Photos by Lori Baur. Courtesy of BurlesonNOW Magazine, a NOW Magazines, L.L.C publication. www.nowmagazines.com.
“Often our families come to us very stressed out in very difficult situations,” said Mustang Creek Estates’ CEO and Founder Renee Ramsey. “And we’re able to help them.” Having worked with seniors for over 30 years, Renee, like most of the care staff, has a passion for senior care. “It has given me so much joy,” she said.
Unlike many other assisted living communities, Mustang Creek is not an apartment-style senior living community. Instead, the campus is comprised of six residential houses: four assisted living and two secured, licensed memory care homes. Each house has a kitchen, a living room and 16 bedrooms and bathrooms. “Instead of being a large building where people get lost in the shuffle, we’re as cozy and as close as you could get to being at home,” stated Lynette Wyatt, executive director of the Burleson location, who has worked in senior care for 35 years.
“Residents and families have a lot of fear about going into assisted living. But when they see our homes, they feel at home,” Renee explained. “It doesn’t feel like they’re moving into an institution. It feels like they’re in a home just getting additional care.
“Part of our mission is to be affordable and simple for our customers,” she continued. “We have a flat rate that’s unusual in assisted living. By having essentially the same type of floor plans, we’re able to have a very simple pricing structure for our customers.”
Mustang Creek goes the extra mile, when providing for the well-being of its residents. Their dietitian creates a healthy, balanced menu designed for the taste preferences and dietary restrictions of their residents. Their relationships with home health and hospice providers allow the medical needs of every resident to be met. “We can take care of everyone, regardless of their diagnosis, disease or condition,” Renee said.
For their memory care residents, they send out a detailed questionnaire to the families, so they can learn what their residents’ day-to-day lives look like and adjust the care they provide to accommodate them. “A lot of the families appreciate that we want to know the details of their loved one’s life,” Lynette added. “We try to keep their life as normal as possible.” Some of the mindful accommodations available for memory loss residents include meals tailored to those who cannot hold utensils and hydro jet tubs for those intimidated by showers.
“Residents and families have a lot of fear about going into assisted living. But when they see our homes, they feel at home.”
Mustang Creek offers a plethora of fun activities for residents to attend. Each week, they offer bingo games, unique crafts and movie nights. They also welcome guest musicians and the Burleson Animal Shelter’s own Clifford, among other entertainers, for lively visits.
“It doesn’t matter how old you are, we all want purpose,” Renee explained. “Purpose can be just being a friend to somebody, but it also can be helping in the kitchen, which they can do at Mustang Creek.” Since each home holds a residential kitchen, residents may set the table or help with meal service if they wish.
Whether it’s to feel at home, to feel seen or have purpose, the team at Mustang Creek Estates of Burleson hopes to provide it for you. “The residents, the care staff and the residents’ family members become one big family,” Lynette concluded. “It’s a community.”