The Arbor Company

Before COVID, I would see my Mom two or three times a week. The staff is always friendly and helpful. They always take excellent care of my Mom. If there are any changes in my Mom’s status the staff always calls. The staff is there for my Mom during her most difficult times. The transition from independence to needing help is not easy. Many seniors are confused. I know my Mom is kept safe and is well cared for at Arbor Terrace at Mountainside. I do not regret moving my Mom into Arbor Terrace at Mountainside. I am especially grateful that staff was fully committed in preventing a COVID spread.

I am extremely pleased with this community. My parents are in Bridges and they are safe, well-cared for, comfortable and given their meds at the correct times. The staff is wonderful, no matter what shift. I cannot imagine what their life would have been like during this current health crisis if they were elsewhere; there are no horror stories to tell here. There have been ZERO cases of covid-19 in this community due to the excellent care plan that was in place early on. Even though direct visitation is not possible yet, there has been great communication. There were weekly emails from corporate headquarters supplemented by bi-weekly Zoom meetings with the the executive director of the community. Weekly communication via Zoom has enabled our family to keep in touch with my parents throughout. We have gotten to know many of the staff by name and vice-versa. It is a warm and inviting place and I can't wait until I can visit again in person—not only to see my parents in person, but to thank all of their many caring caregivers.

Shortly after Arbor Terrace opened in Mountainside NJ in 2018, my mother moved there from another assisted living facility. Mom moved because Arbor was more affordable, given her particular needs. We were very happy with Mom’s previous residence, but Arbor has been a step up in every way. (1) Unlike other assisted living facilities, Arbor Terrace has THREE communities: Assisted Living (independent), BRIDGES (mild dementia), and Evergreen (advanced dementia). My mom is in Bridges, which is perfect for her. While she is free to socialize, eat, and share activities with the Assisted Living residents, things are arranged so that it’s often more CONVENIENT to hang out with the Bridges gang. This promotes friendships among the Bridges folk. AND it makes it easy for the staff to give them extra attention. It’s brilliant. (2) It’s been my experience that everyone working at Arbor Terrace Mountainside genuinely cares about the residents. I mean EVERYBODY. They demonstrate extraordinary alertness, energy, dedication, caring, and compassion. During the Covid-19 crisis, they worked some serious magic to keep all the residents healthy. It definitely feels like the Arbor staff and my family are all on the same team, working hard to take the best possible care of my mom. (3) Nursing director [name removed] and visiting physician [name removed] are excellent. (4) The food at Arbor Terrace is very good. I’d be happy to eat there myself everyday. (5) Funmeister [name removed] and his crew are inspired! The engagement activities are many and varied. Mom loves the fact that they show a great movie every night. (6) The building is gorgeous, new, and well-maintained. I particularly love the Bistro area of the lobby – Mom and I hang out there, playing Scrabble, snacking, and interacting with the passersby. The coffee and snacks are freshly made. (I come for my mom, but I stay for the muffins.) (7) The management never coasts; they are constantly making changes to improve things. They hold quarterly meetings to solicit input from families and keep them informed. (These became biweekly Zoom meetings during the Covid-19 crisis.) The executive director [name removed] is very approachable.

My mother has been living at Arbor Terrace Mountainside for 18 months. We are more than happy with everything about their facility. Mom has Alzheimer's and needs more care that the independent living offered on the first floor, but is not ready for the memory care unit on the third floor. Bridges, on the second floor, is a perfect level of care for her and those she shares the floor with. Arbor provides engaging activities. Mom is out of her room socializing, watching movies in the beautiful theater room, and doing fun stuff until close to bedtime every night. She has thrived at Arbor! The staff is warm, caring and competent. The facility is new and beautiful, and the food is very good. Arbor has done a remarkable job keeping residents and staff safe during the pandemic. Of the 29 senior long term care facilities in the county, Arbor is one of two which have had zero Covid-19 deaths. [Name removed], the president, has sent the families several long, detailed emails and phone calls keeping us abreast of virus concerns. The Activities director sends us weekly videos to keep us up on everything the staff has been doing to keep residents as happy and healthy as possible while they have been staying in their rooms during the pandemic. The staff been amazing. We are so happy we found Arbor.

