Our Story: A Letter from Donna
In 2003, I was 35 years old with 3 young children and running an accounting business. My 92-year-old grandmother had major surgery, could no longer live alone and was placed in a large institutional nursing home. She was treated as just another “head in a bed”, with little dignity or quality of life. Thinking she was in her last days, I turned my dining room into her bedroom and provided 24-hour care either myself or from hired in-home caregivers. She lived for another 6 years! I realized that individualized care and attention, as well as a joyful and meaningful existence could bring a person back to life, and that kind of assisted living didn’t exist yet. I created Arcadia Living with her in mind.
In 2006, I licensed my home as an assisted living facility and began taking in other residents who needed care, including my father with dementia. In 2009, Arcadia moved from my house to Kent Island where I converted a larger single-family home into an assisted living. In 2012, my mother moved in after a serious fall. Our goal is to create an environment that truly feels like home and to de-institutionalize the standard assisted living facility, while providing the excellent care we would want our own parents and grandparents to receive.
My daughter, Jessie Poole, has always been my right-hand (wo)man. She grew up taking care of her "Nanny and Pop-Pop" with me. Jessie does wears a lot of hats: finance, human resources, marketing, compliance, but her specialty is hiring for heart. She helps us find the absolute best, kindest, caregivers, which is what sets Arcadia apart. With her by my side, we set out on our mission of changing the face of eldercare by bringing together compassionate people and giving them the tools and power to make a difference in the lives of elders.
In January 2018 we opened our second location in Denton, Maryland. Since then we've opened 4 more facilities in Maryland, all the same small home model so we can ensure the best quality of care for our residents.
We are excited to spread the Arcadia mission on both sides of the Chesapeake Bay, and beyond!
Welcome to the Arcadia family!
Sincerely,
Donna
Mother Daughter Dream team!
