Lorien Health Services

For the Price we paid for the care our family was very pleased with all the Loving people who worked at this facility We looked at some Dementia Care Facilities that were great but so outrageously expensive who can afford them except for the very rich!! They were all over 9,000 plus a month. I am told that Harmony Hall is going to build a new wing that will be designated specifically for dementia care. This is much needed and greatly appreciated. We found the living quarters to be extremely adequate and the medical care was fantastic. As with all places there are good employees and not so good. The ones we found to be outstanding were the ones we requested and got assigned to our loved one. It is in close proximity to Howard County General Hospital and Gilchrist Hospice Care which is also a huge asset. They always listened to our needs and addressed them immediately. Please give this very affordable place a good look and consider where they are heading in the future with the new dementia wing.

Placing a parent or loved one in an assisted living residence is a very hard decision. With that being said, I have found Harmony Hall to be friendly, attentive, and caring. Working with Julia in admissions made the experience much easier. She answered all of my questions and did everything she could to make the transition smooth. The staff is always friendly and greets you every time you come in. My dad likes to sing and the staff would hear him singing, they took the initiative to invite him to the sing-alongs. They even asked if he had any requests. It has been a big relief to our family knowing he was in such a caring and capable hands.

My mother lived at Harmony Hall for 21 years. She had medical conditions that made it unsafe for her to live alone, but she didn't want to live with her children. She started in independent living and really thrived there. She was relieved of the burden of managing her prescription drugs, and cooking meals; two tasks that she really needed help with. She took advantage of the outings and activities offered by Harmony Hall. Over the years her health declined. After a stroke left her severely impaired, she moved to a higher level of care. Through the years, Harmony Hall constantly assessed her current needs and made adjustments to her care as needed. The staff was a fabulous partner with me to provide the best quality of life we could achieve. My mom was not always easy to care for, but the folks at Harmony Hall worked very hard to find ways to improve her life as she aged and her needs and capabilities changed. The facility is very clean and well maintained. They refurbish the well used common areas regularly to keep them fresh and in good repair. They have areas our family used to hold gatherings so we could include Mom, even after her health prevented her from going out to events. Every staff member greets residents by name; a skill that I am a little jealous of, and is appreciated by the residents and families. They all had techniques for working with my mom. The on site occupational and physical therapy are outstanding. So is the nursing care. And when our family reached the end of life phase with Mom, Harmony Hall was excellent at that as well, partering seamlessly with Gilchrist, right in her familiar home, mom's Harmony Hall apartment. Harmony Hall was a great home for Mom 21 years ago when was mobile and actively participated in activities. It was still great as her health declined over the years. Mom had a peaceful passing, in her own apartment at Harmony Hall, with her family and familiar caregivers around her. I am thankful we were able to provide this in partnership with Harmony Hall.

A hidden gem. Excellent care at a very affordable cost!

I would highly recommend Harmony Hall to anyone looking to reside in, or place a loved one in their care. My mother has been a resident there for a year, and will be turning 85 in October. Her life has literally been renewed by this facility. They genuinely care for their residents, from the cleanliness, the superior food preparation, activities, health needs, etc. I cannot say enough! My mom was heavily medicated when she came to Harmony Hall, and is now off of all depression/anxiety medications, in part due to the atmosphere fostered in Harmony Hall. My father was placed in a home that literally wheeled the residents out every morning and sat them in front of televisions. I wish I had know about Harmony Hall for my dad, as I'm sure his last years would have been enjoyable. My heart is full with gratitude to both the staff and director, as now my mom can live in "Harmony" for her remaining years!

My mom was a resident at Encore for several months. She came directly from rehab. We looked at a couple different facilities for her and after visiting Encore, my decision was easy. There was no doubt Encore was the place for her. This was a very difficult time for me, however the staff made it less stressful. They are the most empathetic group of people and so willing to help and work with me throughout the entire process. I thought I was at a five star hotel. The facility was beautiful. I would highly recommend Encore to anyone who is looking for a place for a family member or friend.

