Brookdale Southside is absolutely horrible. They charge you starting at $2700 for an efficiency apartment. If you get a bedroom, they want $3500. If you have a 2-bedroom, it’s $4000. You are charged for every little thing. It’s unbelievable. If you have any food delivered to your room because you can’t get out of bed, they charge you $4 extra for everything they have to bring to you. They’re already charging me $25 for each meal. We claim that that should be included in the $3500 for the 1-bedroom, and then you’re going to put $3000 down that you never get back or your kids don’t get back. Once you sign those papers, you’re signing one paper, but all of a sudden, a bunch of paper shows up with all kinds of horrible things on it.
They have rules that are off the chart. For instance, on Saturday, you only get 1 meal between 4 and 5 o’clock. On Sunday, you get a brunch at 11 to 12. They could raise your rent anytime they want to, and on Friday, you can’t go to any doctor because they don’t do anything on Fridays. They don’t do anything after 3 o’clock.
I was in the west wing. There are people in there that are so far gone with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, they do need individual help, but the system itself doesn’t give it to them. If you need help of any kind, they get Medicare to come in, and they have their private nurses from outside. They do nothing.
Brookdale Southside
Reviews of Brookdale Southside
December 06, 2016
I am/was a resident of this facility
December 05, 2016
I am/was a resident of this facility
I am very satisfied with the staff of Brookdale Southside. The place has great programs. The only concern I have was they increased the rent this year, and it was unexpected. I am moving from a 1-bedroom apartment to a studio to lower my rent. The food is very acceptable. We have arts and crafts, chair yoga, and chair exercises daily, as well as Flex Your Brain which is a good program that we play. We have swimming exercises and water aerobics.
October 27, 2016
I visited this facility
Brookdale was nice, we liked it, and it was clean and maintained. The staff was very friendly, and the rooms looked good and roomy.
March 22, 2016
I visited this facility
I visited Brookdale Southside for my mother. Everybody I spoke to was wonderful and a big help to me. This was the place I chose for independent living; however, my mother went rapidly downhill. I thought this facility was very nice. The rooms were larger than any other place. It was more like a regular apartment or condo than what you would normally get in assisted living. They have happy hours and play cards. I like the fact they have a doctor and a podiatrist who come in, have an on-site pharmacy, and take people out shopping and doctors' appointments.
December 30, 2015
I am a friend or relative of a resident
My mother has been there for several months. I don't feel as if they have the skills to get her motivated. It is hard to tell if it is the disease process or a lack of effort on the facilities part.
November 25, 2015
I am a friend or relative of a resident
My father-in-law is in Brookdale Southside (formerly Carriage Club of Jacksonville) now. The facility seems very nice. I like the dining room, the rooms are nice, and the staff seems to be really friendly. They have swimming, happy hour for the guests, outings to dinner as a group, and cards. They offer to take them to doctors' appointments. They get two meals a day and one on Sunday.
August 06, 2015
I am a friend or relative of a resident
I don't like Brookdale Southside (Formerly Carriage Club of Jacksonville) very much. My mother was in there for about 15 months. It's too big for people that have dementia -- too many people and too little staff. Lots of things that she needed for care were overlooked. I had to go in there and drag out all the stuff that hadn't been done. The staff was nice, but there was not enough of them. They're very expensive. They were getting $6094 a month for my mother to live there, and they charged me $450 when the doctor asked them to administer breathing treatments like nebulizer. I told them not to give them to her as I went to the doctor and asked something else to use. I was angry about that, so they shut it down. They had inadequate parking for visitors. There was a number of people who have pulled out of there in the last several months because of the food. It's institutional food -- really bad and flavorless. They overloaded with desserts. It's overpriced, and the food was lousy. I used to come to get her and I'd tell them in advance that I was taking her to the doctor at a certain time and I needed to pick her up at a certain time. I'd get there, and they hadn't told her. I wouldn't take anybody there, and I would not recommend them.
March 26, 2015
I am/was a resident of this facility
My wife and I stayed at Carriage Club of Jacksonville for three years. The facility was OK, but the service was terrible. I don't think the upkeep was that good, and there weren't many people there to help. The programming was very low. After being there for a year, they raise the rent on you. I guess the activities were so poor or the programming and the people available to assist in those things were all really poor.
Provider Response
Thank you for your feedback. We deeply regret that we were unable to meet all of your expectations. Your experience is not typical, as evidenced by the other reviews here, but please know it will be reviewed and used to better serve our residents in the future.
