Memory Care Communities in Reading, MA

"Sunrise of Burlington MA's accommodations are great and the place is very nice. The memory care portion there would have cost us more money because we would have needed to hire somebody to come in for 24-hour care. They do laundry and housekeeping. The rooms were very nice. The residents came right over and were excited to talk about living there. They welcomed us and they were very sweet. They looked happy, joked around, and they interacted with us. They were very cute."

"Atria Longmeadow Place had terrific staff. Diane spent a lot of time with me. I was also really impressed by the staff retention rate. It's phenomenal. People stay there for years and years, which is a really good sign. I think they also compensate their staff well, which is important and adds to retention. The rooms were a pretty good size. It had everything anybody could need. They were 100% accessible to people with disabilities or mobility impairments, which was wonderful. It's a bit smaller and more intimate than the other place. They are undergoing a major renovation right now but it didn't even matter. It didn't ruin the ambiance, which was surprising, even though a lot of it was under plastic. It still felt like home, and I think it was the ambiance that they have set, which is pretty exceptional. They have a lot of amenities. There, we spent more time talking about memory care. I think the staff said 40% of their residents are men, which was great for my dad. They have a lot of folks who like to do sort of more intellectual or mentally stimulating kinds of things. They have a lot of active residents who are also mentally active. They were in the middle of doing deep cultural dives on different countries around the world and that includes learning about the holiday, history, and also food that goes along with it. They're working to keep people engaged and learning about things in different ways. If it's a married couple and one of them is in assisted living and the other is in memory care, they offer a discount for couples that are using two different apartments. For us, that's a significant draw. These are expensive propositions to do and having a discount, was a big deal. They also sent me fresh cookies home, and they're the best cookies I've ever had. "

"We like the level of care at The Atrium and the staff we met as well. It is the right size. It is very important that everyone is on one floor, which is the case there. The staff is great, and the rooms are small but very workable. "

"I went here, I liked it, and my mother moved there a month and a half ago. I liked the way it was laid out. It was very clean, I liked the staff, and it just seemed like they had their stuff together. Everything has been great. The staff seemed very good, focused, and attentive. The food is very good. It's very clean. I was there Sunday, and they were doing activities. They also have a schedule of activities."

"I only viewed Benchmark at Putnam Farm, and I was pleased with it. It is not big and is homey and more informal. I don’t like the big ones because anybody with any type of memory problem will have a hard time finding their way around. They try to keep the residents busy, which is nice. They have exercise and check on them. There aren't tons of people going in and out, so it is very low key and casual. The atmosphere is nice, which is the reason I picked this one. I have eaten there quite a few times, and the food is fine. It is served like in a restaurant. I think it is a great place. I have talked to some of the residents who love it. I have also talked to their kids who seem to like it, too."

"We went to Benchmark Senior Living at Billerica Crossings. Everything was excellent, we were greeted at the door, the girl took us through all the things, we went through every aspect of the place. It was the time of the COVID, but we thought we saw everything we needed to see. She was very informative, very pleasant, and it went great. The place was nice."

"Sunrise of Arlington seemed very nice. They wanted to assess my mother even though she has some significant needs. The staff members were good. The director was very nice. It's in a very urban setting, so the grounds are limited. It's not nearly as lavish as many other communities because of the urban setting. For example, it's not where you would send somebody if you want them to experience a little more nature in their final days, but the location is convenient for me because I live close by. The rooms seemed like a good size. There was a variety of choices. They have studios, 1-bedrooms, and 2-bedrooms."

"My mom is at Atria Marland Place. It's been genuinely good. A lot of staff turnover, especially on the leadership positions at the facility. I know it's tough with everything that's going on, but they've had a lot of struggles, I think, with keeping personnel, inconsistent support, and then they know they had a lot of COVID. That was more of our concern, was the COVID, 'cause I think they had a lot of temporary help in and out of there, but overall it's been OK. The food has been up and down. They've had three chefs since she's been there, so it's been a little spotty. Sometimes it's pretty good, and other times it's been not so good. They have a tons of stuff for activities. She kinda keeps to herself. She doesn't really care to participate in that stuff, but that's just her decision. They do a good job trying to get people involved, and there's certainly enough stuff going on."

"I checked out Prospect House. It was great, but the price was very high. The people were great. I made an appointment, I was there, and they were waiting for me. I didn't wait, and they did the tour for me. They gave me very good information, and they gave me their business card. They were nice people. I visited the leader of the memory care, Cheryl, and she was great. Nicole was my tour guide. They were great, but the prices for me were way too much. However, the customer service was awesome. The common area was excellent. The room was excellent. There was one studio available, and it was $9,000. It was the memory section, but it's too much."

"My mother is in Sunrise at Gardner Park. The thing I liked least about it was the lack of communication. The people that take care of my mom are very nice and compassionate. The facility is clean and well taken care of. They keep my mom's room very clean. They have a beauty salon and a nice courtyard. They do have transportation. They take them out for like ice cream and to the beach. They keep them busy. They have activities like exercise and bingo."

"I like them because their staff members are not outsourced. They're the same staff. I think they have an excellent staff. I visited their memory care unit, and so, it's a big deal because they get to see the same caretakers every day. I like the layout of the place. It was simple but clean. I like where they eat, and I like the menu. I also like the location. The staff was very, very helpful and informative. I like them. It was a smaller community. I also liked it because I saw more interaction with the patients."

"It is beautiful. It has architectural detail in all the rooms because it’s an old building that was renovated, and everything is accessible primarily by elevator. It’s easy to get to right downtown. You can walk to all the shops and restaurants. If the elderly person is active, it might be a great place because they can walk to the theater. There is a jazz bar and an art center. You can walk to the beach and parks. There are tons of stuff to do. They offer free membership to the YMCA across the street to anyone who is staying there. They have a beautiful view of the ocean. It has a nice dining facility with a great menu and options. There’s not a lot of parking, which is the downside of being in the inner city. You really don’t need a car between being able to walk places and having shuttle buses. They have a really nice dedicated Alzheimer's floor which seems well maintained and secure with their own staff. You have to have a key to get on and off the floor with the elevator, which was nice. "

"We've chosen Ashland Farm at North Andover. We're moving there on August 30th. They seemed to have a lot more activity there, and the fellow that showed us around, Gary, took his time with us and he showed us all around. We were there for a good two and a half hours. The rooms were four hundred square feet, and we're in a thousand square feet apartment. So we have to downsize. He even recommended movers for us. They gave us free lunch, it was superb, excellent. He gave us a list, the activities change every week, they've got bingo, and they got Wives Tale, and they got questions like Jeopardy. They've got singalongs, they got a baby grand piano there, and my wife plays the piano. She can play the piano in the community room. It was very lively. There were a lot of people, a lot of activity going on. They even explained to us that if we have company, we can reserve a dining area where we can have birthday parties, and it's free. But if we order the food from the restaurant, we have to pay."

"I spoke with a woman, Katie, here. She was very helpful. I thought the layout was great. It was tidy and a nice area. The common areas and the couple of rooms we looked at were very nice. There was a garden out back, which seemed wonderful. My aunt prefers to spend her time outdoors in a garden area. It was better than the other place we toured. Overall, it was a positive visit. It was between meals when we went, so it was relatively quiet. We saw a bunch of folks who just seemed to be relaxing in the common areas. The dining area was very nice. The pub was also quite nice. The natural lighting was great. The layout was nice, and the place was tidy. The place looked very nice."