I live out of state and brought my mother, who lives in the area, for a tour at Encore. We met with [name removed] who was a very kind, sweet lady. She took the time to show us around and explained what they have to offer. She was not pushy like some other places we visited. She was very informative and Encore allows you to "age into place" in case your care needs a higher level. My mother decided to sell her home and move out of state with me for the warmer climate during the harsh winters in Maryland but Encore is a beautiful, bright and cheerful establishment when you walk through those doors! We also visited the dining room during lunch and the food looked sensational!

My Mom was a lifetime resident of the Damascus, Mt Airy area so it was a perfect fit for her to live there when she needed more help. We were born and raised in the area, as a teenager I volunteered at Lorien Mt Airy, it was and still is a wonderful community, the staff and residents are so friendly.

They have lots of activities for a smaller facility sometimes two a day. Right now they seem to be short staffed but hopefully that will improve. I've suggested they offer more fresh fruit instead of canned fruit especially in the summer months. My mom finds it quite bland . Maybe she just wants to complain sometimes too!

Lorien Elkridge is Dad’s new home for the last few months. The transition was made as easy as possible, the nurses and staff helping Dad adjust to his new routine. There has recently been a change in head director and events planning coordinator and we are excited to see the new things to come. There have been a few things that keep me from giving a five star, but I’m confident the issues are being addressed under the new leadership, i.e. nighttime aides not responding quickly enough when dad pushed his button. Also, the food is “fine but not delicious” and serving portions are small. Overall, we are pleased in knowing dad is happy and safe.

I would definitely recommend to others. It was the best place for the best price. I would say it's a very nice place. My mom is happy there.

It was one of the best places I visited. Very spacious. People were friendly. If your mom or dad has dementia they will likely need more help than what the staff can provide. I chose it because of my mom ran out of funds, they accepted Medicare/Medicaid. All assisted living locations are expensive.

All staff are efficient, knowledgeable and caring....

The staff is good to very good. Only had one bad apple. I think that is very good! Compared to the last place I lived, the food is better quality as well as the cooking of the food. You can be as busy as you want here or solitary as you please. As for the Value for Cost, there are too many extras that add up quickly. I would recommend this facility to family and friends.

It has been a fantastic experience. The staff are so friendly and truly care for the residents. I have been very pleased with the room size. My mother seems happy there. I would recommend to others, as long as they can afford it. I have been very pleased.

Clean, private rooms and bath, nice activities, excellent food service, good care, and 24 hour access. Billing has been a bit slow, but the department was in transition. New staff seems to be on the ball. The staff is quite good. Kind, helpful and respectful. [name removed] in Activities and [name removed] in Transportation are especially helpful. Activities are somewhat less than usual due to a COVID outbreak, but picking up again. My mom loves Bingo. Housekeeping is pretty good. They keep up well. I would recommend this facility to family and friends.

I toured Lorien Encore and it was a nice facility. However, the room and floor set up felt more hospital like to me than it did Assisted Living. The tour was nice, though.

They have a lot of activities for all of the residents - they try to get everyone engaged and I really like that. From what I hear from my mom, she says that when she needs help sometimes it takes a while for someone to come. I know they have had some staffing shortages just like everyone else. We are hoping it will improve. Overall I would recommend them, they seem to really take good care of the residents, they just need more people on staff.

This facility is good. Right now they're having some issues with Dining Room staffing, they're short handed. It seems disorganized, but they're looking for someone to hire to run the Dining Room. The food quality is down a bit, also. Other than that, things are going very good and my mom has been very happy here. Overall, the staff are very friendly and interactive. They've had to hire a lot of new people, but it's been fine. Housekeeping is once a week and is good. Communication with the family has been good also. I would recommend them to family and friends.

So far the experience with Lorien Bel Air has been pretty good - the reasons we picked this community is because they have more men there for our loved one that what other communities had. We like that it is a bigger community so it gives our loved one more chances to get up and walk around and socialize more. It also is really close to our family which is very convenient.