Brookdale Valencia

Marsha

We visited Brookdale Valencia. It was done very nicely. It felt very welcoming and it looked like a very nice facility. The apartment was lovely. The staff during the visit was very helpful and answered a lot of my questions. She was very pleasant. I did not sample the food, although I was taken to the dining area where people were eating. Everything looked very nice.

Reviewer#DT1010C

I did a tour of Brookdale Valencia, and it was good. We really enjoyed it. We're particularly impressed with the man who gave us a tour. They were probably larger than most because it's an older facility. We thought the size of the rooms were very nice, but they were a little bit dark. It needed more sunshine in it. But that, again, because it's an older facility. I liked that they had a tall fence all the way around the facility. So, if you were outside taking a walk, it felt pretty safe. Part of their outdoor facilities were kind of encompassed inside the building itself, so you had buildings all around you, and you felt very safe out there.

Shelly

Brookdale Valencia was very nice. The rooms were a nice size. It's got a kitchen and a washer/dryer, which my mom would like. She could have her dog, she could drive, and cook in her room if she wants to. So, I liked all the benefits that they offer. The amenities were great, too. The staff who gave the tour was very helpful and showed us all the stuff.

Annette

We toured Brookdale Valencia. They needed repairs, and the hallways looked like they needed to have some maintenance. I didn't like the location on this one. I liked the apartment, it had a pretty decent kitchen and it was a nice apartment. The bedroom was kind of small for a king-sized bed, but I can't expect them to have a great big bedroom. The place itself was clean. They showed us what they called the library, which wasn't very big.

Pat

My mom and I saw Brookdale Valencia together. Molly was the person who was helping us, and she was very nice. The staff were very nice there. The apartments that they offer are gorgeous. It's in a gated community. I like that part, but when you leave outside of that gate, the area is suspect. There's a tent community across the street from this beautiful gated property. My mom liked the apartment, but it was out of her range. There was a special and a special was still making it $2400 a month, which was not affordable for my mom. But it's a beautiful complex, and they offer meals there. You have a nice apartment with your own kitchen, but you can also go down to the kitchen area where they prepare the meals. They have activities and a movie room. It's absolutely beautiful. The only problem with Brookdale was that it was too expensive. Other than that, it's beautiful. It is the best of both worlds. If you need independent living and if you also need assisted living. Brookdale would be one of those that I would say, 'Definitely go check it out yourself.' The property is very maintained and very secure. There are courtyards, sitting areas, a movie theater room, and a social hall. It's worth visiting. It's beautiful. For the money you're paying, it's top rated. The staff were very nice. Molly was very generous when she was showing us the property and showing us around. She also reached back out to me because they were having a special rate. She was following up and asking if there were any other questions and stuff. She just made us feel welcome from the start and answered our questions and things.

Ruben

Our tour of Brookdale Valencia was very good and the community seemed to be very nice. The place seemed great. It was very comfortable and safe. The overall experience was very good. We like that there are a lot of activities and the room we saw was very nice. It was more like an apartment than just a room. They have easy exercise classes, and swimming classes and they go on side excursions like going to movies and different museums. So she would be able to do different things. The dining area was good, we tried the food and it was okay. The staff who gave us the tour was Molly, she was very helpful to us, she was great. The building was in great shape.

Russell

We have been here in Brookdale Valencia for over two years now. The care is good here. The building was just refurbished a couple of years ago. It's very nice here. The rent is reasonable. The staff are qualified, they're nice, and they do a good job. The food is good. We have a lot of activities. They play Scrabble and crossword puzzles. They have bingo, movies, and physical exercises. They have all kinds of stuff. It's very, very valuable. We have a typical apartment. We have a stove, an oven, and a refrigerator.

