Assisted Senior Services

10/17/2025

This day used to be just another square on the calendar. Now it’s a reminder that every day is a gift—especially the ordinary ones.

Here’s to the quiet miracles we often overlook.

What’s one ordinary moment that made you smile today?

10/17/2025

New housing program supports aging veterans in Florida

The Orlando VA Healthcare System is expanding support for aging veterans through its newly launched Community Residential Care Program — a long-term care housing option for veterans who can no longer live independently but do not require nursing home-level care.

Designed to provide a safe, supportive, and homelike environment, the CRC program connects eligible veterans with VA-approved assisted living facilities or adult family care homes.

Veterans in the program receive supervision, help with daily living activities, and monthly case management from VA staff — all while maintaining as much independence as possible.

The program recently approved its first two participating facilities: Aum Haven assisted living facility (ALF) in Kissimmee and Excellence ALF in South Orlando. Aum Haven ALF offers a cozy, residential 10-bed setting with mental health-trained staff. Excellence ALF provides a vibrant community in a modern 185-bed facility near the airport, featuring robust social activities and both private and semi-private rooms.

“This program fills a critical gap,” said Marie Rosen, licensed Clinical Social Worker, CRC coordinator. “We already have programs for fully independent living and nursing homes, but we needed something in between. CRC supports veterans who need extra help but still want to age in a comfortable, community-based setting.”

Who is eligible?

Veterans must:
Be enrolled in VA health care.
Be medically and psychiatrically stable.
Be able to perform most daily activities with minimal assistance.
Agree to stay connected with their VA primary care team and receive monthly visits from CRC staff.
The program recently approved its first two participating facilities: Aum Haven assisted living facility (ALF) in Kissimmee and Excellence ALF in South Orlando. Aum Haven ALF offers a cozy, residential setting with 10 beds and mental health-trained staff. Excellence ALF offers a vibrant community in a modern 185-bed facility located near the airport, featuring a range of social activities and both private and semi-private rooms.ooms.
What veterans pay for

Veterans pay privately for their room, board and personal care services at the CRC facility. However, some veterans may qualify for HUD-VASH housing vouchers, which can help offset a portion of these costs.

A veteran’s perspective

Army veteran Ronald Cook, 80, is one of the proud residents at Excellence ALF and now serves as a VA Ambassador for fellow veterans in the facility.

“I’ve been here going on two years now, and I enjoy it very much,” Cook said. “The facility is clean, the meals are great, and the staff is top-notch. They’re very helpful and cooperative with all the residents.”

Cook also helps orient new veteran residents, a role that gives him a renewed sense of purpose.

“If a veteran has a question, now they can come to me, and I can point them in the right direction,” he said.

High standards for care

Facilities in the CRC program must complete a thorough application and inspection process led by a VA interdisciplinary team, including a nurse, dietitian, social worker and fire safety officer.
Facilities are evaluated on care quality, cleanliness, safety and available services. They are re-inspected annually, and VA staff conduct monthly unannounced visits to ensure continued compliance.

“VA provides a direct line of support for veterans and facilities alike,” Rosen added. “When something changes with a veteran’s health or there’s an emergency, the facility knows they can call us directly. That continuity is key.”

Looking ahead

Rosen encourages any licensed assisted living facility or adult family care home interested in becoming a CRC partner to connect with VA.

“We’re looking for community partners who want to help veterans thrive, not just live,” she said.

10/16/2025

🌟 Celebrating Excellence at Brookdale West Memory Care 🌟

We’re proud to share that Brookdale West Memory Care has received a deficiency-free inspection—a true testament to the dedication, compassion, and excellence of their entire team.

In a world where every detail matters and every moment counts, this recognition reflects their unwavering commitment to providing safe, personalized, and dignified care to the residents and their families.

To the staff: thank you for showing up with heart, every single day.
To the families: thank you for your trust.
To the residents: you are the reason they strive for excellence.

Here’s to raising the standard—and keeping it high. 💙

10/15/2025

Amazon.com: gifts for people with dementia

10/15/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Cr76xseWX/?mibextid=wwXIfr

10/14/2025

Are you caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's? The journey can be overwhelming, isolating, and emotionally draining.

Watching someone you love slowly lose their memories and abilities is heartbreaking. You may feel helpless, frustrated, and alone in your struggles. The constant demands of caregiving can leave you exhausted and neglecting your own well-being.

