Emeritus at Wilburn Gardens

The food was awesome at Emeritus at Fredericksburg because they've got a great chef. I really like the staff they're very warm and attentive to the people around. They really went out of their way. They've helped a lot in getting my mom settled in. They keep her actively involved in things which is what she really needed. She has a studio and she's paying $1995 for that and she's within the first level of care, another $325 so she's looking at $2320 a month. I find the staff are into people and they're kind to her. The good thing about Emeritus is that whatever my mom had to pay initially to about every Emeritus that we go to, like if we move, they would transfer her fee. It goes with her. They don't charge her whatever their charges are. But I did find out too that depends on the others.

Overall compared to the rest of the area's assisted living facilities I give it a solid 5 stars. Everyone in the staff seems to be very nice to the patients. I usually arrive during dinner time and I never see the staff yell or be abrasive with them, they take extra time to make sure the patients are well cared for. They also keep fruit, water and other various snacks around that the patients can grab. Overall the place is well lit and clean, there is no smell like there is at other homes. I firmly support this facility.

Pro: The apartments are larger than most in town, the residents are friendly, the facility allows pets. Doctor days (Tuesday and Thursday) are a huge help (the bus takes residents to doctor's offices), and shopping/lunch out days are a big thrill for my Mom. Some of the staff are awesome, some can be condescending. When handling serious medical emergencies they are great.

Con: They're coming off of a huge flux in management that I think could have been handled more effectively by the corporate office. The families were not kept "in the loop" as to the chain of responsibility during the numerous changes. The food is uneven in quality, and the facility does not currently seem able to handle dietary requests. I'm hoping that the new Director will address these issues.

If my loved one would have been willing, I probably would have moved him, but he's pretty happy there so we stayed.

This seemed like a very pleasant facility, the interiors were very warmly decorated and the staff was extremely nice and helpful. Everyone staying there seemed very happy, and there was a general pleasant atmosphere. The only negative that I really noticed was that the quality of the food did not seem very high, and the menu was repetitive, with the same things being served on the same day of the week each time. The patients should be served a healthy diet. Other than that, everything seemed wonderful though. However, I did not spend enough time at the facility to gain a close understanding of it, or to be able to fully evaluate it.