November 22, 2014
I visited this facility
We visited Carriage Club. It was a little bit simpler. It was very good too; however, it was not as good as the other place. It was not as luxurious as the other one. Carriage Club was also smaller, but you don't have to pay an entrance fee just to rent a house. You rent a house straightaway there. The places we visited all have activities, but this one doesn't have an indoor swimming pool. Activities were simpler. Food was very good. Overall, I think for the money, Carriage Club is a very good deal. If you don't want to pay the entrance fee, I think it's a very good place to go.
November 19, 2014
I visited this facility
The Carriage Club of Jacksonville was a very nice facility. The only thing that I did not like was the fact that I was going to be stuck there. There was no way to really leave the facility because there was nothing else around it. If I even wanted to go to the convenience store, it wasn't around there, so that was one downfall plus my age. I have to be a hundred percent disabled to qualify to move in there. We ate lunch there, and I thought the food was excellent -- outstanding. The staff was very nice, and she has followed up numerous times with me and asked what my status was -- very accommodating. It was very nice, except that you'd be stuck in the facility with nowhere to go.
November 18, 2014
I am a friend or relative of a resident
Brookdale is a nationwide facility. My mother currently lives in an independent living which is why I was kind of thinking she might need assisted living soon. They have an Alzheimer’s wing, an in-house doctor, and it has been wonderful living there for the last two years. It’s a beautiful community with great people and services. All the employees take good care of the people. I feel like I live there. The food was not three meals a day -- she doesn’t even like getting her own coffee in the morning -- but it’s independent living anyway. The dining room is open for lunch, and they get a one meal ticket.
It used to be called the Carriage Club. I would recommend it for anyone who can afford it. I think it’s great, very safe, and they go to doctors and churches.
September 10, 2014
I visited this facility
I went to Carriage Club of Jacksonville because a friend of my mother lives there, and it was very, very big. It was huge, and the lady who lives there has lived in several places and she really likes it a lot. They had lots of activities. It was a place that we visited, but not for my mother. It was not a good location for us, but I think it would have been very, very nice for her. It seemed either newer or recently renovated, and they had long hallways, but it wasn't quite as homey. I thought it was a little plainer and more institutional-looking, but the apartment was very spacious and nice.
August 14, 2014
I am a friend or relative of a resident
Carriage Club is a very good place. It’s really nice. The only objection I had to it was if they had about fifteen or sixteen ladies there that worked for meals, they only had two people serve the food. Like my wife had a little difficulty feeding herself; but when one of the nurses stops to feed a person for quite a while, then everything exactly stops. There’s one person serving all the rest of them. If they put on, say, some of the young high school girls who want to be nurses, that’s the ideal training for them there and this would help expedite things. The kitchen's right there where you can see other things going and all it takes is if someone who could take a dish out and take it to a table. It takes no talent. It just takes a personable person who would like to know about taking care of other people whether they want to get into nursing or not. The food was adequate. It was all good solid food, and I thought it was pretty good. The dining room was a nice large area and it’s all new. It was well lighted. They have a nice counter there where people can sit. The facility was clean. When my wife went in she had a brand new room; in other words, you get what you pay for. She was there for two weeks and she liked it there. The rooms were situated nicely around the dining area, and so people got to know each other. I thought it was an ideal place. There was a patio where they can go out and walk around. When you look at the most qualified people personally and professionally, some staff was better than the others -- more sociable, I should say.
March 28, 2014
I visited this facility
Mom likes the Carriage Club of Jacksonville for my father because she saw that the staff were very nice, and the apartment would really fit him, as it would have enough room. The staff were very helpful and easy to get a hold of. The facility is only two stories high, and it felt very homey. You have everything you need there. They have a bank there, which opens two days a week, and a store where you can buy stuff whenever you need it. They also offer rehabilitation, and they have a fitness room. They have a doctor who comes in two or three days a week, so it is very, very convenient when he needs something. My father picked this facility, and part of the reason was that he felt comfortable with the place. I think if there's one thing they need to improve on, it needs renovation.
November 27, 2013
I visited this facility
I liked Carriage Club of Jacksonville. My neighbor recently moved in there for about a month now and she recommends this facility. It's a large and busy community. The lady that I interviewed with was very knowledgeable, nice, and friendly.
September 26, 2013
I visited this facility
I would move to the Carriage Club. It was phenomenal, like living in the Riviera. When a resident checks in, they actually have a little community of fellow residents that go and welcome them and make them feel like they're part of the community rather than just stuck somewhere. They become part of a family. It's just a really great environment. It's a fun place to be.
They've got everything from transportation, drugstore, and library. They've got planned activities every single day for the residents. They're accommodating to the resident's special needs. All the residents were rolling away in their wheelchairs and their little scooters and they were laughing and flirting. It's all about having fun. It's a really great environment.
August 10, 2013
I visited this facility
I had visited Carriage Club and it was very clean. My mother's friend who lived there was very happy. The staff was very friendly. They seemed to have more activities and more staff than other facilities.
