Gemstone Senior Living

I was impressed with the facility the first time I saw it. The staff is very efficient and very friendly. They care for their patients and do their best to make them comfortable. My husband is very comfortable and as happy as he can be in his condition.

The home-like environment has provided mom a cozy, safe, and friendly home. The majority of the staff are caring and knowledgeable on care for a dementia patient. The daytime staff is a well-organized and hard-working group dedicated to their clients and proud of their tasks. The evening and weekend staff doesn't give me that same feeling. Mom is happy so that makes me comfortable.

The facility is really clean and has a feel like home being their. I am pleased that this is the place we chose. The bedrooms are kind of big and great living area. The director are nice and answer all your questions. The staff is on top of things with everyone.

Nice homey atmosphere, food is well prepared and the other patients seem well satisfied. I believe the care level is very good to excellent. One or two additional nurse assistants would be helpful, but there is no real problem with patient to assistant ratio.

Met with Lynda Tues. afternoon and was very impressed with her and her straight talk about dementia. She is the most caring person I have talked to. Their rates are doable, and as stated no yearly rate increases. $5200/month. Their personnel ratio is a bit low at 11:1 as opposed to Sundance @ 6:1. The facility is a little older, hospital beds are mechanical but it is only about 7 miles away. Under consideration.

They did a great job and seem to be a wonderful facility. It was clean and the staff was friendly. My loved one didn't stay long, but it didn't seem to have anything to do with the facility. We just didn't have a lot of experience.

Very pretty, clean, warm, organized, and safe. Twenty beds per building is not bad. Room comes furnished.

The facility is nice and the people seem great. I was impressed by the program set up particularly with the choosen consultant.

Colonial Gardens was a nice place. It was a little older looking, I think it was a converted home.

We moved my mother to Colonial Gardens in mid December. The staff was very friendly and helpful. My mother did have a few bumps in getting settled but the executive director, Lydia, and the nurse manager, Gina, worked diligently to make her room more comfortable and create a "plan of care" to meet her needs. Since then, my mother has improved and become more content in her new environment. I feel that the staff of Colonial really tries to care for each resident in the best way possible.

Colonial Gardens is the closest to living at "home" that we have found (at least so far). Big friendly living area, lovely grounds, clean rooms (freshly painted when Mom moved in). The nursing staff is conscientious, the facility administrator responsive, and the support staff are well-mannered and seem to be motivated to do their best. Mom isn't wild about the food, but then, she's been living with my sister for the past 2 years and has been waited on hand and foot. Anyway, I would recommend this place for anyone whose loved one needs memory care in a loving atmosphere.

My visits are usually around the same time time each day, so I generally see the same staff members. As with any organizations, there are good workers, and a few exceptional ones, those that really seem to care about the residents. All are competent, and I have no problems with any of them. When I have concerns, I tell management - they listen to what I have to say, and take immediate steps to address them. Regarding the food - I've noticed that some residents have problems managing the food. While only a few may need may a puréed diet, I think most residents would benefit if meats, bread rolls and fruit slices were cut into smaller, more manageable pieces. I've watched residents chase a peach slice around the plate, trying to get it on the spoon, but the slice is too big and just falls off as soon as they lift the spoon. Larger meat portions seem difficult for many to chew. Also, overall portion sizes should be adjusted for the individual resident's needs. My mother is on a prescribed appetite stimulant, and she is often still hungry after meals. When I mentioned this to staff, *that* shift did give her more food - but this seems to vary from one shift to another. Perhaps more accessibility to snacks would help. As for activities, there doesn't seem to be enough that provide mental stimulation - but admittedly, I do not know how to get everyone involved. The acoustics are terrible, and most can't hear the activities director - a very sweet lady - when she reads to them, or asks trivia questions. OverallI, I think Colonial Gardens is a very good facility - a caring staff, nice accommodations. But no facility is perfect, and there are always tweaks that can make it even better.

Their involvement to help and protect my loved one was always a concern, and she had a serious fall resulting in injury while there. Verbally the staff seemed very helpful and nice, but they appeared to be short-staffed and did not follow through. Maintenance seemed to be behind schedule - they just gave excuses. And they did not refund us any money despite us removing her due to their lack of attention and support.

My mom has been here for several months and since the change from Brookdale to Ventura Hills there have some aspects that have thankfully remained the same and some that have changed. The wonderful chef and kitchen staff have maintained the same high quality of food which is so helpful in keeping my mom eating well and enjoying her meals. They are all so accommodating, know the residents likes and dislikes, and dietary restrictions - such a blessing! Activities have remained the same and they are adequate for most residents. Medical staff (the assisted part of assisted-living) though seems to have been reduced. We've had to push to get all the assistance we are paying for. They need to hire at least one more person or two per shift as there have been times when I could not locate ANYONE to get the help that was needed.

My experience is that my parent is not kept involved enough. Each time I visit, my parent is parked in front of the television and I have never seen any coordinated activities even though I visit often at various time of day. The activities listed on the monthly calendar are not really activities, but more like handing out ice-cream or a smoothie or other snack. Despite the fact that Colonial Gardens has lovely outdoor spaces, care-givers rarely take residents outside and the residents are not allowed in the back yard on their own even though it is secured. My parent would love more outdoor time and it is misleading to use the outdoor space as a sales tool, and then not to provide robust use of the area with residents. In addition about half of the residents are non-ambulatory, have to be fed, and are non-communicative and they seem to get the bulk of attention. I have never seen a caregiver engage my parent other than when I ask them to. My parent is often only partly dressed and not showered or groomed. The care-takers are very friendly and appear to have a true desire to be helpful, but they are extremely busy as they do all the cleaning in addition to care-giving. Basically the place seems understaffed. I was told that care staff have meals with the residents, but that is only that they are feeding the many who are not able to eat on their own. I often find that clothes are missing and other people's clothing is hanging in my parent's wardrobe. The bathroom is often disorderly, with supplies not put away and toilet paper not on the holder, etc.

Off Bryant Irvin. all inclusive. No Level of care. The do have a small little black dog, full of energy! Residents seemed lower level than mom. Private rooms, but with shared bathtubs and showers. Dad's least favorite (mine too...pts not as high functioning)

alzheimers facility

Small rooms, food prep cold. Some help set around and do nothing. Others very helpfull not worth the money they charge.

I had to move my mother out of this community due to their new ownership, and management change. I was okay at first with her move to this community, but after the new ownership change things went downhill. They had a lovely executive director at first, but she is no longer here. There is not much commutation between the new management,and myself. I never got any notices about any of the changes happening. The community has a nice appearance, and I liked the layout design. The old management had chef's that prepared nice home cooked meals. With the new management the meals are horrible. They do not provide a nice, healthy selection for the residents to choose from. The structure of the community is kind of in limbo with the new ownership.

Placed loved one for only few weeks. Several staff were pleasant and responsive to our needs. Place was kept clean. Rooms very small. They do provide the furniture. It is also pretty. Location nice. Residents appeared bored. Wanderers in and out of everyone's rooms all day and night. Calls for help often ignored. Most severe were cared for on a rotational basis while those seeking help and support waited LONG periods of time. Preferences ignored. Food cooked in one house and transported to the other to be rewarmed. Allergies ignored. The mobile walkers had a very small space to maneuver/exercise. This type of care facility is obviously hard to staff and stay "on top" of the severe needs most of the residents have. BEWARE when visiting, all levels are not always seen. If seeking high level support with feeding, behavioral problems, & etc., this place may be ideal. Would not select it again for our family members.