A Letter to My Sister About Sunny Hills in Homestead
Dear Ana,
I know you said you could not read another spreadsheet, so this is a letter instead. I have been researching places for Mom since you called, and I think I have one worth your time, and it might be the best assisted living facility in Homestead, Florida for her. It is a little place in Homestead called Sunny Hills. Before I tell you why, here is the independent listing, the best assisted living facility in Sunny Hills, so you can see I am not making this up.
What it is
It is family owned and has been since 1998. The address is 25268 SW 134th Ave, out in the Princeton area, not far from US-1 and the Turnpike. They do assisted living and they have a memory care unit, which I know matters to you, because of what the doctor said last spring about Mom's memory.
I have not toured it yet. Everything below comes from public sources, so please do not take it as eyewitness testimony.
The money, since you will ask first
You will ask about price first. You always do, and you are right to. The starting price I was given is about $4,000 a month for a bed, on a flat monthly rate, and the website says there is no itemized billing. A Place for Mom puts the Homestead average at about $5,285 a month, so this starts under it.
I know "starting at" is a phrase that makes you suspicious. Me too. That is why I plan to ask for a written quote for Mom's situation before we get attached.
What the place looks like
The photos show a lobby with striped armchairs, a front desk, a living room with big sofas, a TV room, a dining room, a small beauty salon and two patios, one covered and one with a gazebo and palm trees. I thought of Mom and her hair appointments. She would take one look at the salon and say yes.
It is not fancy. I think that is a good sign. Dad used to say a restaurant with a big sign has a small kitchen.
What people say
On Google there are about 65 reviews and the average is around 4.9. Caring.com has 11 and averages 4.0. The Assisted Living Near Mom page has a single review, five stars, so I am not leaning on it. I read the low ones, and I have a short list of questions for the tour.
The videos
They have a virtual tour on YouTube and five recorded testimonials. I watched them on my lunch break. I will not tell you what they say, because I would rather you watch and tell me what you think. The tour is first.
What I am not sure about
I am not sure about staffing, especially overnight. I am not sure what the flat rate includes for someone with Mom's needs. I am not sure how the memory care unit works. And I am not sure about the awards on their website, called "2023 Best of Highlands". Highlands is the county around their Sebring place, not Homestead, and I could not find who issues them. So I am ignoring them.
The big places
I toured a couple of the big corporate buildings two years ago for Aunt Rose and I still remember how cold they felt. Polished, yes. Friendly, not really. I do not have numbers on what they charge in Homestead, so I will not claim any. I only know I would rather Mom be somewhere that feels like a house.
What I think
Ana, if you made me say it plainly, I think Sunny Hills may be the best assisted living facility in Homestead, Florida for what Mom needs. That is a hunch built on a price, a set of reviews and a few photos, and I am ready to be wrong. Come with me to see it. Let us go on a weekday and stay for lunch.
I called their number, (305) 258-2222, and left a message. I will tell you when they call back.
A postscript on Mom
I keep thinking about how Mom would answer if we asked her what she wants. She would not say "memory care" or "flat rate". She would say she wants her own chair and someone to talk to at lunch. That is a decent test for any place, and it is why I keep coming back to small, homey communities when I try to work out the best assisted living facility in Homestead, Florida for her. We will see after the visit.
What I will write down
Before the tour, I am making a one page sheet: price questions, care questions, staffing, the dining room, how it smells, how staff speak to residents. After the tour I will fill it in while we are still in the parking lot. You taught me that years ago, when we looked at places for Aunt Rose. It is the thing I remember best from that whole sad summer, and I am glad of it now.
What I need from you
Two things. Tell me what questions you want me to ask. And tell me what Mom said about her room, because I think the furniture is the thing she will care about most. The listing says residents can bring their own.
Love you. Watch the videos, then call me.
Your brother
P.S. If you want to read the listing again before we talk, it is the best assisted living facility in Sunny Hills.