Gemstone Senior Living

Very disappointed by the experience. After failing to get my mother in law her meds she was agitated adjusting to moving in. My husband calmed her down, and got her to agree to take the meds she finally had access to, but they already decided not to let her stay. No grace or understanding. No time to let her adjust to moving in.

Our mom was there just over 4 months. In that time we had 3 meetings with the director and once with the director and nurse. They would listen attentively and say exactly what we needed to hear. Then nothing would change. We had to ask for 3 different caregivers to never be with our mom again after witnessing what they did via our camera. The nurse [name removed] is the main reason we stayed as long as we did. She is amazing but only one person. [names removed] were also wonderful to mom. I pray that they can go back to what some on these reviews say they were. But right now I wouldn’t recommend putting your loved one there.

Staff is great, management not trustworthy. No stimulation what so ever with patients. No communication from management from Dr., visits. Rooms not cleaned regurly. Toilet always filthy. Looking for other options. Nice facility too bad for poor management.

The staff is obviously not trained in dementia or Alzheimer's care as they advertise. The staff did not administer my mother's morning medications, she became agitated, and instead of giving her the prescribed medications they called the police and had her taken to the hospital. When she returned later that evening they threw her into bed without a protective garment (underwear) on, when I arrived 30 minutes later she was shivering under a soaking wet sheet. My mother would have been left like that if I had not arrived. This place is horrible, do not send your loved one there. Aside from incompetent staff the residents all sit around the main room all day sad and depressed, they will tell you they have activities but there is nothing more than coloring books to keep them occupied.

This facility was more dementia/alhz. than what we need at this time. I would not consider this facility.

I spend 8 hours per day for 5 days with my mother at Colonial Gardens. Here are the observations I made during these 40 hours. 1. The staff worked hard and were caring, HOWEVER, there were not enough employees to meet the care of the residents. 2. During meals, many residents went hungry because their food had to be cut up and there were only 3 "feeding staff" to take care of the 16 or so people who needed assistance with feeding----including around 5 who needed to be totally fed. 3. Even my mother was helping feed residents, and she has severe arthritis. 4. One resident regularly feed and cleaned up the dining room. I don't know what the staff would have done without his free help. 5. My mothers clothes had large black magic marker numbers written on all her clothes, which could be seen as the employees in charge of laundry wrote the numbers on all the resident's clothing. 6. My mother was never given water to clear her throat after taking her inhalator which causes thrash. When I brought this up with the "medication specialist" I was told she was "not allowed to talk to me about this". When I brought this up with the manager, [name removed], I was told she would get back with me, but she never did. 7. The management changes frequently. [name removed] was new and she replaced a manager by the name of [name removed], and she was only there for a short time. 8. The ownership of the facility changed, at least, once while my mother was there for 5 months. 9. During the week I was there, there wasn't an activity director. The residents sat around and stared at the walls. 10. I keep hearing the word nurse repeated, however, I only saw one LVN the whole time I was there and she only came in for a few hours each week to "oversee". 11. The "mattresses" were thin; a few inches thick at best and reminded me of the mattresses I saw in a nursing home in China---a place you go to die. 12. The food was cheap and overcooked. Over 90% of the food was fried and most deep fat fried. It was also hard. Deep fat fried French fries, fried fish, hard black hush puppies, fish sticks, etc. were staples. 13. I saw one man wrestled to the floor and "taken away" when he tried to get out. To me he appeared to be in his right mind, but wanted to leave. He begged me to call the police. 14. I saw one woman complain about the food and her "feeder" asked the "medication expert" to bring her a narcotic. The narcotic was promptly brought to the "feeder" who ground it up and shoved it down the resident's throat. The resident quieted down within minutes. Then I was told "they get used it it". 15. My mother was placed in this facility and locked away 24/7, by my brother, without the recommendation of a doctor, a guardian's certificate or any other legal authority. 16. I was kept from even speaking to my mother on the phone for over 3 weeks---before the Texas State Ombudsman told the facility that they would have to let my mother speak to me---using the facilities phone as my mother's phone was taken away from her. 17. All my mom's money, ID, credit cards, cash, phone, etc. were taken away and the doors were locked. 18. The Texas Bill of Rights for residents of senior care facilities was not posted in the facility. It is the law that the Bill of Rights be posted. 19. There was nothing for my mother to do all day long, except feed the birds----we had to bring our own bird food. 20. Colonial Gardens was dismal and depressing and would depress the most joyous person.