The Willows Assisted Living

The Willows Assisted Living
The Willows Assisted Living is a Baruch community—a nonprofit senior living facility dedicated to providing top-notch, personalized care.
St. Joseph, MI 49085
Dear Caregivers,
Craig and I would like to express our everlasting appreciation for the way in which you
cared for Esther and Barbara while they lived in The Willows, particularly in the last few
months and days of their lives.
It was a standard of care made real every hour of every day, in the countless acts of
life-affirming help and kindness that showed each staff person’s compassion and humanity.
This is demanding work, and those of you who devote yourselves to the aged and infirm are truly angels of mercy. Esther and Barbara were residents over several years, eventually living in every unit at The Willows. Their needs became more extensive over time and required increasing levels of intervention and skill from the staff, until they could no longer perform any of the most basic needs without maximum support. Craig and I lived at great distance and could visit only a few times a year. And so we depended on Erica Watkins and the caregivers at TW to show our dear ones the love and devotion that a family member would.
We particularly want to thank Audie and Lori for their managerial guidance, Resident Care Managers Tina Proctor and Brittany Wiedmann, Nurse Judy Karwowski, and beautician Wendy Ostrom. In Barbara’s final days, the devotion of aides Maria Jimenez and Christine Granbury deserves special mention. But every staffer, including activities directors, med techs, kitchen crew, and aides all made a positive difference in their quality of life.
The fact that mother and daughter died within three weeks of one another was both tragic and predictable, given their closeness over the years. Craig and I are heartbroken, but given how intimately you participated in their lives, I’m sure that many staffers also are feeling a deep loss.
Here are some words of consolation that I’ve repeated to myself many times in the last month: “She who once lived among us now lives within us.” May you all be blessed by the goodness and good cheer that lived in Esther and Barbara.
The staff at your facility in St. Joseph (The Willows) has been a blessing to my husband and his brothers as they have cared for Dad Doroh during this lock down. It has taken a toll on Dad who is 97 and beginning to experience some dementia. The staff has gone above and beyond to help us keep dad stimulated and aware. . . Latisa Townsend even used her personal time and cell phone to do face time with me so dad could at least see me. the entire staff has been wonderful about taking my calls and checking things for me. Last week dad’s phone was not working and Latisa took the time and effort to track down the problem and activate the phone.
Every staff member that I have ask to do something has responded with a smile and instant action. Living in Indiana more than an hour away the staff has become my support system and I am very thankful for each one of them. Rhonda on nights will let me know when Dad is having issues , Maria, Britney, Katelynn and so many others ALWAYS respond with a smile and never a complaint.
Please know there are few people as dedicated as the staff at The Willows and I am thankful that the Lord directed Us to place dad in their care. I wish them all Gods Peace and there is no way to thank them properly for the wonderful job they do daily.
The Willows is a very comfortable and warm home for people who need assistance with daily care. They are licensed, and strictly follow care, security and cleanliness guidelines. I have visited every possible option in the area, and The Willows is my choice.