Benchmark Senior Living at Forge Hill

I would say Benchmark Senior Living at Forge Hill was excellent. That was going to be our first choice, but the room they showed us, they no longer had. Then when we went back to confirm it, they told us about the community fee, but they didn't tell us that on the initial visit. The staff who gave the tour, her name was Julie, and she was excellent. The apartments were nice, but they were smaller than the ones at the other place. The dining area was very nice, but we did not try the food. Everything looked nice, clean, and neat. We've seen the rooms for activities, but nothing was going on.

My husband is now at Benchmark Senior Living at Forge Hill. They've been very helpful. Not knowing my husband's level of care that he may need, on day one, he left the facility, and they didn't know if he could be on his own or not, and I thought it was great because the nurse got in her car and went looking for him because he didn't know kind of the protocol, 'Oh, I'm supposed to sign up.' She went looking for him and took him back. She already did that twice, she went and picked him up because he went for a walk and didn't think he could get back on his own because he was too tired. They're very good at calling me. The communication is very good. Their attention is good. My husband is on a suggested care plan which makes them check on him if he doesn't show up for dinners and things. Like at lunch, breakfast, and dinner, if he doesn't show up, they'll knock on his door and make sure he's okay. He has no complaints about the food; he says it's good. He likes the people. He has not partaken in any of the activities. I think the Halloween party was the first one that he went to. So we're still trying to encourage him to do that, to partake in activities. But, for the short time that I've been there, I like what I see. The room that my husband is in is a one-bedroom, and they put new carpeting down for him and painted the walls, so it was very comfortable. The only negative is there are no lights in the ceiling, so it's very hard to make it look bright in there, and there are no lights in the closet, so it's very difficult to see your things. That's what I would call the negative in the room. Other than that, I think it suits his needs. There's a variety of rooms. They have a studio and a larger studio. Even the bedrooms have different sizes. There was one he liked because it had three windows that are like a bay window, and it faces more the outside and less of the parking lot, and so that's why he chose it. It reminded him of what he had at home a few years ago. They have bingo and some type of workouts in the morning. The staff has been great. I haven't tried the food but when I go by, it smells great, and I see the people eating. My husband has never complained. I would have to say that I was happy that his first day there when I was moving him in, a nurse came up and introduced herself and one of the chefs that night came in and introduced herself, and asked about my husband and made him just feel very comfortable. I was quite pleased that they took quite a personal approach with their residents. Outside is very well landscaped and very welcoming. It is well maintained.

I toured Benchmark Senior Living at Forge Hill. I thought the person who runs Benchmark was extremely helpful, knowledgeable, very kind, and compassionate. I thought that the assisted living was well laid out and clean. It looked like a happy environment. She didn't rush me, and she answered every question. I think I asked it three times, and she still answered it well, and she was very good. At the moment I'm going to use that place for my mom's respite care.

The people that I talked to and worked with at Benchmark Senior Living at Forge Hill were excellent. The tour was great. I liked that the eating areas were all very good. They had a great activity list that includes exercise programs and holiday schedules. The rooms were nice. They were good size and very accommodating. The atmosphere around there was great.

Benchmark Senior Living at Forge Hill was pleasant, welcoming, very neat, and clean. The staff was informative, thorough, and pleasant. It felt homey. It was modern and a newer construction, so it was bright and spacious. They had many activities, outings, and outdoor areas where you could meet and greet or walk. The interior was very bright, and they had lots of big windows. There was sunshine coming in that you could feel. There were game rooms, a barber, a salon, movie nights, pool tables, and libraries. They had it all.

My parents moved into Benchmark in Franklin last week. We found the place also last week, and we were able to come to an agreement. They also had vaccination and it kind of prompted us to sign the papers right away, so that they could get their 1st vaccines. They have pretty grounds outside, and they have no steps or ramps to enter and exit the building. Our decision was based on our ability to be able to agree on the price, liking the facility, being able to tour it in person, and availability of the vaccine. As far as the staff goes, I dealt with one person and she was very understanding, very kind and very insightful about a lot of things. We went back and forth with her several times, and she was very accessible to us. We didn't have to wait to talk to her. She always calls us right back if she wasn't able to answer right away. Because of the pandemic, she was the only one we dealt with. We wanted a bigger apartment and we looked at three of them. I felt like most of the bedrooms I saw were really just for one person, as they're kind of small. We were able to find one that is suitable for a queen size bed plus two nightstands and that's a big plus. I haven't tried the food because they didn't want visitors there. They're also serving them in their rooms. The residents are not going down to the restaurant for meals. I'm sure the food service is different, the choices are different, and the temperature of the food when they get to the room is probably different. Housekeeping is included, they do your laundry, your bedding and cleaning your apartment. They'll do them once a week, but you can do your own laundry if you like. The facility is clean and new. It's not a renovated old structure and not an old mill factory that's been renovated. It's a fairly new purposeful building.

I like everything about Benchmark Senior Living at Forge Hill, but I think it should be painted and updated. They definitely should improve the lobby because the furniture's nice, but it’s old. The people who took us around were wonderful. The apartments were adequate. The staff was wonderful and the manager was wonderful. The place was clean enough.