Finding a new home and friends at the CCC

Ron Wittman’s deep love for his wife brought him to the Comprehensive Care Center to live. 

As Ron recalls, his wife Rosa’s “time was short,” as she was overcome with liver and stomach cancer.  

“The doctors wanted to bring her here (the CCC) and she didn’t want me to leave her,” recalled Ron, 65. I wasn’t’ really walking at the time. She did so much for me. She was a blessing. She inspired my life.” 

He knew that once Rosa passed he would need help – Ron uses a wheelchair and is also blind. He was born with Retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic eye disease that caused him to eventually lose his sight at a young age.  

Rosa, his wife of 21 years, passed away in May 2021, and Ron continued to live at the skilled nursing facility. He felt he was honoring her wishes by remaining in the care of the CCC staff. 

“She wanted me to stay here,” he said. “She said, ‘You have everything to take care of you.’ They do the laundry, there’s the nursing staff, Physical Therapy.” 

Although the former Embassy Suites Hotel employee said he had some hesitation at first, he added that he made the adjustment and “put myself into a comfort zone where I like it.”  

Ron said he appreciates that the staff transport him to medical appointments and local parks for lunch sometimes. He is also enjoying all the activities available to residents, including brain teasers and bingo. 

“The staff, the nursing, the housekeepers, it’s a great team all around,” said Ron, who moved to Lompoc with his parents in 1972. “They really make you feel welcome and relaxed.” 

Ron said he’s also been able to make some new friends, which he appreciates. 

“If I knew somebody that needed full-time care, I would recommend this place,” he says. “The meals are great. I recommend this whole place. I like how friendly everybody is. With all the activities and everything here, I can’t think of anything less than great. Everybody is wonderful.”