Tribute at Melford

Carol

We kind of got off to a bad start at Tribute at Melford because we had to wait a half hour to have our interview. The staff said that the person who was ahead of us took longer than what he figured it would be, and it seemed there was only one person who could take us around. It seemed like a very busy place. It was quite loud. They were playing bingo and a party or something was going on. But when we walked in, there was a huge fireplace, and it was very nice. They would provide 3 meals a day. You could not cook in your apartment, and that was a downside because I do like to cook. They had a gym, a very small library, and a beauty shop.

Wendy

Tribute at Melford was very nice and clean. The residents looked happy and settled in. The staff during the tour was nice and very informative. She asked me questions just trying to get a feel for what I was looking for, and to see if my husband was a match. The rooms were very nice. A lot of thought went into the design. She gave me a dessert to go, which was really good. There was a card room. They had someone coming in to do exercises with the residents. There was a puzzle room. It looked well maintained.

Tori

I toured the Tribute at Melford. It seemed like they were very engaged with the residents. It was very open. I noticed that every single hallway had plenty of seating. I guess, for the elderly, if they're walking, they can sit down anywhere along the way. They didn't have to go all the way to the end of a corridor to find a seat to sit. I found that very encouraging, and the fact that they didn't have keys to their room, they had a wristband. So, they just know they don't have to fumble with keys, which could be a challenge for some elderly people. They had classes there for the elderly to take, like cell phone 101 to help them use a cell phone, technology classes, and things like that I thought were very encouraging for people that might be challenged. They had classes and things going on all day, every day, so the residents can pick and choose what they want to do, and they can stay busy all day. The cook gave me something to take home, it was very good. Liane, who gave me the tour, was very, very good. The rooms were big and open, with plenty of sunshine and windows so they could have daylight. The bathroom was very handicap ready, which I liked. My mother would be very comfortable there.

James

My mother moved into the Tribute at Melford. We chose it because it was very clean, the staff was very helpful, and the location. They are extremely busy. There are a lot of new people moving in, so sometimes it's difficult getting paperwork completed. She has to have a special diet, and they have done really good about taking care of that. The food is OK, but nothing great. They have staff that deals simply with games and puzzles, and they do bingo and other activities that seem to be very nice. We looked at several places and they were actually very reasonable. It is a newer facility. They have a very nice dining room, and there are areas all around for people to sit and visit instead of just in the rooms. The rooms are very large.

Warren

I really enjoyed the Tribute at Melford. It's a beautiful facility. I thought I was in a hotel when I got there. My mother is most likely in need of memory care and they're just out of my league. It's somewhere around $8,500 a month and we can't afford that. The folks were nice. I thought the facility had many options for the residents. They got a hair salon there and a couple of gyms with folks working in each of those places. I thought it was a really, really attractive place and it would be nice if we were able to afford to keep my mother there, but I don't think that's the case. I don't have a problem with it. I think the facility may be three years old, but it's extremely well put together. I was very impressed with everything and the help that I got from the staff as far as looking through and then explaining what's going on. If I came in with some money, very quickly, I'd probably send my mother over there. I actually went through both assisted living and memory care. They were explaining that their medical staff would review my mother's case and they would do an exam of her. They're more apt to make the decision about which care the person is getting. I know she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's last year. I didn't see anyone eating, but I did go past the dining facility and it's very nice, kind of a restaurant menu style facility. I did meet the cook. They looked like they've got everything in order. All of the staff was top grade. Everybody was kinder than you would expect. They have (I think) a white sheep and a black sheep out front. They're using the residents to try to find names for them. I just mentioned on the way out, "How about Ebony and Ivory?" and the girl's eyes lit up. I thought it was kind of cute that that's what they're doing with the residents, keeping them involved. It's a pretty nice way to interact with the folks.

Renee

Tribute at Melford is a beautiful community. My mom lives there now. It's only three years old. They have invested a lot in their staff to make sure that they're trained and educated on interacting with residents who have cognitive challenges. They have great cognitive plans that involve a lot of variety of things to strengthen the brain and to keep the residents engaged with one another. It is beautifully decorated, and the rooms are fantastic. It's got a lot of modern day conveniences. You literally do not even feel like you're stepping into a memory care community, but you're stepping into a posh hotel/boutique instead. It's really, really nice. Everything is digitized. I also love the fact that it is small. There's only 17 residents, which is what I really like. The family members not only just check on their loved one, but they check on others. While my mom is going through transition, I've had other family members sending me pictures and texting me with any updates about how my mom's adjusting. The food is fantastic. They cater to her. I like that there are lots of age ranges from younger seniors, too. Memory care residents can take advantage of what's happening in assisted living. They got a beautiful home theater, a beautiful gym, fireplaces, café lounges, live entertainment, happy hour on Fridays, and all this stuff on the main part of the building. Memory care had a fireplace set up too, but it was like a faux fireplace. It gave the same illusion. They have their own big screen TVs for movies, but they can go down to the theater room. I love the fact that the staff addresses every single challenge we have with memory prescriptions that may have not been updated from the health care provider. So, they work with us on that. My mom just lit up like the sun. She's laughing, smiling, and making friends now. They want to get to know each other, and she wants to get to know them. She's in good hands. Lastly, they were the only one that had a fixed rate for memory care. They do an initial assessment, but it doesn't change the fixed rate.