted her to be comfortable and happy.”
Henny already lived near Royal Atrium Inn and had friends there. “It just seemed to be the right place for her,” Ken says. “It just made sense for her to move here because it really was home already in many ways.”
It didn’t take long for Henny to make even more friends, and to socialize in ways she hadn’t been able to for a while due to her health.
“My mom is a social person, and Royal Atrium Inn allows her to interact with people on a daily basis,” Ken says.
“She loves to play games. She loves to participate in activities. And living independently in a condo just wasn’t cutting it for her anymore. Royal Atrium has been a great place for her to just have fun.”
But Ken says it isn’t all about the fun and games. “The staff always steps up in ways that really matter,” he says. “She’s had two medical crises since she’s lived here resulting in some lengthy hospitalizations, and the staff were always concerned about her. They always welcomed her back when she returned, and she often needed more care for a while. They are always very attentive to her.”
Having his mom at Royal Atrium Inn during the pandemic was difficult for him, but it was the staff who made him feel assured that she was in good hands. “Being separated from a parent during COVID was a particularly challenging time for a lot of people like me.” Ken says. “Fortunately, my mom did very well. She always said, ‘Oh, I don’t need a thing. I have everything that I need here.’ So even during times when we couldn’t visit her, we had confidence that she was being well-cared for.”
Ken loves visiting his mom, and especially loves seeing how happy Henny is. “Royal Atrium has been a warm community of friends for my mom,” he says. “She plays scrabble every night with friends, and she loves the socialization that she gets here. It’s been a caring community for her.”
