Emerald Estates

I've toured the Emerald Estates because it's one of the nearest facilities from my house. The facility seems nice and quiet. Each of the rooms were very homey. The furniture looked quite new and were very comfortable. Closets are spacious enough, as well as the bathroom. It's complete with safety hand grip bars and accessible by wheel-chaired people. I haven't had the chance to taste the food because of touring responsibilities. Their staff is very welcoming and I enjoyed their company while touring the facility. They also told me that they have daily wellness activities and weekly schedules of outings for the residents.

Emerald Estates is a great find in Baltimore. We visited and toured the facility with my mother. At a time she was in need for short term care and the facility was very nice. The residents were very friendly and sociable. By walking down a hallway it was easy to see groups of people chatting or playing games. There were numerous social activities, gatherings, and events for residents. The staff were friendly and seemed to work very well with the residents. The residents were a diverse group of seniors from around the Baltimore area and were quite welcoming to both me and my mother.

The onsite facilities include a large dining room, meeting areas, residential meeting rooms, activity areas, and more. They had nursing areas, medical rooms for any medical needs for residents, and a library for reading books. There were also lots of games and books placed on bookshelf throughout the facility.

Not only was the facility very well run, it was also more affordable than other comparable residential facilities in Baltimore. They also have case managers that can help with funding or finding services that can help a resident. If a resident has a special need they can arrange services for him or her.

The physical facility is located near the Woodberry residential area and is actually on a hill. Next door is the Loyola University stadium which does not often disturb the residents. Parking is ample and free as well.

Highly recommended!

I previously visited this facility to get information for my mom. The two of us visited the community today. There were two things that disturbed me upon entering the facility. First, the concierge was on the telephone, and by all accounts she was not talking with anyone where she could have placed them on hold, if only to acknowledge our presence. It didn't happen. Secondly, the carpet on the first floor leading to the elevator was not clean, and the hand rail in the same location was chipped in several spots. What I did like was the size of the studio apartment, and the marketing representative was absolutely wonderful (hats off to Debbie!)

My mother has lived in this facility for several years; during that time it has changed corporate ownership three times. The current owner (Emeritus)was the original owner when mom moved in. She lives in the locked "Memory Care" unit for people with dementia and Alzheimer's. I believe many of the monumental problems at the facilty can be blamed on the revolving door when it comes to administrative staffing. Most of the caretakers are caring and friendly but there are serious lapses in care as well as general living conditions.

Athough I have corrected them numerous times, staffers still call me at the wrong phone number after all these years. Many times when I visit I find Mom with food on her clothes.There are few activities for residents on the unit; they spend the majority of the day sitting in a windowless common room just looking around at each other. Once in a while, a staffer will turn on the TV or turn on some music. There is no fenced-in outdoor space, so residents rarely go outside although staffers will occasionally take residents out for walks.

The food is so-so in taste and only fair in nutrition. The menus include cold-cuts and fried foods, not such healthy fare for seniors with health problems. Residents' rooms are supposed to be cleaned weekly but mom's room and bathroom rarely look clean and laundry is often piled up. The unit's hallway and common area often smell of urine. I have seen a mouse run down a hallway but I have never seen any bugs.

Assisted-living residents who live outside the unit seem to fare better;most appear to be healthy and content.There are numerous activities planned each day. The facility has its own small bus for outings and the bus is also available to take residents to doctor's appointments. There is a hair salon as well as a physical therapy office on-site.

The price of this facility is slightly lower than comparable facilities; this is definitely a case of, "You get what you pay for." If you are thinking of moving a loved one here, think again.