Suffield by the River

Diane

I visited Suffield by the River to see their memory care. It's top-notch and a great place. It's right near my home, very clean, and well-appointed. The staff could be a little bit friendlier, though. It's got everything that anybody would need but it's also a little bit pricey. They have shared rooms and private ones if you want to pay extra. They have common areas and a dining hall. They have activities and plenty of stuff for the residents to do. They also have a lot of in-house services like the usual hairdresser.

Provider Response

Gayle

My dad is at Suffield by the River. Overall, the facility is wonderful. The food is wonderful. The staff for the most part is good. Like everybody, I think, they're a little short-staffed, but they're very caring. We had some problems in the beginning. Part of it was an adjustment with my dad and part of it was just a learning curve for us as well. But I would say all in all, it was very good. All the aides are very caring. They're very respectful of him. Everybody is treated very well. I cannot think of anybody that has been not nice to him or disrespectful to him. Everybody is just very, very good. When we first moved my dad in, his room looked wonderful. He had all his own furniture there. It was nice. But now that he's in hospice, we've had to move his bed out. They have a hospital bed for him, a lift for him and a wheelchair for him. The room itself is very large. It has a nice large closet, a big bathroom, and a big shower. It's very, very adequate. There's carpeting on the floor, so if he should fall, he's falling on carpeting, not like linoleum or wood. It's very, very clean. The food is gourmet. My dad had lobster, scallops, and shrimp for lunch one day. It's awesome. It's very, very good. I haven't tried their food, but my sister has. We can take him to the dining room, and he can eat in the dining room, and he thinks he's going out to a restaurant, so it works out very well. They have an activities director. They have activities going on all day long from the time they get up in the morning. Then the activities director takes a break at lunchtime when everybody's eating. Then after lunch, they do exercises. Most of them are chair exercises, but it's different each day. It's very easy for them to do. They have these big green balls that they bring in and they do drumming on the balls. On Sunday, we were here, and they had a woman that came in and played guitar. They had Christmas in July, so everybody was singing Christmas carols. I cannot complain. I hope my dad can stay here until he dies. He's in hospice now, so it's a matter of time, but they keep him comfortable. It's extremely clean. From the time that we started here in March, they have painted everything over again, and they've put new carpets in. It's like they're always improving it. The grounds are beautiful. For spring, they had one set of colors and all the flowers outside, and now they have a different color. It's remarkable. However, when we first came and toured the facility, they said they would take the people on trips to the zoo or to the farm just to get them out, and I have not seen that happen. But my dad at this point probably would not participate in that anyway because of his state right now. Also, he is getting better care here than he would be at a nursing home. The staff is very attentive. He is always clean. If he can't feed himself that day, they're feeding him, so he is always fed.

Provider Response

John

My parents moved into Suffield by the River. My mom's in assisted living, and my dad's in independent living. Their activities are all exemplary. The staff was excellent. They have beautiful surroundings. They have a library activity center and a walking path. They have daily exercises. It feels homey.

JJ52

Very over priced and service is bad. They lure you in with attractive surroundings, but care & Nursing fall very short. Beware of a flu or illness breakout here. They have a very poor protocol to barrier residents from illness exposure & facility doesn’t take the right steps to get rid of virus and germs. As a result, residents are exposed, sick and vomiting for months. The food has gotten worse and worse over time. I will say the maintenance staff are great. I would not house a loved one here again.

Wadad

My daughter and her husband who live in CT convinced us to move from NY and to come to this place. We noticed that we made the right decision. It is a great place for the elderly. It is run by a very capable and organized lady; Celia who put so much effort and time to see that everything is under control. The people who are helping her are exceptional. The employers are ready to help. Thank God we moved here.

Dennis C. Alaimo

My Mother,chose to move to SBT River when she was 84 years old after having a minor stroke but still independent and in good health. She is now 99 years old and still in fairly good health. The wonderful comfort and increasing care she received from the staff allows her to remain in her apartment living a quality life with dignity. I visit her respectively and I can sleep at night.