Welcome to the Christian Manor
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Personalized
family style assisted living facility care for the elderly and adult day
care services. Nestled under giant oaks on a well trimmed and expertly landscaped lawn,
stands Christian Manor, an assisted living facility where "love is our trade
mark." The renovated home is situated in a quiet neighborhood on 1.14 acres
and is designed for up to six, soon for ten, elderly residents who may need
a little help with the tasks of daily living. This home is gracefully
decorated in a Victorian style and shows the owner's attention to detail.
With over 21 years in the healthcare field, Ms. Drysdale is fluent in
English, Spanish and Portuguese. She lives at the facility in order to
provide personalized family style care for the elderly.| "I looked at many Florida places in the area and beyond, and your facility was by far the best. The fact that your facility is small, gives it an air of intimacy and you can give your residents the very best attention. I would be happy to recommend your facility to anyone who needs that little extra Help to live their life out in comfort and free of worry." |
ALF Amenities
- Private and Semi-Private Spacious Bedrooms
- We welcome you to bring some of your own furniture from home.
- Gracious Dining Room
- Formal Living Room for Family Reunions
- Cable TV / Movies
- Outings for Breakfast / Lunch / Ice Cream / Shopping / Church
- Olympic sized Swimming pool
- Activity / Game room for sing- along, crafts, games
- Library with books and books on tape
- Florida Room
- Music once a week: Piano, accordion guitar
- Beautiful rose garden, landscaped with Italian Cypress trees and Crape Myrtle along the fence line. Gardening is welcomed.
- Walking path around the facility / garden area / benches / gazebo tent / fruit trees
- Parking on premises with wheel chair access
- Fire sprinkler system and smoke detector throughout the building
- Smoking permitted outside
ALF Benefits
- Freedom of Choice: You have more than earned It. You deserve the opportunity to exercise it.
- Dignity and Privacy: You will enjoy both at Christian Manor.
- Personal Security: Don't worry, you can feel secure all the time
- Individual Comfort: At the heart of every amenity, there's a service and convenience you deserve.
- Personal Attention: Something you can always expect from us - and that we are all too happy to provide.
- Total Convenience: Anything you wish to pursue is either right here, or minutes from your door.
- New friendships and Rewarding Activities: Endless opportunities for fun and friendship.
ALF Services
- Experienced and friendly staff to meet your needs
- 24 Hour Supervision
- Assistance with personal care, bathing and grooming
- Planned Social activities
- Weekly housekeeping
- Group exercises - three times a week
- 3 nutritious meals expertly prepared and served daily in style!
- We can cater to special dietary needs as required
- Afternoon and Evening snacks
- Supervised Medications and prescription ordering
- Complete residential maintenance service
- Professional, friendly management with 3:1 ratio of residents to staff
- Scheduled transportation to doctors, podiatrist, beautician, barber shop, and church
- Postal Services
ALF
Letter of Nomination
My nominee for the most outstanding caregiver in the Bay area is Iracema Drysdale, the owner and operator of Christian Manor in Clearwater. My journey began in March of 2003 while I was visiting my parents in Clearwater. Dad had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 1998 when he was 78 and Mom, at 76, was his primary caregiver.
I had been trying to convince them to move from their condo in Top of the World to an assisted living facility but understandably they did not want to give up their independence. During that visit Mom fell and broke her arm, and after a hospital stay, went to a nursing home for a few days which necessitated finding an assisted living facility for Mom and Dad. They moved into a large, four-story facility which promised so much, but delivered so little. The facility was so understaffed that when we did have a good caregiver they did not work there for very long. It was very "corporate" and it seemed that its residents were much less important than the bottom line. In June of 2003 with Dad's disease worsening Mom was diagnosed with lung cancer. Mom and I knew that it was time for a change. My brother and I spoke to Hospice and asked if they could give us a list of some places that could look after Mom and Dad.
We met with Iracema and her spirit and enthusiasm won us over. She promised that she would take care of our parents until they died. Of course we were skeptical but she took us to a private room where one of her residents, Beatrice, was dying. Iracema nursed her and cared for her and even slept in the same room with her until she died.
Where else will you find that devotion and dedication?
Mom and dad moved into Christian Manor Assisted Living Facility in August of 2003. The first few nights they were there Iracema slept outside their room on a couch so she could be close by if they needed anything. As their health deteriorated, their level of care did not, the total number of residents who lived at Christian Manor was six and there were three caregivers on staff including Iracema. Because Iracema also lived at the facility, the level of care was always superior. The residents were in a home-like setting with caregivers who treated them like family.
