Hawthorn Senior Living, LLC

My mom has been there over a year and it is extremely disappointing that she can’t count on one meal a day being enjoyable. They have gone through numerous cooks, one that actually transitioned to activity director. What does that tell you about the required qualifications? It is extremely disappointing for the money that she pays. The elderly depend on little things like a good meal to make them happy.

I’m not trying to be negative but this has been very different than the days I visited here before signing. There are a lot of updates needed and rules that need to be put into place which do not happen. Until improvements are made, my scores will remain low except for staff friendliness and their hard work. From various people, most feel the same way and that is much worse than when they came here.

I picked this community because of the old fashioned looking grounds and building and furniture and the location in terms of traffic. I would recommend to others.

Good experience. Very little to complain about. Make sure your mother/loved one is in on the choice. We picked this community because it was mom's choice.

I think things are getting really bad at Summerville Estates. The new chef is pathetic. Comes in late to make breakfast. Everything‘s backed up; the food has been almost inedible. I mean there are some people here that will eat anything. A lot of people don't eat much of what's on the plate. Today was supposed to be eggplant Parmesan but they were two pieces of eggplant! The rest was sauce dumped on the plate. The vegetables were overcooked and disgusting; and they heaped a bunch of pasta With some horrible tomato sauce. Little nice things local management did for us, were forced to end by the corporate office. Rather than let regional habits guide staff for caring for clients, it's all one way. If this is Hawthornes new corporate policy they are sadly mistaken in their approach.

Don't cater to elderly, too many sauces, not good on everyday food.

We moved there after selling our home. Got a studio at 3,000.00 a month. Hard transition but the home atmosphere was great. I could walk at night, read in library in front of fireplace, enjoy lit Xmas decor. For folks with no salt, no sugar, and special diets it’s was bad option at that time. Food was continental American and very rich. Delicious but not realistic for those with diet restrictions. Also we found that a certain group of women, a mean girl clique reminiscent of junior high schoolers could make or break your experience. The gossip, lies, rude treatment right in front of others was shocking and appalling. They were in great with management so getting relief was not possible as they only saw the good side. I refused to live in a geriatric junior high school and deal with that. There were seriously hateful actions that were ridiculous to extreme. Blocking a wheelchair bound resident from sitting at a table, obtaining items, etc. Though we loved it we moved.

All around it’s a good experience. The turnover rate is extremely high. I’ve lived here almost 1 1/2 year. Sanford Estates had been through a lot of trials but the staff that has remained has made it enjoyable to stick around. New management every few months. Food is average. Portions are either too small or too big. Some servers are friendly others are rude.

This community didn't speak to me the same way. Not even close. It seemed less "alive" and vibrant. The staff was nowhere to be seen. The ambiance felt more ... stale. This isn't very exact language I realize but overall New Horizons was the first community I walked into and had that immediate positive reaction. Which was sustained throughout a very long, windy journey of signing a contract and getting my folks moved in. The staff are EVERYWHERE there and a lot of them have stayed there for a very long time. I didn't get that sense of community and commitment from the staff anywhere else I looked, Fairview included. I was ignored for about 15 minutes while the woman was on the phone. Few other people in the front office. No one asked if I needed help.

The transportation manager-driver and the housekeeping team are absolutely outstanding. The company is in the middle of revising its management strategy for this facility. The assistant management team should be highly commended for the efficacy and compassion that they have shown during this time of transition. They are very kind people. This facility is very nice for people who are in their 80s and 90s or hundreds. They seem to do well also with people with very mild dementia.

We did not have a good experience at Stoneybrook Lodge. The director was very unfriendly and overcharged us for several things without discussing it first. My mom broke her hip in the laundry room and laid on the floor screaming for help until a neighbor heard her and helped. The employees never came to her help. After that fall, my mom's health went down quickly and she passed away last March. She never recovered from that accident.

Positive: it's a lovely facility decorated to feel like a hotel. The planned activities, from outside excursions to in-house entertainment, are well done. The staff were always friendly, helpful, and available. The cleaning and maintenance staff do a good job of maintaining the facility, including in-room cleaning if required. The facility transportation is friendly, reliable, and knowledgeable about the area. There is the option of having doctors do house calls for well check-ups, if a ride to a medical facility can't be arranged, but it almost always can be. Negatives: staff turn-over is constant, including 4 changes of managers in one year and a revolving door on wait staff in the dining room and kitchen. The food has been questionable at times. Once, enchiladas were served to senior citizens, some of whom can't tolerate spicy or diary heavy food. In fact, healthier dietary options should be offered for those needing to mind their diets for health reasons. Sometimes they did not have enough wait staff to get food warm to the tables. At one point the chef resigned and there was not a replacement chef for a week or two. Of course all this happened as the country was still rebounding from Covid and food prices were fluctuating wildly, so I give some grace for that. But it is a concern worth noting. Hopefully this will be corrected in the near future. I should clarify that staff turn over is limited to managers and the kitchen and wait staff. The maintenance, cleaning, facility bus driver, and activities staff was constant.

Things that have been disappointing to my mother-in-law: Much time is spent in the dining room. There do not seem to be enough servers and it takes a long time to get served. She has lactose intolerance so it has been hard for her to find things that she can eat. Many dishes have cheese or are milk-based. There does not seem to be flexibility in providing dairy-free options. If she wants to eat in her room she has to go down to pick up the food or else she is charged $5.00 for it to be delivered. We have heard the most complaints about the food and dining room. Another frustration was trying to get the maintenance man to fix an issue she had with her sink. It took a few weeks of waiting. She also complains that the water in her shower is not very hot. She has someone who cleans her room once a week. Sometimes they do not have time to vacuum. Sometimes the bed sheets are stained or do not fit properly. Some positives: She has made some friends and had more social interaction. She is benefitting from the physical/occupational therapy that is available there. They have been kind to her and helped her by referring her to doctors, etc. She is getting more exercise than she was when she lived on her own.

Shads Landing has had a lot of renovations so the community itself is just beautiful - it is so nice, bright, and inviting and we absolutely love it. Their greatest asset is the people - the residents are very very friendly and very helpful. The staff members are very helpful as well and our loved one enjoys being around them . We would say the only improvement they could make would be the meals - they could have more options for those with dietary restrictions.

I would offer 2 suggestions for improvement: on-site activities and the food (menu/offerings/overall quality).

Parker place has had some turnover. We feel that while PP doesn't "kick" residents out when their level of care needs goes up, some residents should not be there and rather need to be in a place with a higher level of care. PP is not an assisted living or high care facility. If a resident wants to attend off site activities but isn't allowed because of cognitive skills, then that resident needs to be in a place other than a retirement community with limited assisted living help.

Very nice place, lots of cool amenities, but the population is older than expected. The environment is not vibrant with activities, still seems a bit sterile. The grounds are beautifully kept. The male manager can be condescending to staff and at times residents, others very friendly. The biggest complaint has been the food. The sense of community is not really there. Someone proactive and into organizing things could probably help that.

It was lovely but an older facility. They had a shared washing machine and dryer, and the air conditioner was in the wall.

The food was not appealing. The rooms were a good size but it was not a good fit for my loved one.

I toured this community and it was ok. It was a little dated and for the price it didn't seem to stand out.