Brookdale

I found all the staff at Sterling House to be exceptional. From the director, Patricia, to nursing staff, Nancy & Denise...all knew my Dad's name & were able to help him with whatever he needed even if it wasn't their area of expertise. The grounds were landscaped & the interior clean. There were no odors & even though they were remodeling, they kept the noises to a minimum. My father thought the food was great & appreciated them making sure he had a late night snack in his refrigerator each night. Even though, we brought my Dad home, he stated if he ever needed assisted living again, he would like to go back to Sterling House. Thanks for helping during a stressful time. It was nice to know my Dad was taken so well care of.

UPDATED NOVEMBER 2014: I posted a review of Clare Bridge of Asheville back in June 2014, and I'd like to amend it a bit now. (I'm writing this in Nov '14.) With some recent management changes, I have seen quite a bit of improvement in the amount of activities and outings taking place, and the place seems overall to be "humming along" a little bit better. Everyone seems peppier and more enthusiastic than they were when my dad moved in nearly a year ago. My dad's level of care has always been very good in my experience, but now it seems to have gone up even a few more notches. The "hands-on" staff has always been excellent, and now it seems that an equally strong management team is being assembled as well. An out-of-town relative recently stopped in to visit my dad, and she called me later, enthusiastically telling me how impressed she was with Clare Bridge, Daddy's room, and the overall environment. That kind of thing means a lot when you've made the difficult decision to place a parent in a memory care facility. The place is a little pricey, though, and you need to ask a lot of questions about the "personal care rate" that you can expect on top of the basic cost. Otherwise, you will have sticker shock when the monthly bills start coming in. Also note: if you are looking to place a "wanderer" (constant walker) like my dad, Clare Bridge is a little on the smallish side in cold weather when the porch and courtyards are closed. Some really cool and caring people work at Clare Bridge, and I'm glad that Daddy is there. Most of the staff seem like old friends now, and they genuinely seem to enjoy interacting with Daddy and the other residents. If your budget allows, give Clare Bridge a look as you search for the best place for your loved one. JUNE 2014: My father has been at Clare Bridge of Asheville since December 2013 and I'm writing this in June 2014.The staff at Clare Bridge seems very competent, friendly, and professional. Most everyone greets me by name when I visit, and even the base-level workers will help me stay up-to-date with how Daddy is doing. I haven't seen an excessive amount of turmoil except at the top- the Health and Wellness Director position (Head Nurse) has turned over twice; the Executive Director was a newbie when we first looked at the place and has already resigned.Daddy has a moderate level of dementia and they seem to treat him very well. He has had some aggression issues (due to confusion) that had to be addressed, but they over-medicated him to the point that he became unsteady on his feet and couldn't even form a coherent sentence. But to their credit, the staff noticed this and lowered the dosage. At this writing, he seems to be about back to "normal". I really can't fault them for doing what they had to do to keep the environment safe for other residents (and themselves).BTW, there is a doctor who calls on the residents once a week, which I consider a huge plus. He can take care of most issues, and if a visit to a specialist or ER is warranted, the staff can transport the resident, or you can do it if you'd rather.Having visited the place quite a bit over the last 7 months, I have to say that I am skeptical about the "activities" they boast about. I see very little of that nature going on, but I guess that the functioning level of the residences would make it rather pointless anyway. They do go on field trips to local restaurants and such every so often.At this writing, residents range from a lady who is so highly functioning that I wonder why she is there at all down to folks who are wheelchair-bound and nonverbal. Overall, the atmosphere is one of befuddled peace.The biggest drawback is...COST. And, yes, it will end up being much more than they tell you when they are trying to sell it to you. The cost for our dad was estimated to be "around" $4800 per month, but is is usually $6300 or more! And the cost fluctuates based on the needs of the resident for that month. Anytime that an extra staff member has to be tapped to help deal with a behavior or personal care need, you are charged. They even have a charge for reminding the resident to go to the bathroom! And all these line items are very mysterious. They aren't included on the monthly bill. You'll have to ask to see them while you're at the community. Just make sure that they know you are paying attention.If you're just starting down this road with a parent or other loved one, looking at facilities can be depressing, intimidating, and confusing. And you can't look at all of them. At some point you just have to make a decision. My brother and I looked at about half a dozen places before deciding on Clare Bridge Asheville. It's expensive, but it's still not the priciest one by any stretch. Daddy seems to get good care, I have a pleasant experience when I visit, and I am proud for other family members to see Daddy in this environment. So at this point I'm considering this to have been the right decision for us.I hope this helps you make the right call for you and your loved one.

