Belvedere Commons of Sun City Center

My mother is moving in at Belvedere Commons of Sun City Center in the next couple of weeks. The people were all very nice and very friendly. The place looked really nice. It seemed like it would be a good fit for my mother. It was clean. The rooms were really nice. I liked that they had a receptionist at the door during their visiting hours, and the front door is always open. The room that we looked at had a kitchenette with a microwave, a small refrigerator, and storage space for some groceries. Sandra took us around, and she was wonderful. She was so nice and so caring. They had an outdoor place with a barbecue area, where they barbecue for the residents at times. They had a lanai where you could go and bring your guests to sit. The front porch had rocking chairs, so the residents could go outside and sit.

I liked the people here. The staff that I met and the salesperson were just very outgoing, very accommodating, and answered all the questions. They obviously love their job and the residents. They were willing to show me all areas of the facility that were open to the public. I talked to some of the residents, and they seemed to love it too. It is a small place, and I liked that. There's an outdoor screened-in porch and an outdoor fenced-in garden area, so it's safe where the residents can't get out. There is a reception area with a fireplace where they can go and sit, an activity room, and all of the assisted living apartments have at least a kitchenette (which include a small refrigerator, a microwave, a countertop, and that kind of stuff).

The staff here had lots of information and was very helpful. She was very knowledgeable and answered all of my questions. She gave me a little welcome gift for taking the tour at the end, which was very nice. I saw the game room and the exercise room, and they were actually having a little class at that time. I saw the little porch area, where you could go and sit out; it was really nice. The dining room looked more like a restaurant.

It was a nice place. They looked clean and nice, but I didn’t get to talk to the lady that would take you on a tour. She wasn’t there that day. They had separate buildings for different levels for care with their own dining room and living room areas. The bedrooms weren’t too bad, but the shared rooms weren’t very big at all. We went on the weekend, and the lady that works at the front desk showed us around. There was no room wherein they would get together. The place seemed clean, but they didn’t do much there.

They were not expecting me, and I just walked in, but they were very nice and showed me all around. She took me to see the rooms and outside to the courtyard where the residents could sit. They had small rooms and a common area that they could come out to when they felt like it. They had a schedule of things so the people do not hibernate in their rooms. The dining area was an open room. It was a small community but very homey, and the people there were happy. They came out and socialized with each other.

They provided my mom exemplary care with professionalism and dedication over a three year period in their memory care unit. I visited several times a year for periods of 3 to five days. My dad visited almost every day for the first two years, but finally he required care as we'll. Over the last year, I have visited much more frequently and many of my visits have been for a week or more. Since I live 800 miles away. Staff never knew when I would be there or exactly how long I would stay. I would spend hours with mom and also got to know the other residents and their families. At times I would be there overnight, leaving only for brief periods to take care of my needs or shop for my mother's needs. Everyone was very welcoming, loving, and eager to do whatever was possible to care for Mom and also look after the other residents. There were always lots of activities designed for residents functioning at different levels. There were also regular trips out into the community for resident's enjoyment. Everyone I encountered went far beyond the call of duty to provide care everyday. They were also very supportive of family members. Mom had a healthy appetite most of the time she was there and she seemed to enjoy the food. The facility was always kept clean and pleasant. Even when most were incontinent, they would replace the soiled clothing and linens as soon as possible, placing the items in sealed plastic bags until they could get them into the laundry. Rarely could I detect any odor, even though I have a keen sense of smell, but whenever there was, the situation was quickly remedied. Occasionally, housekeeping things would have to wait while some situation was resolved with one or more residents, but as soon as the urgent needs were addressed, all staff were involved in maintaining a clean, healthy, home-like environment. My mom passed away last week after months of enduring end stage Alzheimers. I feel nothing but appreciation, love, and respect for the administration and staff of Belvedere Commons. Having had several experiences with other facilities with other family members in the past, I do not believe she could have received better care anywhere. I hope that when I need residential care, I will be as fortunate as those who have chosen Belvedere Commons as their home,