Vitality Senior Services

My mother was in the Summit of Edgewood for close to three years. We had both good and terrible experiences there. The unique advantage to this care facility was that they had a step up to the full memory care section. This step up area was secure, but the residents were more capable. Because there wasn't availability in the step up section my mother went into the full on memory care until a space was available. This was a bit alarming because residents randomly walked into her room taking her stuff and using her bathroom. She had a man enter her bathroom while she was using the pot and he urinated in her trash. One meal she attended and saw multiple people wearing her clothes. We felt there was not enough supervision to control this behavior. When she was finally moved to the step up area, she did better. Some staff were wonderful, but others were just ok. We had to request that they empty her bathroom trash daily because the room often smelled of urine. This was an ongoing problem. I think the food was fine and I think the facilities were adequate. The staff were good with mom as her confusion deepened. We ultimately decided to leave when they said she needed full memory care. We were in agreement about this placement, but we weren't satisfied with their full memory care unit. We found another wonderful one in the area with a new modern facility and a more specialized memory care team that was actually less expensive. We wished she was there all along. I hate to give the Summit a poor rating because many dear employees went out of their way to help (just not all of them. ) We would chose another place if we were in the same situation now.

The new mother company who bought the facility, Vitality, does not listen to the families of the residents. Many of us would complain about the staff, the horrific Executive Director [name removed] (who was eventually fired) and they ignored us repeatedly and defended her horrible leadership. They didn't care about the residents. I would never in a million years place my parent in a [company removed] corporation again (there are 2 senior living [company removed], one is good and one bad). What once was a clean facility in the end smelled like urine. There was fecal matter on the floor. The food would rot in the fridge. The caregivers would say they changed the sheets when they didn't. They wouldn't answer the phone. They started out great many years ago, but with the change in leadership all hell broke lose and although we hoped it would improve it didn't. In the end, my dad was too advanced with his Alzheimer's to move him when the situation really went downhill. The original staff was incredible... some of the best we had at any facility. Some of the caregivers over the years were wonderful. The final year we were there was the really difficult one. The residents were great. Many had dementia or Alzheimer's and many didn't. They all cared and it they made it a more positive experience. So it used to be great! However it ended poorly. Unless a new company buys out [company removed] I wouldn't send a dog there.

Very negative due to the way finances were handled.... due to how things were handled, we were "out" several thousand dollars. The facility itself is "top quality" but the "top people" need to manage a little more with their hearts & keep their "word". We were having to deal with the emotional/physical needs of our loved one to pursue his financial needs. Another such facility in Clarksville showed the same non-care ....we learned some very valuable lessons dealing with such facilities. A Place for Mom was very helpful where they could be & I will be contacting you when I start looking for an Independent Living facility for myself.

I think that others should make a list of questions that they might have and be sure that they are asked. Make at least three visits preferably at lunch and dinner. Visit the laundry rooms , community room, speak with residents, and walk the grounds.

Initially my loved one was placed in the Memory Care Unit because there was not a space in the step up area. In Memory Care, there was no control and other residents were in and out of her room taking things and using her bathroom even as she was in there. A man peed in her wastebasket while she sat on the pot. After she was moved to a better area, things were better, but her room frequently smelled because her bathroom wastebasket needed to be emptied more often. People were basically friendly and one in particular who is headed to Occupational Therapy School was excellent. After talking with them about our concerns they improved, but when it came time for her to move back to full Memory Care, we opted for another place, which was less expensive and the care there was wonderful. It was also a new facility.

We picked this community, because the price was reasonable (relatively speaking), and the location is convenient since it's right off the interstate.I would tell that friend that the staff turnover is high, but I'm sure it's like that everywhere. Just make sure to visit at least once a week--and no matter if you put your loved one's name on everything (and we're talking shoes, socks, towels, sheets, and electric shaver), they will still disappear.

