Brookdale

This is a smaller community than my father has been living in and feels more like a home. It is clean, cheerful, peaceful, well decorated, and very well staffed. I toured and he had given me permission to sign him up without him visiting, which I did on the spot. Even though this is further for most of our family to drive, the care they provide for him is the most important aspect to a facility and their staff is A1. My father has now moved in and I have already seen the attention and care the staff gives him and the others who live there.

The only issues we have is that the accounting services are screwed up, but now it's fixed. My mom is there, and she is doing well. Everything else is good.

Clean and small with less than 20 residents. Mostly women but some men. Only one roon coming open and it is private room. Staffed with two RN's and the activity person is also certified. Stae had inspected them recently and they passed with a good grade. The Alzheimer Wing is called Clare Bridge. One time community fee is $150 but looks like the rent will be $4k plus.

We actually began this process several years ago as we began to see changes in the health and living conditions of our loved Grandmama. She had lived alone most of her adult life, had a full career, smart and giving person. She was involved as a volunteer with her church and other organizations. She is social, active, played bridge etc. She had lived in her home for almost 60 years and cared for her elderly dogs. We live across the country from her and it was hard to advocate for her. She was also having a hard time communicating with her physician group. She still would use her rotary phone. You can't push 1 or 2 etc. We wanted her to consider moving to where we live but also supported finding an independent living arrangement in her home town. We had many alternatives. The Carriage Club was one of many that we toured. We did that tour last Christmas when she was visiting for the holidays. They were patient, knew how hard it is to move from your home, helpful to us in understanding the cost now and planning for the future. It wasn't until she had an surgery that she realized that she needed to move closer to us / family. It had almost been a year since our initial visit and they kept in touch but not pushy. They also were able to move quickly when we came back to update our information and actually make a decision. They also coached us on what they believed would be best for our Grandmama while giving her as much independence as possible. She was still recovering so they suggested and could provide companions when we could not be with her. They wanted her move to be successful and not wear us out as she adjusted to her new environment. They also work well with other caregivers such as Hospice, etc. The actual move was easy for us. They prepared her apartment and even helped by letting people deliver a bed, etc. They did all those little things from welcoming to having maintenance help hang pictures, set up the TV. There are so many opportunities for activities and they got to know her and helped her in her own time with encouragement and introductions. Coffee in the morning with new friends (includes a danish) was one of the first things that became a part of her routine even when her walking was not yet up to par. Now she also plays bridge weekly, loves the entertainment in the evenings and looks forward to the meals in the dining room. Her health has actually improved since she has moved. We are thrilled that she now lives only 10 minutes from our home so it is easy to stop by every day or if we are needed immediately. She now has her own home / life and is very much a part of our family life. It is a great protective, clean, active, healthy living and welcoming bubble that allows her to be successful.

My husband's aunt stayed there. I would say it's great as afar as aesthetically. I think that if the person, the retiree, is independent and in good health, it's a good place to be. Unfortunately, one thing that I was concerned about was our aunt can’t read because her eyes are so bad so she didn't know how to adjust her heat in her apartment. I went over there in the heat wave over the summer and she could have died it was so hot in there. I asked if they ever make any sort of welfare checks and they said no which irritated me. Everything they do, whether it's walking then down to dinner or anything is an additional fee which is not impressive. So again, if the person is independent and health it’s a great place but if you need some help it’s probably not the right place to be.

The level of service that they provide is quite high, and that is nice. They are able to take care of people who are a little more disabled than some of the other places. More transferring assistance and able to manage continence better, etc. Mom has participated a lot more than the last place. We are pleased.

Brookdale Place was a little closer to a nursing home feel. It was a nice facility because it's nearly brand new but it just wasn't appropriate for my father-in-law because it was too much like a nursing home rather than an independent apartment. The studios were really very small. I think they did that on purpose to get people out into the activity rooms and things. If my father-in-law needed more care it would have been a good place for him.

I liked it it was really clean and nice decerated for the holidays they have a van that takes the residents to and from dr apts or shopping no stairs apts good size my moms big dog wouldn't be able to move with her they do everything monthly so she could go try it out and move back to her home if she hated it laundry is free and house keeping is with rent cable and phone r extra they have 24/7 nursing care and a pull cord in bathrooms and a push alert that goes on each Persons neck for emergencies.

