Holiday by Atria

I thought the spaces shown to us were small and drab. I understand that the cottage was not ready yet, but just too small.

Ok, I’m gonna be honest here. I decided to move into this community, but the tour didn’t help! I had already pretty much decided based on research two years ago and after talking with the sales rep before the tour. The tour itself was not impressive. The apartment was missing the blinds & the bathroom door, & needed painting. There were no activities going on at 11 in the morning. The place was clean, which is what I was looking for, and offers 3 meals a day. Honestly, that’s all I really wanted. Plus the fact that we could afford the apartment. I was told there’s transportation available, there is out-of-pocket care for my husband when needed, a hair salon, but I never saw any of those things. I need another tour on how to live in this community! (What to do at mealtime, where activities happen, how to have items delivered, how to arrange for transportation, etc). I don’t even know how to get my key! I hope they’re ready for me on move-in day!

I would somewhat recommend to others. The activities were not well organized and many were do on your own and exercise programs were mainly videos that you did on your own. The food was not cooked properly, meats were left raw, baked goods were not baked completely, and foods served were not always what was stated on the menu. The food and ingredients were of poor quality and cheap. The silverware and cups were not properly washed. Overall the biggest complaint was the food. After talking to some residents that had been living there for several years, they said these concerns were brought up to management at the monthly meetings, but feel on deaf ears. For the amount of money that it costs to live there, the food should be of higher quality and standards. The food that was served at the skilled nursing facility that my husband was at prior coming to Golden Oaks was that of a good quality restaurant. You good smell delicious aromas coming from the kitchen each day, but not so at Golden Oaks!

Positive Bright clean, open & welcoming environment. Easy to see & socialize with other residents. Good laundry facilities Good quiet location in Brooklin, yet not far from amenities. Great to have medical facility next door. Negative Only one elevator which makes for a longer wait at mealtimes if on the 2nd/3rd floor Food is okay, but could be better for price. Also no special diet exceptions. Mom had just lost a number of teeth and many options were not appropriate, so we provided our own food.

It had a bright appearance. I would not recommend this community to others. We were told the room would be ready upon move-in, but it was not, and we were also promised a refund for that time which we have not received. The room was not very clean, and there were maintenance concerns that still have not been resolved. The room shown during the tour was much nicer and had different features than the one provided. We were also told she would receive additional support during her transition, which did not happen. Overall, this was very disappointing.

Before mom and moved in they were supposed to make the bathtub usable for my mom as she couldn't let her legs to get in a tub. That was August, its still not done. The food was really good but they got a new cook, its sadly not as good.

People were very friendly. A lot of construction and work going on. The elevator was broken but being fixed in a couple weeks. Nice size apartments.

The food is pretty bad, some of the staff are not friendly. Plenty of activities, overall quiet place to live, and the cleaning staff do a good job.

The facility looks very nice. I DID NOT LIKE THAT THE PERSON I TALKED TO TRIED TO PRESSIRE ME INTO MAKING A DECISION. Using the reduced price is a scheme to make people make a snap decision. Not only is it cruel but it is highly unethical. People call you in order to receive help not to be tricked into becoming another sale.

For the most part, Holiday Rock Creek has been a good place for my mom. However, there has been a horrible, foul odor just past the entrance of her hallway. It has been noticeable since she moved in at the end of October. Other residents have mentioned it as well. It is really bad. The meals have also been sub par. When we took the initial tour there was a chef and for the first couple weeks my mom said the meals were good and sufficient portions. Now she says the meals are very poor in quality and serving size. One chicken strip , for example. I know the facility has had trouble keeping house keepers, but [name removed] has cleaned my mom's place several times. [name removed] seems to be available at all times for all things. He has been great! Hailey has also been helpful and seems to want to help and make things better.

The overall director seems nice and genuine. The biggest disappointment honestly has been the food. While yes they offer 3 meals a day, the food choices are few and the food tastes terrible. When at the resident meeting it was asked why there aren't more sugar-free diabetic options was told they don't have budget to offer those options. I would guess there are a lot of residents who are diabetic. Why would you want to feed them non healthy food and kill them sooner? Also, they are understaffed. In all departments. Apartments are supposed to be cleaned either weekly or every other week but often they don't clean for a month or more. If you go in with low expectations then you will be happy, otherwise if you can afford it then maybe this place isn't for you.

I haven't heard much in the way of positive remarks lately. The food is cheap highly processed without much emphasis on nutritional value. Rules are always changing. Staff doesn't last long. They just got a $[removed]a month rise in rent, and there is a $[removed]"anniversary payment" tacked on once per year that no one knows the purpose of. It seems to simply be poorly run. My mother does not like it there.

Pros: apartment space, food decent Improvement: people cliquish, roaches

The upgrade to the building made it feel industrial. I objected to music piped into the halls, as if I was in a department store. No stove in rooms; I would miss that convenience. I visited during the Christmas holidays and regret that few residents were present for me to get a sense of the community. Did not have extensive paths for walkers. I met only the weekend marketing person who was gracious and informative.

Tour guide was knowledgeable, friendly polite facility had odd odor. I guest restroom smelled of urine. Concerned only. I small elevator for resident us.

Facility is open and airy. Kept clean. Some staff are friendly. Other than housekeeping and food service and outside care team, no real staff. Not as many activities as other places. Food quality is usually ok. Not many choices and they have strict meal times where everyone goes to dining room at same time to eat. If you miss those times, you dont eat. Start off price isn't bad but when you start adding extra services, it becomes pretty pricey. Sad to say, if I didn't have outside care service come to check in on my mom daily (and if I didn't go to see her most days) it could be an extended period of time regular staff would notice or check on her.

The men that I worked with were very nice but they were a little bit pushy to be honest. I had four missed calls in one day and I am a teacher and just could not get to my phone. They didn’t allow me a chance to really call them back. I also received several texts and emails within that 24 hour period. Once I responded and said that we chose another facility they tried getting me to come and lowering the rate by $[removed] a month.

Positives: The apartment is quite nice, and the outdoor patio area is great. Mum really likes her cleaner. Staff in general are great, easy to work with and friendly! The common rooms are clean and cheery. It's lovely that residents can have pets. Negatives: The main issue is with the food - the servers are lovely, but the service is very slow due to the fact that the food for each course is not able to be ordered ahead of time by the residents. My mother complains that it takes 1.5 hours for each of the lunch and supper servings. She always makes her own breakfast in her room ... yet she's paying for all three meals, there should be an option for a reduced rate on meals if a resident does not eat breakfast (only about half of them regularly do). The food wasn't great when she first moved in, but I believe it has gotten better with the new chef. Although I still hear a few complaints from mum: the noon service is the bigger meal of the day, they do not serve skim milk, residents have to ask for butter (default is margarine), the premade sandwiches don't have a lot of filling in them, and they serve seafood about once or twice a week and my mother is allergic so she doesn't dare go out during those times (worried about cross contamination). All of these issues could be easily fixed I would think.

There are no staff issues, they work hard. Food has gotten better but still not best for elderly on a salt restricted diet. And still WiFi issues ????? she's not happy about the rent increase of [price removed] a month.

What they could improve on would be to be honest upfront so you know long term you can afford the rent. They are more interested in making money bringing anyone in but not about the senior experience itself.