Important to have non-restricted resident access to outdoors. Beautiful secure courtyard and nice separate courtyard for memory care residents too. The residents seem happy, well cared for and at peace. Love the nesting birds in the atrium-residents delight in the new births! Daily activities to boost memory, exercise and interface with other residents. Weekly happy hour, Saturday matinee, excursions out on their bus (see the bluebonnets, zoo, dine out) or to Walmart and nearby doctor's appts. Extra costs- On-site full service beauty parlor, telephone, internet and expanded cable. Included-linens washed and a load of laundry weekly, clean rooms, assist with daily tasks, consistent dispensing of medications, 40 Comcast channels, 3 meals, snacks, water stations (with lemons), piano, library (DVD's and books) activity room with vending machines, garden. Family activities planned; 'senior' prom, various denominational services etc. Phone and internet service extra. My mother wanted a single story, modestly configured residence. Many complexes were just too big and impersonal. We wanted her to be safe, consistently well cared for, daily memory enhancing activities and where she can socialize with her peers. This is perfect for her! They were offering a special, when we signed-that her room cost would never go up, for life. Her care level may, as her needs increase- but that is to be expected. We looked at many different assisted living facilities with progressive care, as my mother has Alzheimer's. It was important that she familiarize herself with a residence while she still has some of her marbles, so that if/when she must transition to the memory care wing, she knows the staff and the routines. Having her at Emeritus insures she has round the clock consistent care and that we can focus our time with her doing fun outings. We were so fearful that, with her memory going, she wasn't taking her medicines, bathing, eating, cleaning or living safely. Because of the wonderful staff at this Emeritus and the lovely setting, those fears are now history.

Had nice visit with Melissa Martin and lunch. Older place and well kept up with lots of storage in rooms. Food great and clients very friendly and happy. Activity level and organized social things not what we felt uncle was looking for. No pool but YMCA option was offered.

6/20/2014 - One week in residency. Clare Bridge Place, Brookfield, WI offers private rooms at a price that is, relatively speaking, workable for us. Mom would never share a room with another person; this played a major role in our decision. Secondly, industry specialist highly recommended this Senior Assisted living with memory care facilities Food is very good and residents seem to socialize quite comfortably with each other. The residents seem to be content and happy. Pricing, is a flat monthly base fee with monthly add ons for extra services like, continents, injections and specific extra individual care required. Management, medical personnel and staff appear to be very competent and easy to reach.

Things have gone very well with Emeritus at Meadowlands Terrace! It's a well run organization, and the staff have all been very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. The facility itself is clean and well kept, and the care they provide is good. I've also had the chance to sit with my loved one for a few meals and the food has looked very good!

It’s very good. My mom is very happy. Everyone is doing good. The people are very good. The people are very healthy and happy.

My mom has been at Emeritus for a few months. So far, so good. Any concern I've had has been taken care of promptly. Staff is extremely nice and helpful. Room is big enough. There is definitely a lot for my mom to do. A bit pricey, but so were all the other places we looked at.

This was our first choice. We were impressed with what we saw here. It was clean and the staff was really nice, and helpful. They seemed to have a good set of activities. We ultimately couldn't afford this community, after our assessment and we found out what it would be for us. We really liked it though.

I am very happy with the care at New England Bay so far

They have been great. They have been doing a good job putting my loved one on a healthy diet. They have been so helpful and so nice, and it matters not who I talk to. They communicate with me about changes to the care, and even provide it in writing if I need it. It's clean and nice and the food always smells good. They don't seem to be in it for the money, they really seem to care.

They have been great, the food is good. The staff is pretty good about dealing with combative residents. They are good about answering my questions, when I call. The room rates might be a little high in price, but if you have the money it's affordable and worth it. It's clean and nice. They don't seem to be in it for the money, they really seem to care.

My loved one was here briefly for respite care, and we were very pleased with how things went! It's a very nice looking community, they do a great job keeping everything clean and well kept. The staff were also all very friendly and helpful! They did a great job with the food, my loved one is a picky eater and they were really accommodating when it came to working with her to find things she liked.

They are doing great. They are very clean, and the staff is very friendly. As far as setting up the housekeeping that took a little while in the beginning. They were very accommodating as far as helping me out with a dresser. He loves the food, it's outstanding, they are very accommodating. They have choices and they can have food anytime between seven and seven. They go on outings, he has a nice little kitchenette area. Tom is great. Everyone greets you no matter what.

So far we are pretty satisfied. They keep it clean and the staff is friendly. They are very responsive. They have a lot of activities, and they are very encouraging. The food is well proportioned and are nutritional. They do have alternatives if you don't like the featured entree.

They've done an excellent job at Clare Bridge so far! It's a very nice looking community, and the staff have all been very friendly and caring. It's a smaller community, all on one floor, which I thought would be a much better setting for my loved one. Since it is a smaller community the staff really get a chance to get to know each resident, and they seem to take a genuine interest in each person as an individual.

So far things have gone very well at Emeritus! We love it, and our loved one seems very happy here! It's a very nice looking facility, and the staff have all been very friendly and professional. I really feel like they go above and beyond when it comes to fulfilling the needs of the residents and their families. The staff here really seem to know all the residents.

Staff very helpful. Manager very dedicated. Room size best I have seen for value. Possible improvement with food and washing.

Wow! Laurie is awesome. Wonderful place with a nice warm feeling. Tons for seniors to do there.

They have a wonderful staff there and it’s a small community so it feels more like family. From what I could see the food is okay , but not like wow. Some days my loved one says it’s really good – they serve too many green beans.