Amy Wallace

Review of Shipley Manor

After my grandfather Charles Wallace died over two...

After my grandfather Charles Wallace died over two decades ago now, my amazing grandmother, the wonderful (and now angel) retired IV emergency room nurse Doris Wallace realized she could not stay in their very big -but also very old and hard to maintain/clean- North Wilmington house where she grew up. She moved to Shipley Manor (in independent living- as she could do everything including drive- and fast, too - up until a few months before she finally passed) and I have to admit, as my first real encounter with a nursing home as we all called it back then, after hearing all the horror stories and how they d say it s the beginning of the end ...but especially how much she LOVED my grandfather and was really missing him, grieving, alone... our entire family thought the worst. WOW WERE WE SO PLEASANTLY SURPRISED & BLESSED TO THIS DAY AT HOW WRONG WE WERE!! My grandmother didn t just live, she THRIVED there, and some days was even BUSIER THAN I WAS! I remember the day I called her asking for the 2nd time that week if I could swing by (as I worked rightttt NEXT DOOR AT WSTW at the time) and she said something like well not now, __is over and we re getting ready to bartend this dance event in the main dining room tonight.. and tomorrow I play cards with _ & _ from 1-4.. Hmm MAYBE Thursday... what is you re schedule like from 5-7pm? - I cried tears of joy as I laughed at the fact that my eighty-some year old grandmother- (who before moving to Shipley didn t have a huge circle of friends, as her best friend was her husband - then her kids & family of course) was BUSIER THAN I WAS!!! We NEVER EXPECTED THIS!! I remember especially always hearing about her favorite person there: Kathy Scott, the sales and marketing director who has a heart of GOLD. Kathy was always close by and always knew more than I did about what she was up to, and was with her up until she passed away peacefully and ready- still in independent living- only a couple years ago! I m so grateful for this and for her- so thank you, Kathy Scott. THANK YOU SHIPLEY MANOR!