In retrospect assisted living was not the best place for my mom. She was more acutely ill than we realized and we never really received any kind of true picture of the severity of her illness nor life expectancy. We felt rushed to find a place not knowing her true capabilities I think. We pushed her thinking it was depression and afraid she would just deteriorate not realizing in truth she was really acutely ill and not capable. She was on oxygen which made getting around worse. The whole period several months prior to death was pretty stressful for the family. She wasn't at Maristone long, 3-4 weeks tops. She struggled there the whole time really, just needing more care than anyone realized. So that being said....,

We gave Forest Hills overall a 3 because they are short staffed, but we do understand it is like that everywhere. The communication with the director [name removed] has been great, we have even seen her a few times step into the kitchen and help out. The dining staff is extremely short - sometimes the residents have to wait long periods just to get into the cafeteria, but they are actively working on the issue. The communication with the nursing team is great, anytime we call with questions or concerns they are right there to answer, and if not we get a call back within 15-20 minutes. They do have a very good physical therapist and speech therapist so the medical side of things has been awesome and overall we are happy with Forest Hills.

This is a newer and nice community, and was good. It felt quiet as there was not a lot of residents or activities.

They were understaffed, like everybody is right now. I didn't really see them doing activities. They just wanted to sit my loved one in front of the TV all the time, and if he would get up to go elsewhere or do other things, they would make him sit back in front of the TV, which resulted in some aggression. Again I think that ties back to them being understaffed. The food wasn't all that great. Every time I was there, I saw a hamburger with nothing on it and a handful of fries or chips. When I approached them about it, they said if he asked they would give condiments. But I don't think that's realistic to expect somebody with dementia to ask. I've been very disappointed in the way they handled things when he passed away. I never heard anything from any of the staff. They never contacted me or reached out or anything. I have a lot of mixed feelings toward them. Some of the nurses were very nice. The staff in general were so friendly at first when he went in there, but when he got aggressive, it was a whole turnaround. And especially with how they handled his passing, it was just very disappointing.

We walked in and were immediately overwhelmed by how big the facility was, I was nervous dad was going to get lost. It is a gorgeous place but it is pricey. The person interviewing us was brand new and did not know how to answer my questions.

This was an okay community. It wasn't the right fit for my loved one.

My loved ones left after a short stay. The communication were responsive when I needed something. I hope the food service has improved, cleaning, and laundry services have improved in the last year-and-a-half, as well.

There's good things, but they are currently going through a management change. They are in the process of making changes to their policies. I would encourage you to speak to the director to get an overall feel of the community. It is a good location, and it is a smaller community. There are some good caregivers there, and some that are not as attentive to our loved one's needs.

The pandemic has made things more difficult. There are things I like and dislike. I like the community and key staff members who are professional and caring. Things I don't like include low staffing and the response time of the call button.

Charter Senior Living of Edgewood has a very good staff. The cost is similar to other places in the area.The food is good. The room sizes are a little small. They have two screened-in porches for residents to enjoy.

The lady that took us on a tour was very nice and very knowledgeable. The place was older, probably built in the late 70s or 80s, and the lighting hadn’t been updated so it wasn’t as bright in there as we would’ve liked. I didn’t really think my Mom would like that. The rooms were smaller than a few other places that we had looked at as well.

they need more worker's, there are not enough to do the job right.

My tour of this community was okay, but it appeared to be a community for someone who just needs a little bit of care. My parents needed more care. The apartment they showed me was nice, but designed for someone who still was independent and wants to live near others, instead of a big home. (You furnish a bedroom and living room and there is a bath and kitchenette with a small refrigerator & microwave.) They have a big main dining room, but I felt it would be overwhelming for my parents and nobody would be aware of their eating. The facility had easy access in and out, and I wasn't very comfortable with that. I wasn't shown the dementia care area. The pricing was alacarte ~ pay extra for helping with showers or distribution of medication. This is a nice community, but not the one for us.