Sunrise Senior Living

Based on the experience they are understaffed. A few of the employees lack empathy--the brunette lady at the front desk is usually cranky and unfriendly. My family member was often left unattended due to understaffing.

Hall carpet is terribly stained . Toilet was clogged prior to my arrival. Also, there was a large unremovable feces stain in the toilet. This should have been the first indication that there was a obvious obstruction, and if the room had been inspected and cleaned. They plunged and I did for over a week. When maintenance finally came to assess the situation, they stated they were not made aware of the toilet problem until the morning they arrived. Maintenance could not repair. Plumber finally came 3 days later and reported toilet needed to be replaced. Had to wait another day for Administration to approve and new toilet was installed. The room should never been leased in this condition. Several of the residents that I spoke to during meals had complaints as well.

I like the atmosphere and the residents. They could clean the elevators a little better. Most of the nursing staff is friendly however there are quite a few staff members that could learn some communication skills.

My mom did not like it! She felt she waited too long for help. Also, she had to wait 2 weeks before getting her hair washed! Mom also was getting UTIs every 2 weeks. She is living with me and has not had one UTI, because I change her frequently and wash her. I don't know if Mom should have been there in the first place, tbh, but my brother and I didn't feel comfortable leaving her there. We felt we had to be there every day to make sure she was being taken care of.

Like many other facilities, they too have turnover. Usually the ones leaving are the good ones. Overall it is always a mixed bag. Some of the caretakers are amazing ie [name removed] and [name removed]. The overnight shift, not so good. I would also add that the manager of this location never called to even say her condolences. Amazing!

Meals are inconsistent in quality and there is no dietary consideration far what Seniors should be eating. In essence, the menu, while it may look interesting, the food served is seldom what was described on the menu. Example: Dinner menu lists chicken with waffles. Reality, piece of breaded chicken with an Eggo, toaster waffle. At least 7 meals per week consisting of deep fried foods. You would think they could consult with a dietician or nutritionist.

May I add the workers in the Memory Care unit were excellent. They are wonderful women. Hard working, caring, compassionate. They don't get enough credit. And no job was too difficult or demeaning for them. Our only real issue, although it was a major one, was that my mother required SO much more skilled nursing care and that was not available here unbeknownst to us when we chose Sunrise. She ended up back in the hospital and ultimately at Center for Hope Hospice in Scotch Plains where she passed away after just 6 days. It was a very difficult and sad journey.

Sunrise of Crestwood was fine and I would say if you have the time to stay on top of everything or if it is short term then it's good. The mansion style I believe is better for anyone with mild dementia over the apartment building style. The space is pretty and they decorate for all holidays- which helps orient the residents to season. The staff are caring and friendly. They do seem to get to know the residents and family. The food looked good, but getting nutritional supplements fell to us. With severe nutritional deficiencies, that was a real problem for mom. Even with a doctor's orders, nutritional shakes were not given with meals and she lost 6 lbs while there. They could use more varied activities- as my mom said "if I play one more game of bingo I'll pull my hair out". The exercise class needs to be led by a person (PT)not a video tape and should not be done on couches- they need hard chairs. Religious services should be performed better- not just on the smaller TV and a Eucharistic minister should come. The salon was nice. I feel the real issues are not with the day to day staff but with the communication system from department to department and with administration. No facility is going to be perfect. They all over promise. I would always ask for a one month period to evaluate before you need to pay community fees to assess compatibility. You need to decide which things are most important to you and will help your loved one to lead as happy a life as is possible. For us, proximity, safety, proper medical oversight, warmth, and socialization were priorities. We moved her to be closer to us as we visited 4-5 times a week. For someone who doesn't expect to make that commitment, being closer isn't probably as necessary. We've come to see assisted living is only that- assisted. It still requires a lot of oversight by loved ones especially if the resident has any dementia. You need to be proactive on their behalf and double check everything.