My family (parents, myself and siblings) could not be more pleased with the quality of service and high standard of care provided to my Mom and Dad living at Arbor Terrace in Mountainside, NJ. From the very first time we visited the facility, we were greeted in a friendly way and provided with whatever information we requested. As residents, my parents have been taken care of by the staff with sincere affection and high professionalism. It is truly a home environment. My mother has needed special assistance and this has been given to her by staff with smiles and always a positive attitude. Arbor Terrace Mountainside is a sunny, clean and attractive facility and I consider my parents lucky to be able to live there.

For the past year, my parents have lived in the Bridges level of care at Arbor Terrace Mountainside. This is designed for memory impaired clients. They each have a personalized care plan. Their physical needs are met, their medicines are given, and their apartment and laundry are cleaned. This entire situation has provided me with great satisfaction and peace of mind for their safety, and health. Once COVID19 hit, I have been even more grateful. The proactive steps taken by the staff at AT have resulted in ZERO positive results in their residents. This is quite an impressive statement to make, in comparison to many other nursing facilities in NJ. They proceeded in a logical way, first by restricting outside contacts, then socially distancing the residents for meals and social events, testing them weekly as prescribed by NJ, contracting with therapists who only service AT Mountainside, communicating regularly with family members as to the status of events at AT, and testing their employees on a regular basis. The staff has worked extremely hard to keep the residents safe. Their outstanding record should speak for itself. I am very appreciative of their effective proactive decisions.

My mom and dad have been residents in Bridges for a little over a year. While my mom was highly resistant to relocating ANYWHERE when my sisters and I first moved them, it was the best decision we could have made for their safety, security and overall well-being. The facility at AT-Mountainside is top notch and I have no complaints; having read through other comments, I am hard-pressed to understand the complaints. My parents have been so well-taken care of and tended to by kind and loving staff members. They always are clean, have clean clothing, their apartment is always neat and clean, their meds are administered in proper doses at the right time. Everything I have ever asked of the staff has been done with kindness and graciousness. I have visited at all hours (pre-pandemic) unannounced and have always found staff to be attentive. Lest this sound too pollyannaish, it is worth remembering that in life there is always going to be someone who may cut a few corners and not be on top of their game. However, they are the exception; not the rule. My mom can be tough, but all I ever hear from [names removed] is how sweet she is. I have dined at AT, and I think that [name removed] and staff do a great job; the meals look inviting, smell and taste delicious. It is so important to note that with all the horror stories about assisted living facilities in the age of the coronavirus, Arbor Terrace Mountainside had NOT ONE CASE!!! I wish I could visit in person, but the safety of the residents is paramount; the staff have gone above and beyond in trying to keep us connected while keeping everyone safe. We have weekly Zoom meetings with Mom and Dad; [name removed] set up a special meeting for Mom's 90th and even recorded a short video from the apt. while she lit candles on the cake for her. We had a special meeting for Mother's Day and an upcoming one for Father's Day. I am so thankful for the staff at Arbor Terrace and I appreciate everything that you do.

My aunt is in Evergreen and doing very well! She seems to stay very active (as much as she can be), and the staff is always engaged and smiling when I visit. Both of the nurses we met with regarding her care were lovely and really seem to have my aunt's best interest at heart. Arbor is an amazing property, aesthetically. I would definitely recommend to anyone with a loved one who needs a little (or a lot) of help in the aging process.

Atria has been great especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. The staff is amazing. They have been trying to keep the spirits up with the residents and the communication level they have had with the families has been unbelievable. They even created an app so we could monitor my mother-in-law's vitals from home. To keep the residents entertained they have been taking them on virtual world tours and are teaching them about each place they go. The day they went to Italy they ate cannoli and the day they went to Germany, they practiced German dancing. My mother-in-law has been in several other communities and Atria has been great about staying on top of the her care and they really get to know heron a personal level. We feel so safe with her there especially because we are constantly receiving updates about her. There is never anything we don't know about her care and if there is something we need to know, they are a phone call away. They don't just care about her physical well being, they also care greatly about her mental well being.

My mom has been living here for almost a year and she loves it. She enjoys all the activities and claims the food is amazing with good portions. The management team and staff are extremely kind and helps as much as they can although they are often busy. The nurses are so kind to her, they treat her just like family. My mom loves the library and the movie room.

