Celebrating Generations of Mothers at Magnolia Manor

It goes without saying that we celebrate Mother’s Day here at Magnolia Manor! And since we’ve been serving seniors for 60 years, we have had a lot of moms to celebrate. This year we want to share something extra-special – mothers and daughters together at Magnolia Manor.

Let’s meet some of them.

Following in Mom’s Footsteps at Richmond Hill

At age 88, Betty Watkins is enjoying life as an Independent Living resident. “I can come and go whenever I feel like it,” she says. She still has her car, but rarely uses it since her daughter also lives in Richmond Hill and passes Magnolia Manor every day on her way to work. It’s easy for her to give mom a ride if needed.

Betty lives on the 3rd floor, where she can relax on her screened porch and look out over a beautiful lake. She gets an up-close view of the lake three times a day when she walks around it after each meal.

“Moving to Magnolia Manor was the only thing I would consider!” she says emphatically. Betty’s mom lived here, also as an independent resident, for 21 years before she passed away at the age of 100. That was in 2014. “She didn’t even use a walker!” notes Betty.

Betty and her sister visited often, and knew their mom was living a “good, wonderful life” at Magnolia Manor. Her policeman-husband passed away at a youngish age and, at the time, she had a group of lady friends that regularly got together for lunch and a game of cards. A couple of them moved to Magnolia Manor, so Betty’s mom did, too. One of those friends remains a resident, and she is also now 100 years old.

Betty loves living at Richmond Hill as much as her mother did. Icing on the cake? Her sister lives nearby in Georgetown, so they are able to visit often.

Treating Residents with Loving Care at Moultrie

Aimee Hickey is a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) who has worked at Magnolia Manor South in Moultrie for 11 years now, mostly with Assisted Living residents. Jalyn Daniels is her daughter and, as of four months ago, a fellow staff member. Jalyn works as a housekeeper for both Assisted and Independent Living residents.

Aimee’s mom was a nurse, so as she says, “the medical field runs in our family.” She serves as a liaison between residents and their doctors’ offices and interacts with doctors and home health care providers on behalf of residents. She loves working with older folks, in large part because the residents are so friendly and nice.

In addition to her housekeeping duties, Jalyn helps residents with activities they like to participate in and also with exercise classes. “It’s like working with my grandparents every day,” she says. She loves the work and is looking to obtain a license so she can move into a new role at Magnolia Manor.

When Alimna Baron came to the US from Venezuela to seek a better life for herself and her family, she had no idea that her work at Magnolia Manor would bring her a second family of residents and fellow staff. She manages the kitchen at Richmond Hill, preparing tasty breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus for independent and assisted living residents.

At 72 years old, Alimna loves everything about her job. You might say that cooking and serving are her love language for residents. She says their #1 favorite food is fried chicken, but residents also look forward to her sopa de pollo (chicken soup) and other meals that feature the flavors of her home country.

Since emigrating to the US, Alimna has gradually recruited family members to join her here. On March 27, 2023, 12 relatives came together including Alimna’s daughter Desiree Gomez. Desiree joined the team at Richmond Mill, working alongside her mother as a dietary aide. She helps prep meals and serves residents in the dining room.

Desiree loves interacting with the residents and says it is helping her learn more English. She’s also learning from her mother how to cook for seniors. Alimna says that’s so Desiree can replace her when she retires, but no one wants Alimna to retire any time soon.

What’s it like for mom and daughter to work together? Happy, they say! “It is a privilege God has granted,” Alimna believes, because they can be together again. “She has been my partner since she was 13 years old,” when Desiree went to work to help her mother pay the rent. Even better, another of Alimna’s daughters plans to apply for work at Magnolia Manor.

Desiree says she also feels blessed to work with her mother, describing her as a source of pride and an example to follow.

Serving Generations of Senior Moms

With six decades of experience serving seniors throughout south Georgia, Magnolia Manor has earned a lasting reputation for quality care and holistic attention to mind, body, and spirit in an atmosphere where staff and residents alike are considered family.

The enduring nature of our unique approach to quality senior living has made it possible for generations of mothers and daughters to live the carefree life in their retirement years, served by generations of caring, dedicated staff.

If it’s time for your mom or another family member to consider a move, we’d love to share what life is like at our eight campuses. Why not give us a call and request a tour? Meanwhile, Happy Mother’s Day!