But you don't have to face this challenge alone. Join our Alzheimer's Support Group and connect with others who understand. Share experiences, learn coping strategies, and find comfort in a compassionate community. Together, we can lighten the load and find strength in shared support.

Tomorrow, 10/15/25, at Stetson Baptist Church, room 205, located at 503 N. Spring Garden Ave., DeLand, and begin at 10:30 am.

10/13/2025

Congratulations

10/13/2025

Are you caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's? The journey can be overwhelming, isolating, and emotionally draining.

Watching someone you love slowly lose their memories and abilities is heartbreaking. You may feel helpless, frustrated, and alone in your struggles. The constant demands of caregiving can leave you exhausted and neglecting your own well-being.

But you don't have to face this challenge alone. Join our Alzheimer's Support Group and connect with others who understand. Share experiences, learn coping strategies, and find comfort in a compassionate community. Together, we can lighten the load and find strength in shared support.

Tomorrow, 10/14/25, at Trinity Lutheran Church, located at 485 Turnbull Bay Rd., NSB, and begin at 10:30 am.

10/13/2025

O

"My name’s Cassidy. I’m 79. I’ve worked the 3–11 p.m. shift at Green Grocers for 12 years. Not because I need the money, my pension covers it. But because my late husband, Frank, said, “Cassidy, you got the gift of seeing people. Don’t waste it.”

Most folks see a checkout line. I see stories.

Like Tuesday last week. A young woman named Lena came through my lane. She had two cans of soup, a loaf of bread, and a baby’s bottle. Her hands shook. She kept looking at the bottle like it was burning her. When the total came to $8.42, she pulled out a crumpled $5 bill and three dimes. “I.... I forgot my wallet,” she whispered. “I’ll take the soup. Not the bottle.”

The baby was crying in her arms.

I didn’t think. I tapped my screen, “Return, Baby bottle. $3.99.” I handed her the cash. “You returned it,” I said, smiling. “Here’s your refund.” She stared at me like I’d handed her gold. “But I never”
“Store policy,” I interrupted. “No questions.”

She cried. Then hugged me. The baby stopped crying.

That’s when it started.

I noticed things. A man returning a broken flashlight (no receipt). A teen trying to return a half-used toothpaste. An old man with a dented can of peaches.

So I did it again.
“Return, Flashlight. $4.20.”
“Return, Toothpaste. $2.15.”
“Return, Peaches. $1.00.”

I’d give them cash from my own pocket. Pretend it was a store refund. They’d leave with tears in their eyes, relief on their faces.

Then the manager pulled me aside. “Cassidy, you can’t just ‘return’ things people never bought! The store loses money!” I just nodded. Next day, I brought my own envelope of cash to work. Filled it with $20.

Word spread. Not through social media, through people. The woman with the baby came back. She left a jar of homemade jam on my lane. “For the next ‘return,’” she wrote. The man with the flashlight brought me a sandwich. “You fixed my light. Now I fix others.”

One rainy night, a teenager slid a note under my scanner, “I took the ‘return’ last week. Got my mom’s medicine. Thank you.”

I never asked for the note back. But the next day, a local teen group showed up. They’d made little envelopes, stamped with a heart. “Cassidy’s Returns,” they called them. They’d fill them with $1, $2, $5 left for people who needed “refunds.”

Last Thursday, the store owner saw me “returning” a dented soup can for a homeless man. He watched me hand him $1.50. Then he walked over. I braced for trouble.

Instead, he said, “New policy as of today. ‘Cassidy’s Returns’ is real. If someone’s hurting..... we help. No questions.” He put $50 in my envelope.

Here’s what I never expected,
That homeless man? He started showing up to sweep the parking lot. The teen group? They now collect “return cash” from the whole neighborhood. Last month, they gave $200 to a single dad whose car broke down.

Why am I telling you this?
Because kindness isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about seeing the quiet ache in someone’s eyes and saying, “I see you. And this? This is yours.”

I’m just a cashier. But every night, I go home knowing I didn’t just scan groceries, I helped someone keep their dignity.

You don’t need a store to do this.
Next time you see someone struggling? Pretend it’s a return.
“I’m returning this hope to you. No questions.”

That’s how we fix the world. One “return” at a time.”
Let this story reach more hearts....
Please follow us: Astonishing
By Mary Nelson

10/11/2025

For sale from a family in our community
$450.