The staff are very good and they all know my mother in law and address her by name. In fact, when I visit, they greet me by my name as well. Since COVId-19, they have keep us up to date with how they are handling things , such as, delivering meals to the residents rooms and offering hallway activities. She does say that she misses eating in the dining room with other residents though. We looked at other places and chose Arbor Terrace because of the location and the availability of a private room. She feels that it is a friendly and caring place and she really loves it there and so do we.

My wife loves it there. When I visit her there, the staff are so friendly and she is happy. I checked out several different places and Dogwood Forest was really heads and shoulders above all of them. The care is outstanding. We have friendships with the staff team and also have built relationships with the other residents. The interaction between the staff and the residents is really good.

Arbor Terrace has been wonderful. My dad is very happy. Everything is really well put together. Your loved one will feel better here, even though it isn't living at home, it feels great. The staff and care is excellent. They keep my dad engaged in activities. They send me emails with pictures and updates, and before I get a chance to respond, they call me. They keep me constantly informed. Every time I have been there to visit, my dad is clean which is so important as well. The staff are just on top of it with everything. It gives me piece of mind and a warm fuzzy feeling.

Nice location. Price is much higher than the others here, including the Arbor Terrace in Lanham

HarborChase is NOT a retirement community. IT IS A FIVE-STAR LUXURY RESORT HOTEL THAT OFFERS ASSISTED LIVING AND MEMORY CARE. OMG! Words can't describe our experience. We stopped in off the street just to look the place over and make an appointment since we were passing by and [name removed] (the Director of Marketing and Sales) approached us and said why bother with an appointment, "let's tour right now if you have the time" (It was already four in the afternoon). My wife and I fell in love with the facility and [name removed] almost immediately, he was very knowledgeable and shared with us that his mother developed dementia in her later years and based on our shared experience, he really put us at ease and was able to share things with us that we didn't know (why doesn't anyone else tell us these things). He described Dementia as a "journey" for those afflicted AND their loved ones as well, and they concentrate a great deal on not only navigating the resident through the journey but navigating the family through the journey as well. They don't just have Memory Care but something they called "Memory Care Light." It's essentially Assisted Living that is geared toward people suffering from the early to moderate stages of Dementia. The resident (as long as they don't present a danger to themselves or is a wander risk) is free to come and go and in every way is treated as if they were in regular Assisted Living but they are given special consideration, activities and treatment to help them specifically deal with the onset of their dementia. One thing you will notice when you start touring communities is that some are a little too aggressive when it comes to steering residents to Memory Care. Obviously, NOT the case here. [Name removed] was also very honest with us and I appreciated it immensely. For instance, he told us that Dad (based on treatment, activities, sensory engagement etc - they even offer Speech therapy (SP) in addition to PT and OT) may initially get better but Dementia eventually takes us all, the condition always worsens and things will happen in the coming years that we did not even anticipate or imagine and that HarborChase will insure that we know what is coming... Again, he said it would be upsetting at times over the years but it's best to know beforehand. I could go on but I'll just add: FRILLS, FRILLS FRILLS... AMENITIES... AMENITIES... AMENITIES... it seems they had everything under the sun imaginable. I was ready to move in myself. It is pricey, 6K to move in and 6.5-8K a month in rent (admittedly, many places in the Metro Washington D.C. area are even pricier) but well worth it and a great deal for everything you get... more than we wanted to spend but are inclined to take the plunge anyway! Wish there was a six-star rating on this board.

Community is less than a year old. Therefore, smell of fresh paint still present throughout all areas. Do not know if laundry is done in house or by third party. Did not ask. Staff seemed friendly and engaging with residents. Very welcoming atmosphere. I would love to live there.

Quiet peaceful and very friendly staff and people around. Nice clean easy accessible rooms either studio or one-bedroom. Have a memory ward which to move into. Halls were very open and spacious second-floor offered really cute salon friendly staff bingo right next-door and a lecture hall/activity church all right there. Offer around the neck help aid if they fall to push. Wood off her around the clock care. The grounds were pretty on a preserve nice natural light from invisible most rooms. Offered a pool and outdoor grounds for family members etc. Dining area really cute clean.

Very impressed. Friendly staff and nice facility. Definitely on the short list

facilities were bright, fresh, modern. Staff was warm and welcoming. Our tour guide showed a genuine interest in my mothers well being and was empathetic. We loved it

facility was very clean and quiet. Loved the size of the rooms. Amenities are plentiful.