LETTERS: From Roberts
To the Editor:
When a person grows up, raises their children, and eventually retires in the same community, it is very special. As a person's golden years eventually start to tarnish a little and we need the care of a place such as Legacy Park, we hope that we can continue to "finish our years" within the same community.
Frances Roberts is a person who enjoys visiting with others, attending her home church each Sunday, gathering with family, and reading during quiet moments. Although certain facets of her diabetes have influenced her life, she always has been able to combat that issue and continue with a quality lifestyle. She was a resident at Legacy Park Care Home in Peabody. She had hoped to finish her years there.
We are a loving, caring family. This is why it saddens us when our mother, who almost has lived her entire life in Peabody, has to move to another facility in another community. Legacy Park is a "care home" that should enable older folks to enjoy their final years. However, it appears to us
Although our mother, her family, two physicians, and their assistant all have agreed that she should continue within the present setting, Legacy Park has ignored their recommendations and persists in not allowing our mother to continue within the assisted living facility. After lengthy discussions with the family and physicians, Legacy Park still pursued what appears to be what they think is best for them, sacrificing the feelings, dignity, and wishes of the resident, and ignoring the recommendations of her family and physician. Thus, Legacy Park would not allow the same quality of life to continue, as our mother had hoped.
We have moved our mother to another care facility where the residents are a part of their own destinies and can help make decisions that influence the remaining years of their lives. This is the way it should be. The "good news" is that our mother is adjusting to the new facility, but does miss the loved ones, friends, church, etc.
We hated to have to move our mother to another community. Our family has resided in Peabody for four generations. That is why we tried so hard to explain the situation to Legacy Park before we had to take this step. In several meetings with us they were unwilling or unable to offer any logical reason for their decisions. We wish now that we had known that our feelings meant so little in their decisions.
Frances Roberts, formerly of Peabody
Randy and Jan Roberts and family, Hutchinson
and Tim and Melody Smith and family, San Antonio, Texas