December 05, 2011
I am a friend or relative of resident
My parents live in the Independent Living side and have received excellent care. Everyone is extremely friendly and helpful. The facility is well maintained and has been wonderful since I am 2500 miles away. I can call anytime and get information or help.
November 19, 2011
I visited this facility
The assisted living area was like a ghost town. Very quiet- almost like a hotel setting. The nurses at the "station" very nice and friendly. The only action was lunch time when the folks who could, headed downstairs for lunch. This was on a weekday mid week. No camaraderie or activities in sight.
Photos of Brookdale Southside
Features of Brookdale Southside
Costs
- Minimum Rate: $4885/month
- Minimum Memory Cost: $4420/month
- Rent Plus Care Fees
- Entry Fee
- Fee Structure Extra: We Offer A Month To Month Rental
Room and housing options
- 1-bedroom apartments
- 2-bedroom apartments
- Companion Suites: We Offer Companion Suites
- Studio Apartments
- Housing Extra: Cottages
Dining options
- In Room Kitchenette
- In Room Kitchens
- Dining Room Shared Meals
- Room Service For Meals
Features
- Beauty Barber Shop
- Computer Room
- Resident Transportation
- Party Space
- General Store
- Hiking Trails
- Garden And Patio
- Resident Parking
- Security Gate
- Pool
- Spa
- Features Extra: Library, Fitness Room/Gym, W/D In Apt.
Cleaning services
- Laundry For Linens
- Private Cleaning Services
- Housekeeping
- Laundry For Clothing
Technology and entertainment
- Cable In Rooms
- Internet Enabled Rooms
- Wifi
- Technology Extra: Emergency Call System
Health services
- Medication Management
- Physical Therapy
- Nurse On Staff: Yes
- Pharma
Activities
- Offsite Activities
- Music
- Games
- Stories
- Religious Services
- Lectures Discussions
- Book Clubs
- Wii Sports
- Tai Chi
- Fitness Room
- Yoga
- Gardening
- Cooking
- Arts And Crafts
- Activities Extra: Computer Class
Financial guidance
- Home Sale Assistance
- Va Benefits Consultation
- Financing Advice
Guest services
- Guest Parking
- Guests At Mealtime
- Overnight Guests
General
- Respite Care
- Minimum Age: 62
- Pets: Small Pets Allowed
Range of services
- Physical Therapy
Licenses
- Licenses: 7464
About Brookdale Southside
Brookdale Southside provides a full range of choices for today's seniors. Choosing a senior living community represents a lifestyle choice and we understand that our residents are choosing much more than a comfortable living environment to call home. Brookdale Living's Jacksonville, Fl community delivers Inspired Independent Living, with the promise of Exceptional Experiences Everyday. In choosing this community, our residents have made a conscious lifestyle decision designed to deliver enhanced opportunities for pursuing health and life fulfillment through the exceptional independent and assisted living services, amenities, and opportunities we offer. And, the residents at Brookdale Southside can rest assured that as their needs change, we provide a variety of ancillary services and a Personalized Assisted Living environment that encourages residents to continue to live as they please while respecting individual preferences.
Optimum Life® and Celebrations provide an all-encompassing way of life that touches the lives of the residents of this independent and assisted living community, their families, and associates alike. Optimum Life® is a journey of self-discovery including services, features, and benefits that allow each resident to pursue their peak level of health, wholeness and fulfillment while balancing six key dimensions of personal wellness: emotional, intellectual, physical, social, spiritual and purposeful. As part of Optimum Life®, the mission of Brookdale Southside is to encourage our independent and assisted living residents to celebrate life each day. Inspired dining and vibrant lifestyle activities come together in our Celebrations program filling the monthly calendar at Brookdale Living's Jacksonville, Fl community with themed experiences, special events, and group activities that highlight different cultures and cuisines in a common venue of camaraderie.
Our Clare Bridge Place program serves those with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Each day, we promise to work to deliver Daily Moments of Success for each resident. The Clare Bridge Daily Path provides structure and activities each day designed to meet specific needs of those with dementia, while the Clare Bridge Dining Program, designed by a gerontologist and registered dietitian, helps residents in need of Alzheimer’s care retain the ability to enjoy and master the daily dining experience.
What Makes Us Special
Gated, resort style community, centrally located in the heart of Jacksonville, but tucked away in a private wooded setting. Near St. John's Town Center, beachesand nationally acclaimed health care systems. Brookdale Southside offers Independent and Assisted Living and Memory Care. Amenities include on site CVS store, pool, library, and chapel. Apartments have full kitchens with washer/dryers.
Map of Brookdale Southside
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