Because I was a long distance caregiver, it was very important for me to
have someone looking after Mom and Dad that I could trust. I never had
hesitation with any of Iracema decisions or suggestions. She had Mom and
Dad's best interest at heart. As time went on Mom and Dad became very
comfortable and happy in their new setting. That was nothing short of a
miracle because Mom had fought the idea of assisted living for so long. One
day Mom finally told me that she was very happy at Christian Manor ALF and if
something happened to her I should not bring Dad back to New York; I should
leave him there because they would take good care of him. That was quite a
recommendation from Mom.
I visited Mom and Dad at least once a month to see how they were progressing. Each time I was more pleased with the care I found they were getting. There were some times when Mom was in the hospital that Iracema would let me sleep in mom's room. Those were the times that I got a first-hand look at the care she gave to her residents. I realized more than ever that better care could not be gotten any where.
Because Dad was incontinent, Iracema would change him in the middle of the night. When Dad was at the first facility, it was lucky if they changed him twice a day. Iracema would see to it that he was always clean, shaven and dressed properly. Mom needed attention with her diabetes and Iracema would make sure Mom followed her diet and make her special desserts that Mom loved. When Mom was considering radiation for her cancer, Iracema volunteered to take her every day, which is just another example of going above and beyond what is expected.
It was that special, personal attention that my parents received that stood out above the others. Iracema make doctor's appointments for them or call Hospice if she felt that something was questionable. When 911 had to be called because Dad was in distress, Iracema went to the hospital to speak for him because the disease had robbed him of his speech. When Mom or Dad had to stay in the hospital, she would visit them everyday until my brother or I could get to Florida. I know of no other caregiver willing to give of themselves in such a manner.
Last Christmas I was staying at
Christian Manor Assisted Living Facility because Mom was in the
hospital. Iracema had bought presents for each of the residents showing her
generous nature. We all sang Christmas carols in the living room. It was
wonderful to see Dad laughing and humming tunes with everyone. That
afternoon Iracema had Christmas dinner for some friends. The residents had
eaten earlier, but Dad wanted to sit with us as we had dinner. He sat at the
table listening to the stories and smiling. As people started to leave Dad
extended his hand to shake there hand goodbye. It had been a long time since
I've seen him interact like that with strangers. That was my Christmas
present and it was Iracema's kindness and vitality that made it happen.
She treats the elderly with caring and respect and gives them dignity so often missing at the end of life. She has a resident named Vivian, who is over 90 years old and was in the hospital, when the social worker wanted to discharge her to a nursing home. Iracema interceded and said she could still care for Vivian. The social worker said it was impossible because Vivian couldn't sit, stand, or walk by herself. Iracema convinced her and Vivian went home to Christian Manor. The last time I saw Vivian she was walking and smiling and even talking more than she had ever done before. That is the level of care you get from Iracema Drysdale.
Sadly Mom lost her battle with cancer in January of 2004. Of course Iracema and her staff came to the memorial service. At that time, my brother and I had to make a decision about Dad. It took less than a minute to decide that we would leave Dad at Christian Manor where he was loved and well taken care of. In June Dad was in the hospital for a few days and I was there when he was discharged to Christian Manor. He cried with joy when he saw Iracema and her staff; he was so happy to be home. That spoke volumes to me about Iracema and her special angels of mercy.
Dad's decline accelerated after Mom's passing. He became much more difficult to care for because he could not lift himself out of bed or a chair and could not feed himself. At the end of May I received a phone call from Iracema saying that she could no longer care for Dad because he was too difficult to move. I understood and after we both cried, I asked that she give him some time to find a nursing home for him. I told her I would need to bring him to New York so that I could oversee his care in a home here. She agreed and even offered to take the trip with him to bring him to New York. How many caregivers would make that offer? The next morning she called me at work and said she couldn't let him go to a nursing home. She would get extra help to care for him. She and her staff were too attached to "Poppy", a nickname they had given him.
Unfortunately Alzheimer's took Dad's life in June of 2004 with Iracema and me at bedside. He died with dignity at "home". All of a sudden I realized that Iracema had kept her promise to take care of Mom and Dad until they died. That is the type of caregiver she is. She is a woman of her word who has dedicated her life to helping elderly. She cares for her residents with as much love and kindness as a family member. She helps make the end of their lives peaceful and meaningful.
I challenge you to search the world over to find a more outstanding caregiver. I know because she was the answer to my prayers.
Love is our Trademark
We truly care for each and every one of our residents.
Contact Christian Manor today at Phone (727) 447-8395
Christian Manor of Clearwater Inc.
Iracema V. DRysdale, License# AL9718
1845 N Keene Rd., Clearwater, FL 33755
Phone (727) 447-8395 | Fax (727) 447-8395
Email: christianmanor@hotmail.com