They over promise on staff assistance. I had to hire a private aide to make sure my dad is taken care of. Have had issues with sheets not being changed when needed. Room cleanliness is an issue. I'm disappointed at lack of activities. Giving the facility another month to get their act together or I am moving him. They are having difficulty keeping staff so there is a great deal of turnover. I know they are working at fixing it but for what I pay I won't wait forever.

My experience with many of the staff was frustrating. My hubby [name removed],was in the Memory section; 2 wk. respite care. Witness to mealtime. A menu was displayed on the table. However, [name removed] cannot understand the written word. Server verbalized the short list of items. Again, it was too much for him to comprehend. I mentioned to the server that he needs to see the items to make a decision (of the two items). The next time I was there at mealtime, the server did just that. Thank you. One late afternoon, I was approached by staff member who said that the battery was dead on [name removed] electric razor. "Why wasn't I informed?" I asked him. I could have easy brought the charger with my visit. No response. 'Activities' were sometimes a joke. Staff reading/questioning from whatever as most of residents slept or seemed bored. At times there was no nurse in sight to field answers to my questions. I reiterate: frustrating. Arriving home with [name removed], I noticed a bottle of pills was missing. Reached my limit!

The on boarding experience could be easier for the resident and the staff if the facility would create a check list and organize the internal procedures better. Often it seems that the communication is siloed within each function with little to no cross function communication. Several times I was told by a senior member of one department that they had no idea how to contact senior member of a different staff function. The day to day care givers are staffed at state minimum requirements which often means long waits for residents. I personally witnessed hour long waits for a resident who was bed ridden. Finally and perhaps typically the sales staff promised services which the various staff functions did not offer and could not provide. On a positive note I believe that the senior heads of departments are compassionate people and want to care for residents well. Unfortunately, they aren't staffed at levels that fulfill that desire.

It's going through some administrative changes right now as a new management company is coming in (Sunrise) as of [date removed]. They need to hire an interim memory care director while the current one is on medical leave.

Expensive for care level . The food is good but the service isn’t. I am very disappointed with the care level. My mother is often ignored unless we are visiting the facility. Nurses are hit or miss. Some good, some not.

I think the information about the history of management changes would be. She has been there for two years and has had 4 different ones. Price and location stuck out over other places.

I like that some of the staff members seem to go the extra mile to help my uncle adapt and become comfortable in the community. I think that they definitely need to improve on communication! Follow-up takes too long. I have also had an issue with items coming up missing.

- Overall experience - It's a complicated choice to make, but the sales and in house staff made the transition easier to make and ultimately to live with. You HAVE TO communicate ALL CONCERNS as they come up thoughout the entire process. Be engaged WITH and FOR your loved one to get the most out of any facility. - Quality of care - this location has nursing staff available and visiting drs. All outside dr visits you must provide your own transportation. Medical concerns with heart related issues will generally result in ambulance transport to a hospital ER. The staff communicate prior to transport and offer a their best support and advice. - Food - it's bland. Many aging people eating communally have restrictions on diet that would be impossible to fully accommodate. They serve plates, they don't restrict residents. Pack your loved one with spices and seasoning to their taste and teach them how to make the food their own. They may also have their own food/meals delivered from outside or prepped in room (microwave). Bring your own food to the table to stay engaged. Activities - The residents have been more vocal about specific fun things to do, but if you are not a social person, there is no one aggressively attending to you. It can be lonely sometimes. So check in and send board games or shared activities to engage your loved one with their new friends.

I would recommend that families get all of the details regarding which meals are covered and what's not covered as well as when we were told that they can go to rehab and see the doctors they never mentioned that we had to be on a particular insurance. Those were two factors that we took into consideration when we chose the location That we're not what we were told.

My biggest concern is our loved one must ask for help in memory care as they are is not always capable. Several times I had to change our loved one and their bed and was told our loved one did not ask

Value for money is rated lower because after the initial assessment I was quoted one price. Then, after my brother was there a week they I creased the cost of care by $[removed]. This cost is over the budget I had planned for. I find the staff to be friendly and helpful.

It's more independent care than somebody that needs full-time help like my father in-law. The staff was very friendly.