Brookdale

The administrative staff was excellent, however the actual caregivers were not as excellent. It was really night and day. There were no activities during the time our loved one was there. There was a major lack of knowledge the care takers had about our loved one, and there was a major lack of communication.

Pros: The Activity Director is pretty incredible and keeps families informed of loved one's status and seems to go out of her way to do her job at times. The direct care staff seems to do their jobs well and consistently. Unfortunately, like most elderly care homes, sometimes having to also carry the load of their supervisor's responsibilities as well. Such as contacting family when a question is needed to be asked. We're glad at least they do. Clean facility, good meals, good direct care staff. Cons: Initially, it took the administration office more than 2 months just to provide and process all of the information needed to file insurance claim with 3rd party insurance! So, we had to pay out of pocket for 3 months. This was mainly due to administration not following through. We had to press them to make the necessary phone calls to the insurance company, as well as repeatedly explain the paperwork needed. The Executive Director, [name removed] rarely returns phone calls and passes them on to individuals not qualified to answer questions that are needed to resolve a situation, often avoiding appropriate communication with family, until she's called out on it. Medications where ordered to be filled by their pharmacy without legal authorization by family member's Power of Attorney. Updated medication forms/list was not provided to direct care staff. After 3 months of back and forth with them, we hope that finally everything will go smoothly. Thus, communication seems to be the biggest problem there.

I would want others to know when looking into Brookdale the facility is full of bugs, they have a serious roach problems. A previous resident I knew here had the same problem and this was a few years ago. The people are very nice and relatively caring, but you cant communicate with anyone here. It is very hard to get a hold of anyone or get any answers. We were not pleased with Brookdale New Port Richey.

The nursing administrator was not friendly at all, but the rest of the staff was. They did bake cookies, and they have an outdoor garden area where they get to go outside everyday. My dad is in memory care so it is harder to do activities. If you are a resident living in the front part of the facility the food was great. But if you lived on the memory care side there wasn't much of a variety. The rooms they had were spacious, but dated.

Unless you get a hold of the director they never returned your phone calls. Very hard to get a hold of them. Very poor communication. The room sizes and the layout of the community seemed very nice. Everyone would say good luck if you need to reach them. My father in law fell many times there.

I didn't have a good feeling about this place. It felt more like a sales pitch than truly understanding the needs of my parents. The amenities weren't as nice as the other two places.

I would not recommend Brookdale. My mom wandered away from the building three times and they never told us. They found her in the parking lot. The staff was not checking in on her. The food was okay. The layout and room sizes were fine. There was a change in the staff and then things fell apart and it was at the expense of the residents.

I would not recommend Brookdale to anyone. We had my loved one there and they had dementia and behaviors, we had a private caregiver with him daily. The staff was not patient, they threatened to hit him. There was no compassion.

Everything at the community always seemed clean. The staff was all very friendly. The care giving staff could have been better about following up with us and my mother's doctor about her care needs. We thought they were very reactionary with her care rather than proactive. I thought they did provide some activities, however they were very repetitive. My mother had impaired vision, so there was not a whole lot she could do, and we didn't think they were very accommodating with that. We did not think the care was great or worth the price.

They are nit picky, they micro manage. The food last summer was very good, but then the food took a turn for the worst, it is not healthy for seniors. Most of the staff is friendly and tries to help you out. It is the management staff that is the problem.

There are some staff members that are very good but some are completely unresponsive and poorly trained. The food is horrendous. A meal may consist of a runny plain egg salad sandwich and a couple of cookies. The residents are offered very little in the way of physical or mental activity. The mission of the staff is to charge for as much as possible for every little additional task. We are often charged in error for services such as dressing and showers that were not rendered. Buyer Beware!

Don’t be fooled by the very nice sales staff. Do your homework, do your research. Ask lots of questions about the aide staff. A lot of promises get made and do not get kept. Aides are not medically trained. Community layout was nice . The room was good. Food was decent. It is a good place for someone more independent and may not be good for someone who needs more care.

Hard working and caring team, except for sales. She is fake and judgemental of residents that are particular. If she doesn't like you, be prepared to be disappointed down the road, as she seems to control the community. All are cares about is the money. My loved one was not right for the community, and should have been placed in higher care. Instead, [name removed], took the money, including a $2000 community fee, and moved her in, only to have to move out in less then a month. No refund of any kind.

This ALF is the most disorganized place. The management spends the day covering their tracks. The worst is the head of nursing. She has a terrible attitude and doesn't seem to care if meds are on time or right. In the six weeks my mom lived her we had more than four conversations with her about medicine mistakes. She also charged us for services she said my mom received that she didn't. The days they billed us for were prior to my mom even moving in. They were supposed to refund us for days after my mom moved out and never did. The facility its self is nice, the residents are pleasant and the kitchen staff are wonderful. That is the only reason they got two stars.

I was not impressed with this facility. going down the hall toward the dining room, there was a strong odor of urine, and it made me feel that the entire facility wasn't as clean as it appeared.

I was very disappointed with our experience at BD Monroe. The sales rep assured me as well as the Wellness Director that they could take care of my husband, who is a high functioning, very active resident. He had been there 2 weeks only when the Admin Dir (who I have never spoken to before this encounter) and the Wellness Director notified me that my husband was "not a good fit" for their community then proceeded to tell me that I would either need to come and get my husband or hire a 24 hour sitter to watch him. They didn't have the staff or time to manage him. This facility is supposed to be trained in redirecting and helping engage and make connections with Alz residents. Long story short, I never saw this happen. I had to hire a sitter to "manage" my husband until we could find another place for him. PLEASE be aware that this facility is NOT equipped to redirect and engage with high functioning Alzheimer's patients.

I am concerned that the website portrayals and descriptions do not match with the reality at Brookdale Allenmore Independent Living. I know from first hand experience that the typical resident at Brookdale Allenmore Independent Living does not look, act or have the physical abilities portrayed on the website. I am concerned that, as stated on Caring.Com, the facility "does not provide memory care, is not a part of a continuing care retirement community, and does not have Alzheimer’s care." However, my loved one was approved, by the facility, for living in Independent Living, even with an official diagnosis of Alzheimer's/dementia. (My siblings and I did not place our loved one in this facility.) No health assessment was required before approval, even though the facility knows about the diagnosis. Also, on at least two occasions I personally observed, the main desk was not manned for several minutes, and the entry and exit of visitors and residents was not monitored. I would caution anyone making the decision to place their loved ones in Brookdale Allenmore Independent Living to ask very specific questions about levels of care, health assessment, and safety and monitoring.

The employees were very nice and seemed to like their job. The new memory unit was a little small, and the ceiling wasn't very high. Maybe 7 feet high. The renovation was beautiful done. Unfortunately for me, It lacked that warm comfortable feeling.

This facility needs to do better!!

My stay at Brookdale Destin Senior Living was about one year until my wife died. It was livable but not nearly worth what they charge. Read every word of their massive contract because they will come after you if you fail to abide by any of the statements in the bundle of 30 pages.