(Directed to Governor Janet Napolitano) My Father, a retired Arizona miner, has been a resident of the Pioneers’ Home in Prescott for the past year and a half. Last week, he died there at the age of 92.

My brother and I have found the Pioneers’ Home to be an outstanding facility for the care of elderly Arizonans. When Dad entered the home, his health was good enough that he enjoyed a great deal of independence. Since we live reasonably close to Prescott, my husband and I would visit him on a regular basis, take him out to lunch or to a store if he needed to buy something, and then return him to the Home. He was always glad to get away for an hour or two, but he was also always happy to return. He had a real comfort level there. In November, his health began to deteriorate; and he was moved to an area of the home where he could have round the clock assistance based on his needs.

My husband and I have had some experience with retirement homes over the years, mainly as a result of the elderly people in his family. We’ve been to many of them, and the experience hasn’t always been positive. Some don’t smell good; the employees seem disinterested; the food is substandard; and the residents aren’t well cared for. That is not the case at the Pioneers’ Home. The employees there really seemed to love Dad; and he wasn’t always a loveable person. We’ve never noticed offensive odors at the home. Despite the fact it is an old facility, it is unbelievably clean. The management and staff are undeniably dedicated to the care of the residents.

As an Arizona native, I am very proud of this jewel in the crown of our social services for the elderly; and we are thankful to our Arizona State Government for maintaining the Pioneers’ Home.