Sunrise of Richmond

My parents live in Sunrise of Richmond. It's very cozy there, and it's not one of the facilities that have several floors where you have to take an elevator or to go down to your meal. The food is good, but not spectacular. They have bingo, trivia, and movies, some people come in and sing, and they have a gentleman come in and do senior chair exercises to music that my mother participates in. They have a really nice fireplace that a lot of the residents kind of congregate around. I would definitely recommend them.

My family and I really liked Sunrise of Richmond. We particularly liked the staff. We thought the director was fabulous. It felt very homey, the rooms were spacious, and we did observe some activities going on. What we liked about it was that it was three houses. The occupants could go outside and sit on a park bench, and we just felt that it seemed like a home -- not a facility. The dining area looked nice and small. It was a smaller scale facility, so it felt homier.

Our family likes the homey feel of this facility but with the sexual assault of a 89 year old woman in a nearby facility by an employee is giving us pause in regards to security. We notice that the building are usually unlocked during the evening hours but have notice that there is a new notice posted that they will be locked during certain hours and we would have to ring a bell to get in. Have not noticed any security cameras either on the outside of the facility nor on the inside of the facility. We have visited other facilties and they have surveillance cameras in all the halls and common areas. The property is easily accessed by surrounding properties as it does not have privacy fencing/security fencing. When would such cameras be placed on this property for the security of the residents/visitors/employees?

My mom is at Sunrise of Richmond. The person that I dealt with from Caring.com was kind enough to contact the assisted living to find out if any of them could provide both memory care and colostomy care because my mother had forgotten how to take care of her colostomy bag. She came up with three and I chose Sunrise. I went and visited it and really the people were so kind. It is not the most updated or modern facility, but I had found that what's the most important is the staff and how they relate to the residents, so I felt like that was the best place for her. She has been there about three weeks now. There is a studio room and then there's one that can be shared, or you can rent that whole room as one unit, where you can have a sitting room and a bedroom. That's what we ended up doing for my mother. With regards to activities, they have the same sort of things but they have some other little games that I'm not familiar with like memory games. They watch a lot of old movies that the residents really seem to like. They also go on outings, i.e., scenic drive, go out for a milk shake or a donut. They have a nice garden in the back that they can walk in. Overall, what I like best about Sunrise of Richmond is that they met our needs. They could completely take care of my mother's care including her colostomy bag. We also like the friendliness and willingness of the staff to do whatever is needed.

We were looking for something that potentially could do memory care later because my mother-in-law is getting forgetful. Sunrise of Richmond did have an entry level assisted living and then they have the Alzheimer's for later. About this facility, we like the fact that there seems to be lots of activities and things going on in there. There was also the security and the safety of it. The facility seemed to be clean and well kept. The dining area looked pleasant and nice enough and the shared spaces seemed pretty nice as well. However, the apartments themselves felt very small.

We chose Sunrise for my mother-in-law because all the three buildings have only one floor instead of having an elevator, which she cannot operate. It is very nice, very well kept, and they gave us a good price. The room is pretty good size for one person. She has a chair, bed, dresser and a bookshelf. She has her own bathroom and refrigerator. The food is very good, too. My mother-in-law is happy right now. The people are very nice. They have a calendar of activities for the whole month and then they list the activities for the day on a board. My mother-in-law loves the activities.

The menu is generally a bait-n-switch event. They advertise one thing, such as pineapple-upside-down cake, which they never have. Their pricing is interesting. They promise one thing, but you can never quite fit that category; so the cost is always a little bit higher than anticipated.

The place has the potential to be the most home-like of any assisted living facility in the area, but despite the outrageous daily charges, they are in a state of constant cutback and confusion, which makes me wonder why I am continuing to pay high prices for less services. The Executive Director is hardly ever in her office, and the head of Assisted Living seems to work banker's hours. Whenever you bring an issue to her, she sighs and moans and seems to get annoyed. Not acceptable. Their activity program is practically non-existent Every time I come to visit, the residents are huddled around the community TV, most of them sleeping. There are activities that are supposedly scheduled, but they don't seem to happen. This has been a problem for more than a year now, and instead of fixing the calendar, they are discontinuing activities, thinking the residents won't care or won't mind. This was an initial selling point during the decision stage. I have spoken with others who share this concern. The food is better than average, although there is sometimes an inconsistency in the dishes from one day to the next. Vegetables are either too hard or too soft, and the mystery meat is usually unchewable and tough. there is a good variety and you can have seconds, which is nice. Overall, it is pretty acceptable. The care staff seems nice enough, but it is a revolving door, and the personal connections that were promised have not developed because the same people are not assigned on a regular basis. This is something that is promoted in the Sunrise literature, but does not happen. The care staff also do other things besides resident care (such as serving food and helping with events), so they really are stretched thin. I would prefer they concentrate on resident's needs and not setting tables. I also find the place extremely cluttered and the pathways are difficult to maneuver if you have a walker or wheelchair. People sit wherever they want, blocking access and do not move when you need to pass. This should be addressed as a safety issue. I am seriously considering looking for another facility, becasue I have found that what they promise up front is not what they end up delivering. This is very sad for the senior set who should have a peaceful and happy ending to their golden years. Some of these things could be easily remedied, but I don't know if the individuals in the positions have the knowledge, skills or experience to make the necessary changes.

