Going out of our way to show commitment and compassion to our residents and their families

Our Albany County Nursing Home families are our biggest supporters.

That’s why when it comes to caring for their loved ones, the Professional Staff Association goes out of its way to do so — demonstrating commitment and compassion that is second to none.

Our families appreciate this commitment and many have stepped forward to share their stories in their own words. This section of the website is designed to do just that. Read below to see what we mean.

As a prelude to this series, we asked our families during open roundtable discussions in 2010:

“What is it that you value most about Albany County Nursing Home?” Here are some of the things they had to say:

“The care and compassion of the staff is wonderful. The staff works together. They work to a high standard and this is a major strength of the facility.”

“The staff is talented. People work there because they want to. They could go anywhere else. This makes the quality of care better and brings comfort to the families. You can’t put a price on that.”

“Albany County Nursing Home gives our loved ones a place to live with dignity. They deserve that and that is what they get.”

“Although my parents didn’t go to Albany County Nursing Home together, they both eventually ended up there at the same time. They spent a week and a half together before they died. The staff did everything they could to bring my parents together. It was priceless to them and to my family.”

“People could go elsewhere but they choose to go here because of the staff and the atmosphere they create. I’ve seen nurses cradling residents, helping and coaxing them to eat. Do you think this would happen anywhere else?”

“Albany County Nursing Home has been there when I needed it and when my family needed it. I am constantly amazed at the excellent care both of my parents received there.”

“Albany County Nursing Home is where relationships with patients and family members are built. It isn’t just a business exchange. They provide an important support system for the families.”

“The staff, many times, are the residents’ voices. If they don’t have family, the staff fills that role for them. It’s a very special place!”

“Albany County Nursing Home fills a role other nursing homes can’t. And we all have a responsibility to help the 'have-nots' in this world.” 

View our ACNH families' stories

 

Albany County Nursing Home gives 'second mom' Aunt Anna a second chance

september 5, 2012

The day Angeline Villano’s Aunt Anna was finally admitted to Albany County Nursing Home was the first time the Mechanicville woman slept in nine months. What was supposed to be a temporary placement at a nursing home in Massachusetts for a rehab stint turned into a never-ending saga in which she says her aunt was wrongly medicated by doctors, strapped into a wheelchair and ignored by staff, and had two suitcases of her new clothing go missing and never found again. full story

 

Saturdays are special for the Zayas family

ACNH brings mother and grandmother back to life

July 19, 2012

Steven Zayas excuses himself from the lobby of Albany County Nursing Home to go get his mother Mandy from her upstairs room. It’s Saturday morning, the day the family routinely picks her up for a day with the grandchildren at their home in Delmar. The large family SUV is parked outside while mother-in-law Michele watches the children, Steven, 16, Samantha, 14 and Sabrina, 10, surf their cell phones anxiously waiting for grandma to come down. full story

 

Albany County Nursing Home a godsend for Colonie woman with Alzheimer's disease

april 12, 2012

What do you do when you can no longer care for your loved one struggling with the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s disease and nobody in the area will offer a helping hand? For Nancy Wells and her husband Bob of Colonie, you thank God there is an Albany County Nursing Home. “I can’t imagine what we’d do without this place,” said Nancy, caregiver for an old family friend named Jean. full story

 

Coping with Alzheimer's Disease:

An experience a local family will never forget

february 1, 2012

It’s really no different than any other experience in life. You go some place, you get good service so you keep coming back. That’s Bill Mangus’ story, anyway. When Bill was a young man his father developed Alzheimer’s disease and became one of Albany County Nursing Home’s first residents. That was back in the 1970’s, a time when no one even knew what Alzheimer’s was. full story

 

Albany County Nursing Home helps three brothers from Colonie keep parents together

January 3, 2012

It wouldn’t be a true Fisher family portrait without the caring staff of the Albany County Nursing Home. With three grown boys literally living all over the world, the residential care facility has been like a fourth brother to the trio, watching out and caring for their elderly parents when they could not be there over the years to do it themselves. full story

 

Life at Albany County Nursing Home reaches high note for former New York Metropolitan Opera singer

October 2011

In his prime, Jack D.’s voice filled the room at New York’s world-famous Metropolitan Opera House. Now in his golden years, Jack fills a room at Albany County Nursing Home, where frequently he can be spotted in the fourth floor recreation room leading a singing group of fellow residents. full story