Bethesda Senior Living Communities

Our family had an in person tour and the community is older so we knew it wasn't going to be the best fit. However the gal who did the tour was absolutely wonderful, but there was just not that many residents there. The internal courtyard has been destroyed by the big storm they had months ago, but when we came on the tour months later it still was not really picked up or cleaned out. You could tell this community is trying to turn things around and get back up on their feet. It is in a great looking neighborhood area and very reasonably priced.

Overall the community is kept very clean, however when it comes to our loved ones room, there is something there to be desired and i would be about a three out of five. Everyone there is friendly. The rooms are nice but overpriced, and the food is just okay. \

We toured Bethesda Gardens to see if it would be a good fit for our MOM. Very clean and beautiful facility. The apartments are small but suitable for 1 or two people to live in. The hallways are spacious and clean. The place was very quiet when we were there, didn't see a lot of folks walking around. They were having movie and popcorn in the activity/dining room. Big soft comfy chairs, really nice. We saw some maintenance staff, they were cleanly dressed, well groomed and friendly to us. Overall didn't get a homey feel. This is a very large place with long hallways and big spaces. There was no smell that you might associate with an assisted living facility, I would say more like a hotel smell and feel to the place.

I had recently taken a tour of this community for my mother and I was pleased with the presentation that we had received. The staff where kind and where patient with all of our questions. They had a spacious dinning room as well common area spaces. I thought they had a nice floor plan and a lot of great amenities for the residents it was just not the right fit in the end decision for her.

This was a very nice community when I visited. The people I met were nice. The community allows pets and seems to offer some nice activities. This community was a little more expensive than what we were looking for.

I am not impressed with the memory care area of this community. Mom does not seem to receive the same care as she did in the assisted living area. They are not following her medication schedule and she has had to ask for her medication. They offer daily activities and the community is clean. Mom does not like the food, however I have eaten there and I liked it. This community is a little expensive.

This was an interesting community when we visited. It was three buildings and they seemed like group homes you would find in a residential neighborhood. They have a central kitchen. They prep the meals in each building. They have eight to ten rooms as well as a huge common area. There are attendants assigned to each building. The buildings were clean we just did not feel this would work for our loved one.

The meals have been good but it could have better quality and selections. I like the staff who are there. It is very clean community too. I would like to see them improve with more activities. Overall my mom is doing well with the care and atmosphere.

My mom is doing okay with the help from the community. The staff are being helpful with the transition. From what I hear, my mom is not really enjoying the meals. Overall this is a fine place and she is doing fine.

The tour and later evaluation went well. My father was admitted while the admissions director was out and he was a bit lost his first week, with no real information on activities, etc. I felt just kind of left to his own devices to find things out or know how it all worked. He is adjusting now. The facility is very clean and most of the staff is quite friendly. The food is delicious, the rooms are kept clean and I am just hoping for a good experience for him!

Did a tour at hickory villa and found the staff friendly. One lady poked me to tell me how much she liked living there. It seems like the residents are out of their rooms a lot socializing and everyone seems higher functioning. The rooms are VERY small. They take the Medicaid waiver right away,

The sales staff are very helpful. There is an RN on staff Monday-Friday which makes me feel more comfortable. The activities are numerous so no one should spend much time in their room. They are good at taking the occupants shopping, even if only one person wants to go. The facility is small so it's difficult to get lost. The distribution of food in the dining area is a bit disorganized, but everyone gets their food. The only problem I've had is getting a kitchen sink in Mom's apartment. They said it would be installed within one to two weeks of her arrival. It's been six weeks and still no sink. They keep assuring me it will be here.

My mother in law took awhile to adjust, but since she has been there has flourished. I find the staff to be warm and friendly and very attentive.

My father was here for a week when we were on vacation and he thought the people here were really crazy. He's not really at the point some of them are but right now he's jsut seeing the medical equipment and I told him that after a while he would see them as people. Here they don't lock the doors so people can come and go but it's not in a very good neighborhood.

That one was a level one assisted living and was not able to provide the care that we thought my dad needed. They were not able to help him get in and out of his wheelchair or with toileting.

Staff very friendly and trying hard. Facility is way understaffed, especially at night. When you push the emergency call button it can take up to 30 minutes to come and that's if they come at all. About half the time they never come. My father has fallen several times at night, emergency call button is pushed. With no answer after 20 minutes or so my mom has to get her walker and go looking for somebody to help. This has happened at least 3 times this year. Under staffing is causing almost all of the problems we see. I'm pretty sure corporate is limiting the staff levels at residence expense. The lady across the hall from my parents moved to another assisted living facility because of the same problems we are having.

Told the sales people issues with husband. Bedridden with broken hip. They could not give him recovery needed.

[name removed] Executive Director is wonderful very sweet and professional with both patient and families the medication aids are wonderful. We had a little hiccup when my mom first was admitted, but he had some discussion and that's been fine but I understand that they are short-staffed with medication aids, and nursing that they've had some turnover and you can certainly tell that. The rooms are good size they were when we moved in. It was really clean freshly painted. Staff were very accommodating and helping us with needs as far as moving my mom in with a cart and they were wonderful checking in and welcoming her. According to my mom, the food could be better and hot. As far as the price, I'm not really sure on how to compare the price. It seems like for what we're paying right around $[removed] month and will need to start an application for Medicaid for assistance and [name removed] has been great about helping us with that. Activity wise my mom seems to love it. They love bingo and the outings and they have a diamond dot club and so overall and very happy that my mom is adjusted well to that. It was really tough, putting her into an assisted living because she's never lived on her own before, but I know it was the right thing to do.

It is a nice facility and relatively affordable. Communication is my biggest hurdle as I am out of state. I do not receive timely responses to emails.

Front line staff did a great job caring for dad for the last 6 months. He passed on Dec. 7. Food was good. He enjoyed it. Cleanliness was decent, not always timely after messes in the bathroom. Activity availability was very good. Value for the money was par level. The biggest area of concern was medication management. One of Dad's essential heart meds was discontinued by nursing director, in error(there were no orders given), in August. Dad's decline after this became accelerated and the healthcare system and we, family, struggled to put our finger on the issue. In November at a follow up cardiology appt. , the PA at cardiology office noticed that the essential med had been stopped and asked who stopped it. I told her, I'm not sure, but I will find out. She, of course, restarted the med on November 11, but it appears as though the decline had now been too advanced to reverse it self and damage to heart too great. He passed on 'Dec. 7th. When I pointed the med error out in November, the admin said that she wasn't sure why the error wasn't caught on the monthly med reconciliations that were supposed to be done. Ie....end of August at the latest should have caught the med error. It is hard for our family right now to make a recommendation of a facility whose care quite possibly led to the acceleration of dad's demise and eventual passing. I do want to say, the front line staff was did a very nice job caring for dad and there are some excellent caring people. (He enjoyed each of the people who cared for him very much) This problem lies at the administration level and specifically at the nursing admin level.