At Sunrise of Richmond, the facility and accommodation is nice. The staff is okay. Their food is adequate and nutritious. However, there are a lot of issues in that place that we are not happy about. We had my father moved in on April 29th and he passed away on May 24th, so he was not even there a month. My mom moved in, I think, on May 4th. When my father was in their memory care, their staff wasn't able to watch over him and he became a fall risk. Their solution for that was for us to hire somebody else just for him and that made what we had to pay even more expensive. I feel that they know that's a possibility, but they should have been more prepared as far as addressing patient's needs and they should have hired more people. We were really dissatisfied. Because of my father being in a fall, he has to be taken to the emergency room twice within the day of staying there. They took and left him there. They didn't come back to get him until it was convenient for them to do so. We were expecting them to be professional people, that they would take care of my parents, but then we still have to constantly supervise and watch over them and supervise my father. When my father needed to be in a nursing home situation, they didn't tell us that there is a 30-day notice before we could do that. When we finally got copies of the paperwork, which we were not given to us when we moved them in, we found out that this 30-day notice was like buried in all of the stuff. We are trying to move my mom to another facility, but they were still wanting my mother to pay for half of June. There are some regulations that they should definitely change.

The facility is very clean and the staff is extremely nice. Everyone is very caring and truly wants the best for the people living at Sunrise. My grandmother particularly liked the dog that was at the home and always talked to us about it. Her medication was taken care of very well by the staff and they even gave us some tips for making her medication more affordable. The cost of living at Sunrise is pretty high but if you care about your relatives this is definitely the place to send them as they'll enjoy it and you'll enjoy visiting them.

Very nice, charming community. My Mother lives there and loves it. She says the food is great and there is lots of activities to do and the staff is very caring. I would recommend to anyone in Richmond, VA.

My grandmother had always been eccentric, so as she got older and her "eccentricities" progressed, we were in denial about the real problem: Alzheimer's disease. Once denial over her condition faded, denial over her living condition set in. We thought that we would be able to give her the adequate care she'd need. The reality check came when she flushed some washcloths down our basement toilet and flooded that level of the house. She said she was only trying to clean it. After looking into a few nursing homes and assisted living facilities, we weren't quite sure what would work. My husband and I came across Sunrise and were pleasantly surprised to find that despite her dementia she was still able to live the "assisted living lifestyle" in a community specific to the needs of those with Alzheimer's and dementia. After the tour we knew it would be perfect. Instead of being hospital-style, you walk in and feel as if you're walking into the living room of a lovely house. Everything is clean and neat, with a dining area that puts most restaurants to shame. Each resident has their own apartment, and days are revolved around the resident's needs and wants, not the needs and wants of the staff (who are all caring professionals). My husband and I can visit any time we'd like. From what I've seen in the past few months of her stay, my only complaint is that I wish there were more physical activities for the residents. Of course, the high quality of care at Sunrise comes at a high price as well. We are lucky enough to be able to afford it. However, she does share an "apartment" with another resident, as a personal apartment is even more expensive. All in all, we are pleased with our grandmother's new home.

Sunrise of Richmond is perhaps one of the most perfect assisted living facilities that I have ever had the opportunity to visit. If I were looking for a place to spend my twilight years, I would choose this particular Sunrise property (they are a national chain) because it really does feel like home (or a very cozy college dormitory for senior citizens). Sunrise has three separate cottages on its property. One is dedicated to those with severe memory impairment. The other two are for those who need assistance with the activities of daily living. Between 25 and 40 individuals live in each cottage. Each person either has their own apartment or there are some shared units. The rooms are on the perimeter of the cottage with all common areas (such as eating, wellness and activity areas) in the middle. It is roomy and spacious but small enough to feel very intimate. There is even a ""house"" dog that lives in the cottage and is spoiled rotten by the residents. There is very low turnover with the staff. Many have been there five years or more, which means they enjoy their job and working with the seniors. They always have a smile and a kind word and make you feel special. The services onsite include medication management, helping with bathing and toileting, all meals and laundry, activities to stimulate the mind and body and housekeeping services. Most of the residents require walkers or wheelchairs, so there is a lot of individual bonding going on. The big negative about living at Sunrise is the price. They charge a base daily rate plus additional care charges, depending on how needy you are. By the time you add in the medication management and all the other fees, you are up into the $5,000 a month level, which is way beyond most people's means. Because they are assisted living, Medicaid can not be used. I am always impressed with Sunrise and the way the property is maintained and how well the care is administered. The residents are happy and seem to enjoy living there. And I know that I enjoy visiting, since it is a pleasure to walk in and feel so welcome. Sunrise should be on your list of places to tour if you are looking for a superb place for a friend or relative that you love.