Autumn Glow

Autumn Glow, a facility for dementia-related disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, is a nice little surprise in San Francisco’s Western Addition. A lovely Victorian renovated just four years ago, Autumn Glow is one of the nicest houses in the neighborhood. There is a small common area on each floor, with couches and chairs for resting and socializing. The dining room doubles as an activities room. Economy of space is important for this fifteen-bed facility, but important details are not overlooked; for example, the hallways are spacious enough to allow wheelchair passage. There is a nice rooftop garden with expansive views of downtown and City Hall. This well-secured facility prevents residents from wandering.

The atmosphere at Autumn Glow is warm and friendly which may be, in part, due to the administrator who has these qualities and is efficient, to boot. The residents seem in good spirits. Staff is available to attend to residents’ needs twenty-four hours a day. The population is primarily Asian, and the staff is fluent in both Mandarin and Cantonese. The food choices are usually Asian, but American standards such as spaghetti and hamburgers are offered as well. There are few extra frills here but it is nonetheless a nice, homey place to live.

Exercise and mah-jongg are daily activities. There are a variety of standard activities on the schedule including arts and crafts, movies, music, and games. Field trips offer outings to favorite cultural spots and picnics in the park. Autumn Glow accepts residents with a diagnosis of early dementia. Although the building has an elevator all residents must be able to ambulate with an assisted device or transfer independently from a wheelchair if they are not fully ambulatory.