Whitney Place at Natick

caringforelder

I am blown away by the level of care and deliberative memory care activities at Whitney Place assisted living memory care. They have THREE dedicated recreational activities staff with activities almost all day long; the staff engages the residents and triggers responses that the residents obviously enjoy and look forward to. The meals are not gourmet, but fine - there are two choices brought around on plates so people can choose which one they would like with a visual connection in addition to the name of the foods, which memory care residents may not understand sometimes. There are also three nurses that keep on top of things, and are very caring and concerned about the needs of the residents and the level of care they receive. My relative has made a few trips to the hospital and the reception she gets when she returns is priceless - the enthusiasm and hugs and genuine happiness at having her back make her feel special, and so helpful with the transition when she thinks she is "going home" - a home that was gone a long time ago. My only complaints are that it's nearly impossible to get the unit to pick up the phone especially at night, and ensuring a resident is using good hygiene or noticing a rash from it. The costs are not only the best deal around, but you get all those extras, and everything is included, so no surprises. Even their manicures and hair care are a great deal! I am so delighted with the (1) care, (2) affordability, and as a result of #2,, (3) knowing I do not have to worry about what I am going to do when the money runs out.

Daughter37

Whitney is a multi-program level for people with memory problems. They have independent living for people who can come and go on their own and even have their own cars; assisted living memory unit for people who are high functioning; assisted living memory unit for people who are much lower functioning who require a lot of cognitive support; and a 50-bed federally qualified nursing home all in one unit. They have an exceptionally responsive administration. The feedback I get from my mother is that every person there has been so exceptionally kind and helpful. My mother is at a stage where she frequently has a concern based on a fear rather than on anything tangible. I simply emailed someone, they addressed it with her, and she said, “Oh, they were so helpful.” I got an email back saying, “That’s what we’re here for. Any question, don’t hesitate. This is exactly what we do; this is what we want to do for our residents.” It’s rare to see that level of understanding and caring for the memory needs of an individual. On top of that, they run caregiver support groups. I have the names of the people who run the kitchen, and we were able to move her into a very spacious studio apartment that fits her queen-sized bed, a dresser, mirror, and a statue and artwork to hang up. She has a lovely studio apartment in this unit that's less expensive than a smaller sized version closer to my house. I’m very happy.

A Caregiver

Whitney Natick was my choice for a relative after visiting several memory care facilities for advanced, early onset alzheimers. Natick Whitney has a care model that provides a nurse, personal care assistants, activity coordinators and administrative staff that provides individualized care for residents and support mechanisms to handle all events. The daily schedule provides residents with a full day of activities, trips, visiting entertainers and etc to provide a safe and caring environment. Each apartment has a private bath. The country kitchen and gathering rooms are bright, cheery and residents quickly find new home a place that is safe and caring. Visitors are welcome at most times to see or help residents. Exercise programs with music is one of the weekly programs residents participate individually or in group. A must see-never thought assisted living could be so much better than home care.

Diana20

We visited Whitney Place for my father. It was nice and clean. It seemed like they have a pretty good set up for patients who need memory care. The staff seemed nice, knowledgeable and professional. The residents seemed well cared for. As far as food, residents would have two choices for lunch and dinner and it seemed like they have a good arrangement in their dining area. However, this facility was not my favorite. They don't have an alert system like when the patient stands up from their bed, an alarm goes off. My dad uses a walker because he has trouble walking. The problem is he doesn't always remember to use the walker and he has fallen before. So we want to make sure that if he got up out of bed and forgot to use the walker to walk to the bathroom, somebody would know. Overall, this facility was okay. I don't think there was anything super great about, but they were okay.

SheilaGPranskyGCM

Whitney Place offers a continuum of care; within the same building exists the option of independent living, assisted living, and a small skilled nursing facility. They also have a special-needs floor secured for dementia residents, an adult day program, and a preschool on site. I've referred a number of clients there -- and I've always had a very good experience with the staff, who are generally experienced, caring, and responsive. They do a particularly good job of transitioning residents from one level of care to the next, particularly from independent living to assisted to dementia care. The skilled nursing facility, Beaumont, is often not available because it is a small facility. If there is availability, Whitney Place residents are given priority. This is a single-building, multi-story facility. Dementia care is on an upper floor, making access to the outdoors limited and complicated (although there is an upper-floor patio). And the building itself has no significant green space around it. It's located in a mostly commercial section of Natick, on Route 9, which is a busy road. It's near many shops and restaurants, but very few that can be accessed by foot. There's no nearby public transportation. There is a large parking lot on site. The programming is well done. There are often intergenerational programs"”especially around holidays. There's also a cocktail hour a few times a week before dinner. There are outings to restaurants, theaters, etc. The food is basic and fairly institutional. They make an attempt to accommodate individual tastes, but it's not gourmet.