They are great. The people are really nice! In terms of value, it is a lot of money, so good thing it's hers! I am so impressed. I can't think about anything that they could improved. My mom is not in memory care, but they do assist her with her memory problems. It's great because she thinks that she is in a full independent living apartment. She has her own kitchen. As she progresses with her memory loss, she will be able to stay in the same place and the nurses and care options will come to her. Since my mom has moved in, they have covered the thermostat and taken the door off the closet per my request. They are very accommodating. They remodeled the place before she moved in. Brand new floor and carpet. Jenison from About Senior helped my mom move three times. Hung her pictures, and hired people to do heavy lifting. She was absolutely fantastic.

The common areas are clean. I believe they could do a little better job in my mother's room. I check on my mom with two of my sisters. Everyday we go and clean the toilet and the sink and I don't feel like they vacuum as much as they should but overall that place is pretty clean. I think we're paying a lot. We're paying to everything we get, believe me. Of course I think it should be a little less but I think she's getting good care. We pay them to have her escorted to meals because she wouldn't eat otherwise. We pay them to do her medicine and they assist her with showers and do her laundry. So her safety and well being is taken care of. That place is really nice. It's a better place than where she was before. There is no doubt in our minds about that. It's nice there and she does like it. One thing that we weren't happy with it the PT for my mom. The offered to do therapy for walking, safety, and speech. They told us our copay was going to be $350 and we did it because we can see the value of having that. Then come to find out, after we started her on it each discipline is $350 so it was over $1000. That was a disappointment but that had to do with their physical therapy, not the facility itself.

We have been very pleased with this facility. First and foremost, my Mom loves it. She feels safe and secure here. Loves the food and the friendliness of the people. We think we are getting great value here.

The facility is very nice and the staff has been more than helpful during the transition.

As the one who is taking care of my mother's finances, it really bothers me that assisted living costs so much in Waco, Texas. Other family members who live in assisted living facilities that are as nice or better in other states pay less than what we have been able to find in Waco. I believe it is this way all over Texas. This facility is nice and the staff seems very attentive, but on weekends when the administration is not around, it sometimes has that undesirable smell. And I'm concerned about the lack of front desk security on the weekends. I am also learning that there is quite a bit of squabbling amongst the employees and this indicates a lack of team leadership. But it is on a beautiful property, and it is nice to see an assisted living facility that is not surrounded by concrete, asphalt, and fences. The residents seem to be very happy. Mom seems to like it there.

The staff was very informative and friendly and I was very happy with the accommodations. At this point my husband and I are interested in this spot and Northpoint Village of Utica, which we saw this morning. I just need an approx. monthly cost on both locations before I take my mom to check it out.

I looked at this place but I don't need as much care as they give there. It's nice because if I reach a point that I need to have that kind of care my deposit and everything is transferable over to the courtyard because Villas at Courtyard and where I am now are owned by the same company. It's real nice.

We visited this place a while back, they were wonderful, but Mom preferred Charbonneau and that is where she went.

I think that they could do something more for new residents to introduce them to people and familiarize them with the routines. I think it would have made the transition a lot easier for my mom. She had her own apartment with a small kitchen, but she ate in the dining room. She was at a zero level of assistance, so we didn't have to pay for care, which was nice. There would have been care available if she needed it.

Emeritus is a very nice clean facility. Nikki was a very informative and helpful tour guide. All staff and residents I observed seemed to like her very much. Dining room was clean and food smelled good. Rooms are clean and good size. Property was well maintained. Prices seem reasonable.

I really didn't like that you could eat whenever you wanted. That's not what I wanted for my mother. I really wanted a more structured environment for her.

The cost is based on a graduated scale depending upon the level of care your person needs. For mother it's been two different amounts over two months. The care is good and the activities seem to be good. It's got a very warm, homey feel to it. It's not super duper fancy but it's got really homey feel that's been a real good fit for my mother. The staff is very nice. The only issues I've had at all were them getting accustomed to her needs and what she could ask for and what they needed to know to do because she wouldn't know to ask. We've gotten that all straightened out and I'm pleased with it.