Vitality Senior Services

I toured Brookdale while looking for options for my dad. We were very comfortable with Brookdale except that it didn’t offer the level of spirituality that we were looking for. We wanted a facility that offered a lot of opportunities for spirituality, and Brookdale just wasn’t quite a fit for us.

The sales person that took us on tour was nice. I felt this community was to big for mom. The community looked clean, however it felt like I was walking into a hospital. They did not have a variety of floor plans and I just did not care for it.

I have a loved one living at this facility. Overall, they are responsive to my inquiries about my loved one's care, especially the nursing staff. However, there is difficulty getting medications when they are needed, sometimes waiting two hours for them. Using the call button often takes very long to respond to the patient. We were told it should take no longer than 30 minutes for a response. Management is difficult to contact and receive resolution of financial issues. Communication is lacking with respect to advising family or POAs of what steps the facility is taking regarding meds and medical care. The staff is friendly and give respect and care to the residents. This facility would be 5 star if they communicated better with family and POAs regarding financial issues and coordination with in-house doctors.

There seem to be fewer employees now than when we had our first tour. Activities tend to be the same everyday. Response time to help button varies from 5 minutes to up to 20 minutes. Dining room has run out of common items like lettuce and cola.

Having never had experience with this kind of facility, my feedback is based on initial expectations based on entry discussions. The nursing staff is made up of very conscientious LPN's. On-site beauty shop is very affordable. Activities are scheduled everyday. used to be 4-6, now seem to be fewer. Response time to call pendent is guaranteed within 15 minutes. Experience is sometimes quicker, but usually longer -- especially at night when staff is reduced. A nice facility, but you must stay involved to ensure maintenance and care levels are appropriate. Encountered problems with oxygen tank management regularly. Since getting portable concentrator, still have to remind the staff to put it back on the charger when Mom returns to her room.

I was on the phone with [Name removed] two occasions where he was trying to get someone to help him and it was 25 minutes before someone came in. And I was not told about the supplies that we had to bring. The dining was wonderful.

Overall experience: There was a lot of staff turnover, and it often felt like no one was clear on their roles or responsibilities. Cleanliness of the facility: The facility had been painted and had new flooring installed, which improved its appearance. Friendliness: The staff were generally friendly. Quality of care: While it is understandable that it can be difficult to keep up with everything, personal items such as glasses were frequently misplaced, and shaving was often needed during visits. Administrative staff: The administrative team changed often, and there seemed to be confusion about responsibilities. Food: The food was good overall. He mainly ate eggs and green beans, but he did enjoy the meals provided. We also shared an Easter meal there, and the cook prepared a very nice dinner. Activities: There did not appear to be any activities taking place. Value for the money: Communication could have been more informative. He has since moved to Elizabethtown to be closer to family for visits. When he moved, several personal items were missing, including washcloths and a razor charger. Despite requests to locate them, they have not been found after a few weeks.

We felt it is too far from Louisville for consideration. We want to find something that is closer to not discourage family from visiting.

They will not feed a patient if they can't feed themself. Says state law prevents it. I have been driving down two or three times a day to feed her. They keep her over sedated which prevents her from being able to. I have been doing it for over two weeks. Have requested they back off meds. Keeps her in wheelchair all day because it takes two to transfer her from bed wheelchair. Requested they allow her to take naps during the day. Food is excellent. They have a Cullinary Director.

[name removed] told us that the old owners had planned to renovate, but cancelled their plans when the home went up for sale. The outside needed painting, and the inside was dated. The staff was friendly, and we had a good discussion. Our problem remains that we only want a 2-week respite stay, and we cannot make solid plans since no one takes reservations for respite care. This facility has a sister home in Elizabethtown, which has been recently renovated, and we plan to visit it next.

When we visited we noticed right away that there were dead potted plants by the front door and an odor of stale food. Also there were empty cups in several places around the building and trash on the ground. Also what looked like a mouse trap! The employees were very kind and helpful. The director stepped in to help the sales associate when I asked questions that she was unable to answer. The rooms were large. There was immediate vacancy.

When we moved my mom and my sister into Maristone they were having a lot of turnover and lots of changes in upper management all the way to the cook. They have new ED and they are making amazing changes and seeing growth. I will say that we had amazing care from certain caregivers for my mom in memory care! She passed away in April and we couldn't have had better care during that time.

My mother stayed there for a couple of weeks. They did not think she was a good fit for the facility. She did not want to get out of bed to go to meals,etc. She was not happy there. However, I am sure that it was because she wanted to be at home.

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.

My initial experience was very well. But when we finally ended up leaving, I felt like they were unconcerned. With the care that was needed by my dad. There were several incidents that happened that led me to believe that they did not watch the patient/clients like they said they would when we toured the place. The cost did not match the level of care. Maybe we did not understand the whole concept of an assisted living facility. We were led to believe that he would be cared for better while he was there and that was not the case.

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.