Commonwealth Senior Living

I was really impressed with: my elderly aunt was in hospice, but was a huge lover of nature and wildlife. Despite being in hospice and having dementia, staff at Churchland house brought her to a local park the day before she passed, and also on outings for ice cream and other activities that she had not done in years. I had transferred her from a facility out of state where I feel like she was warehouse and it was such a blessing that she was able to go outside and have a private room and such personalized care. Both of my elderly parents passed in 2014 and 2016 they were also in assisted living but the facility where they were at did not have such amazing activities or such great food – I wish that I was able to provide them with that experience as I was for my aunt.

The staff, while not as many as I feel is needed, were great.

Everybody there has been extremely friendly. I would definitely recommend Commonwealth North Byron.

[name removed] is a very capable worker who bonded with my mother, who was there for hospice care. Always there when she needed something. Food is excellent, and as with other places, staffing can be a little light on weekends . Overall, 4.5 on a 1 to 5 scale

Mom isn't really taking advantage of the activities and doesn't always care for the food. She's very picky. They keep the place pretty clean. Sometimes mom doesn't have a trash bag and her carpet looks like it needs a vacuum (she drops a lot of crumbs), but that's about it. The staff is extremely friendly and supportive. Mom has been having issues with two of the male residents though. Admin is nice and approachable. The food is plentiful but not the best at dietary restrictions (like being a vegetarian). Good variety.

My mom is level 2 dementia and we had a mishappening, I rang the bell several times for help and after 25 minutes I went in search of a nurse after I found one it took another 10 minutes for them to come to her room. If this had been something more serious I can't even imagine what would have happened to my mother

I liked that it is a small community and most of the staff know the residents by name. I liked the two people that convinced us to go there but they are no longer there, so communication is lacking much of the time. Their billing system "sucks"!!! There were lots of mistakes on the first and second bill and it took me 2 months to clear things up. I was later informed that they don't reprint corrections to the bills, you have to wait for the next billing cycle. Their business person is a very poor communicator and does not return phone calls. This has been a difficult transition for the sibling (but not my mother!). She is content there and is socializing much more than when she was home.

They are understaffed in the memory care unit. They also said they take aggressive people, but really I did not feel the staff was trained for this. I spoke with the manager of the facility and she agreed They needed more training and I believe she was in the process of setting training up before my dad left there. The workers are very nice and so is the reat of the staff, but there is a high turnover. We made out ok with having my dad there, but there are definitely things to improve on.

We have been fairly happy so far. My mother loves the activities. Sing-fit is my mother's favorite. But they offer a lot everything from live music and outings to bingo.

Get friendly with the staff. It helps you direct the care that's needed. Also offer to supply some supplies

Nice facility, very modern & appealing to the eye. They definitely oversell the facility with how great they said the food is & how wonderful the staff is. The food is ok, the staff is 50/50 meaning there are a few excellent workers that love the residents & others that don’t really care & seem to do the bare minimum of their job. This is sad to see because these are our elderly who have reached a point in their life where they need help.

Overall it was good. Cleanliness of the facility - always tidy in the common areas. Both parents rooms were often not very clean but that was more related to their illnesses and frequent GI issues than anything. As soon as staff got them cleaned up, parents promptly uncleaned. Friendliness - Everyone from director to maintenance was always friendly and helpful Quality of care - good. But I'm still thinking that mom had to have picked up the infection that took her life somehow from the facility Administrative staff - wonderful. The director came out to the car when we first brought mom. Mom was refusing to get out. Helen sat with her there in the car for close to an hour and got her to cooperate. She checked in on both parents frequently and even sat with me on vigil Food - I didn't personally try it but it smelled good and appetizing presentation Activities - after mom settled in and was comfortable, she enjoyed the tea parties, gospel and church and singing groups, decorating for Christmas Value for the money - good. The pricing was a little confusing at first with separate billing for some services and the initial facility fee of [removed] seemed a little high to me

I like just about everything about the facility. The staff at all levels is extremely friendly and competent. The residents are also very cordial and welcoming. I wish they had gym facilities. The cost is very reasonable. The food is mediocre. I would recommend CSL for any prospective residents.

My sister was the pt. I also had a husband who was sick. I didn't get to spend a lot of time there because of taking care of my husband. My sister complained about the food because she had problems chewing but I think she had good care.

I really liked the staff. They can improve on taking time with the patient's appearance a little more. Making sure their hair is brushed every day.

We picked them because of the location. I would maybe recommend to others.

The care services get a 5 but only because Mom had wonderful care from Hospice of VA (3, if only facility staff). Many activities were offered but Mom did not participate in many. I think that more staff should be hired with nursing degrees. To many of the CNA's, it was just a job. Maybe pay should be more in order to get more qualified staff. I will say that the administrator, [name removed], was great!! She addressed any issues I had!

Honestly availability. I really wanted The Oaks but there was no rooms available. My biggest concern right now is money. Two people moved out last month because of running out of money. My mom's life savings will last 5 years. It's clean the staff are kind. They have had a shortage of staff but that seems to be improving.

Shop around. Don't take anything for granted. Pick the right facility for your loved one, not for you! Watch the expenses! Sticker shock is very possible.

I moved here in the middle of November. Everyone has been very nice to me. It’s not perfect but what place is. I have a nice spacious room and a private bathroom. I brought my own TV and bedroom suite. Overall I would recommend the facility.