Brookdale Shadowlake

Passingby with a friend. This is my impressions as convayed by him and I trust him. But, you know me. I am a details guy! So another visit is due, with images and videos, and my own judgment on those stars. But, its important to mention. Out of what I saw, and im a very, very observant person. This is a 5 star place. Wally Jo's "tentative " THUMBS-UP

If you love your family members, think twice before dumping them here. I watched a dear family member suffer abuse from untrained low paid “caretakers” who are barely certified. We spent the majority of our time here having to keep an eye on the caretakers and provide additional care for our family member. The food they serve looks comparable to a public school cafeteria. I don’t know if they have made drastic improvements within the last year or two, but I seriously doubt it. I don’t want your sympathy, I want accountability.

I have nothing but good things to say about Brookdale. My mom loves it. We had to move her into residential care due to dementia, although she had insisted she would live independently until the day she died. However, she adapted quickly to Brookdale and has been content ever since. I can only attribute this miracle to the pleasant room, the friendly residents, the friendly, competent and responsive staff, the delicious food and the pleasant social mealtimes, the comfort and security of all of her needs being met, and the variety of activities that get her out of her room and interacting with other residents. When I talk to my mom on the phone (I live out of state) she often volunteers that she is having a great day. She often compliments the food and how nice the staff are. She has never complained about Brookdale. At the beginning as we were getting to know the staff and they were getting to know my mom, they were very responsive to my requests for the personal attention that my mom required, and we were able to work together to make sure all of her needs were met. The staff provides a lot of memory support for mom - they come get her for meals and activities, and escort her to them, since she can't find her way around. They bring her her meds as prescribed. In general, they provide enough memory support that she won't need to transition to Memory Care until she starts doing unsafe things like leaving the premises unaccompanied. The staff is responsive to my mom's needs: they will come to her room 24 hours a day whenever she pulls the red cord in the bathroom by the toilet. The executive director, activities director, and staff nurse are all easy to contact by text or email, and respond quickly. The receptionist for my mom's building (#2), Erika, is very competent. She gave me a lot of individual attention at the beginning when I was learning the ropes, and answered all of my questions, directing me to the correct staff for whatever concerns I had. In general, my mom reports feeling supported, having positive interactions with staff and lets me know how nice they are. She loves the food, and compliments it frequently. There is a lot of variety and choice, and the meals are nutritionally sound. They have a nice physical set-up: there is a group of 5 or 6 small buildings that form a circle around a small central parking lot, each with about 20 residents. Residents all eat 3 meals a day together in their own building, but there are activities bridging more than one building, so they are able to have a wider group of friends. The private room is adequate in size and has enough space to set up a small living area in addition to her single bed. The window is pretty large, has blinds that are easy to operate, and gets good light. The room has an individual heating and air conditioning unit similar to what you would find in a hotel room. The grounds are small but cheerful: there are trees and lawns, with winding sidewalks and some outdoor seating options. There are several communal places to hang out with other residents, both indoors and outside. There are multiple activities every day. They have a strong social component to encourage friendships. My mom participates in Bible study, crafts and Bingo. My mom is very happy at Brookdale, against all odds. I definitely give it a rave review.