Brookdale Place of Paradise Valley

I visited this facility

Brookdale Place was very, very nice. The people were very friendly and informative. They sat and talked to us a long time. But they couldn't handle my brother, they couldn't take him. I was told right up front, so they didn't waste my time, I didn't waste their time, and we could move on. He's too high of a level.

I have been visiting Brookdale Place of Paradise Valley for a little over 3 years now and I think like any facility, I have seen my share of up's and down's within the facility. For the most part, the staff really do try to make the facility as close to a home as possible for the residents, but this can be hard to do when there are so many residents and there is an institutional feeling about the place. While most of the resident's act happy, I have also seen them act a bit awkward, like they are visiting someone's home and they aren't able to get completely comfortable. I have tried to work with them and get to the bottom of why they do not feel 100% at home, but they have had a hard time putting their feelings into words. It can be hard to feel completely secure when you live in such a large facility with so many other people, but I have had most of the residents tell me that the feel very safe when in their apartments - which is wonderful.

I have also seen many good and bad days with the staff, I don't know if it's because they are understaffed and overworked, but they can be really happy and friendly one minute and on edge the next. They, at times, seem to be wound really tight and I have seen a couple times where they've had little breakdowns in front of the residents or they have been rude to the residents. I know that they are busy and have a lot of residents relying on them, but something needs to be done, because I have seen firsthand that when the staff are stressed that it can also stress out the residents and it brings down the mood of the entire facility. The staff, on the other hand, when they are relaxed and happy, their care for the residents totally picks up. They are so patient and respectful, and they will approach the residents and see if they anything, they are talkative and cheerful. I wish they behaved this way all the time. However, I have to say that at all times, whether the staff are in good or bad moods, the residents are always well-fed, bathed, their rooms are clean, their laundry done, etc. So the adequate care is still happening, it is just more of a personality issue during those chaotic times. I have had residents come up to me and actually tell me that they feel like it is their fault when the staff members are stressed out. One resident told that maybe if he could do more things on his own and need less help that maybe the staff would be less stressed all the time. It is really bad when the residents start to feel guilty over the staff's behavior. When it gets to that point something really needs to be done, I think that a lot of times these little "moods" go unattended to because the all of the residents needs are being otherwise met.

The facility does however offer a lot activities and they are always celebrating some birthday or holiday. The activity director is really creative and the residents take part in unique activities that I have not seen in other facilities. It's not the same old activities everyday like board games and bingo, they actually get out there and do fun things like fashion shows, pajama parties, and other fun stuff like that.

The only thing about the facility that I think it 100% perfect is the food service. The dishes are very healthy but they still taste great. One of the things that the chefs at Brookdale do that I have not seen elsewhere is they will cook dishes using the resident's own recipes. This is great for a private family dinner. The chefs will also cater private family occasions.

The facility itself is usually clean and everything seems to be easily accessible for the residents. I am always walking around the facility testing the safety features and making sure everything is working properly. Several times I have something that's broken or defective and when I tell the maintenance department they usually are very quick to get it fixed. I am a stickler for safety issues and I can say that I have not seen many issues at this facility.

The residents seem to like to stay busy and I always see them in the common areas talking with other residents, playing cards, and other things. It also seems like the residents families are very involved with the facility. I always see family members hanging out with their loved ones watching TV or walking together, just spending time together. I like that families feel comfortable coming to the facility just to hang out, it says a lot about the facility and the staff.

At Brookdale, they follow this thing called Optimum Life, which in short, means that the residents are always encouraged to live life to the fullest and believe that they can do anything regardless of age or physical limitations. They also have a program called Brookdale Wishes, which is where every so often they will grant a resident's wish, whatever it may be. The residents love this and they talk about what their wishes are all the time. It shows them that their dreams are within reach and that raises their confidence and make them happier people. I have seen one of these wishes given out to a resident and it was really a very cool thing to watch. His wish was to be able to talk to some political news celebrity he idolized, and Brookdale was able to set up a webcam chat online for him. It was all he talked about for days.

I know that every facility has it's problems and I think that overall Brookdale reacts to their own in a professional and respectable way. Sure, there are things they need to work on, but I don't believe they are at all beyond repair. I would recommend Brookdale to caregivers and families. They will see that, in spite of the bad, that Brookdale is mainly good and the residents are all well cared for.

I visited this facility

My mother stayed at Brookdale for a year while we were looking for a new home for her to live in following the passing of my father. They were incredibly attentive to her needs. She has severe arthritis in her knee and they placed her in a very conveniently placed condo within the community that was within very short walking distance of everything. And every single time we came to visit her we were greeted and updated on how she was doing. I even had an assisted living nurse who would reach out to me and let me know if there was anything my mother needed (at no extra cost). Brookdale is a bit on the pricey side but it's very pretty and an extremely well kept community and the attention my mother received made it all well worth the price. When we found out my mother was suffering from dementia, brookdale made the transition from independent to assisted living very easy. All in all, I felt at ease about leaving my loved one there and would recommend them to anyone who needs a trust worthy haven for an elderly person in their life.

I am a friend or relative of a resident

Very good care of clients and very strict about not tipping. Excellent idea for this kind of facility to have a no tipping policy.

I visited this facility

I visited Brookdale Place last week to evaluate some of the activities and programs that are available to the residents. They follow a philosophy and curriculum called "Optimum Life," which is sort of a life enrichment series of programs, events, and classes which introduces residents to different areas of culture, health and wellness activities, and the arts. The staff goes all out for these themed events. The facility is always decorated according to theme, and there is never a detail missed, from the food to the music to the staff wearing costumes and so on. Every month the residents gather in the dining room and they are "taken" on an excursion of sorts to a visit some new exotic city. The residents absolutely love it. I spoke with one of the residents during my visit and she told me about how much she loves participating in these "trips", since she is getting up in years it is becoming harder for her to get around, let alone travel, so she appreciates that the facility offers these cultural activities. Every time her family visits she loves to tell her granddaughters stories about the exciting new places she has learned about and she saves little favors for them from each event to help her along in her storytelling and the girls get so excited. Brookdale Place also offers something called "Brookdale Wishes" where every once in a while, they will grant a wish of one of the residents. The wish can be big or small, the point is that it shows the residents that it's never too late to see your dreams come true. I am so impressed by all that Brookdale has to offer, but I am even more impressed with how happy all of the residents seem. They all have this sparkle about them which is so refreshing to see in an assisted living facility. The staff are all so welcoming and they go above and beyond for each resident and visitor. I truly admire all that Brookdale Place does for their residents. It is by far one of the most adventurous facilities I have frequented. They genuinely are in a class all their own.