Service is the specialty at Hillsdale Manor. No request is considered trivial; staff takes every opportunity to ensure residents’ comfort. Pets are allowed (provided they weigh less than twenty pounds) as Hillsdale believes the animals enhance the owner’s quality of life. Respite care is another excellent feature of the facility; clients can come for a short stay to provide relief to their families. Some individuals use the respite program to “test drive” the facility, and to determine whether they’d like to stay for an extended period.
The three-story building wraps around an outdoor patio with seating areas, where barbeques are held on warm days. Hillsdale Manor offers furnished rooms as well as unfurnished, for those who prefer their own possessions. Hillsdale works with each resident individually, in an effort to get to know them and monitor their needs appropriately. The locked Alzheimer’s wing is spotless, and there are lovely murals painted on the exit doors both to deter wandering outside and to add beauty and cheer to the interior.
Built thirty-five years ago, it’s hard to believe Hillsdale Manor has not had any major renovations. There are plans to improve a few of the areas, although new paint and carpeting have already updated the facility’s appearance. The facility is well-kept and spotless. The dining room is like a classy restaurant, where residents have several choices at every meal. The kitchen staff does not serve concentrated sweets and is careful in adding salt to the dishes, in an effort to be more health-oriented. Clients have free choice, of course, although the staff often makes suggestions based on residents’ individual medical backgrounds.
Students from the Recreation Department at San Jose State University assist in developing and conducting activities. Some of these include a news and chit-chat hour, movement to music, “pretty nails,” a resident council meeting, card games, reminiscing, and church services. Intergenerational activities with Boy Scout and Brownie troops are common. Hillsdale Manor also has a social program for the homeless—residents can assist in making sandwiches for distribution to the needy.