Robby

What I liked most about Brookdale Valencia is they've got a therapeutic pool. They've got a 24-hour nurse's station. All of the residents have a help button. At the same time, the hallways are monitored by cameras, so even if they have a problem but can't get to their button, the staff will still be alerted, and they'll still go. Almost all the staff have medical training. Say there's a problem in the restaurant, all of the staff there, even the people who bring them food have basic medical knowledge and can do life-sustaining aid until a nurse gets there. So overnight, when their nurse's station is manned, it's an actual nurse. It's not just somebody who's there for 12 bucks an hour to call 9-1-1. There's an actual, qualified medical person there, 24-7, no matter what. They've got multiple floors, and the apartments are about the size of a large hotel suite. It's about 440 square feet. It's got a little kitchen thing. If the resident or the resident's family doesn't want them to be able to cook their own, they can shut off the range. There's a refrigerator and a microwave. So, you can still have cereal and you can make tea or whatever; But if there are dietary restrictions, or they're starting to get dementia and you don't want them to cook their own food, they can simply turn it off. Something that will be important, people in Albuquerque are going to understand that it's not in a great part of town. So, the management there took that into consideration, so it's fully gated. The gate is monitored by cameras and by security that's part of the staff. So, they have 24-hour roving security that's part of the staff. It's not somebody that's contracted out that drives by occasionally, they're part of the staff. I made it a point to ask how often they have a problem with nonresidents or other people. He said that they don't. Directly next door to Valencia on one side is another apartment complex that has its own staff or its own staff security and monitored everything. Then on the other side is a recovery center that has its own gated and security staff. So, like that whole block is gated and monitored and like it's well taken care of. They did not offer food. We came early in the morning, in between breakfast and lunch. They have structured mealtimes, so that wasn't available when we got there. The residents were in the common areas. They were in the restaurant sitting and talking. Nobody was confined to their rooms until a specific time, they were out wandering around doing whatever they want. They have activities that are set up and run strictly by the residents. They have bingo and the crochet club; stuff like that, the residents got together and did it on their own. They congregate on their own. It was more the overall vibe, it's the only thing I could think of right now, as the residents like being there.

Mike

Brookdale Valencia is an older facility, but it's very clean. The staff that I interacted with were friendly and introduced themselves. They seemed to have a full calendar of activities, but that wasn't a high priority for me. The food smelled good, but I didn't get to eat it. They have more room options available compared to the other Brookdale I visited. They have 2 different 1-bedroom plans. They have a large studio (which was a possibility), and more options as far as accommodations. It was nice. If you go to one of the newer facilities versus this one, there's a lot of difference just in things being up to date. They were doing some remodeling there too, like swapping out flooring and that kind of thing. We like that it was less expensive than the other facility. It was a little bit larger facility. I just don't want my folks to deal with mobility issues and things like that. Everything appeared to be very well maintained.

Frank

Brookdale Valencia was by far the best among the facilities we saw. The rooms were much larger and they had a kitchen with a refrigerator, a stove, as well as an outdoor patio. There was much more space and it was much more comfortable-looking. The staff was very good. They're informative, very gracious, very nice, and answered all our questions. The dining room looked OK. They have a game area, a craft area, and a place for TV watching. The facilities were very clean and appeared to be kept up.

Alicia

Brookdale Valencia had very open hallways, and they had scattered seating areas where just a small group (maybe three or four people) could sit and visit. They had a very large cafeteria area. There was a little bit fancier menu option and a less fancy option like chicken fingers. It was open and airy. They had a lot of areas for sitting outside. They also had activities. They had kitchenettes in the rooms. I appreciate that you could have the stove shut off like I probably would for my mom because she does have dementia. I would be afraid that she would leave the stove; you can have that option. They have a full-sized refrigerator in each of the rooms, so she could keep her own refrigerated or frozen food in addition to the three meals that are covered. When we walked in, I overheard a lady that works there who was meeting with three or four of the residents and they were just talking about starting a book club. You would read a certain passage and then they would meet every week to discuss it, and I like the idea of mental stimulation. As we get older, our mental faculties decline. I think unused mental faculties decline much faster than a brain that is continually challenged. They have a walking group every morning. The residents that we passed were kind of laughing and talking to each other. When the staff walked with me, they introduced themselves. It just seemed like everybody enjoyed being there.

Joyce

I dearly love my apartment in Brookdale Valencia. The residents, the workers, and everybody has been wonderful. I made new friends very quickly, and I just love it here. Right now I'm quarantined, so I can't get out very much, but we are starting to get out of it and the activities are fun. That was where I met people, when we could go down to the dining room, but we can't go down there again because one of the new residents that moved in tested positive. They have tested all of us so I imagine when that passes, we'll all start coming out again. They don't have too many food choices, though. There are only two choices for each entree and meal, but it's all pretty good food. It's not gourmet food, but I'm not used to gourmet food anyway, so it suits me fine. They have a small indoor swimming pool that is mainly for therapy, but they can lead exercise classes in there, or people can go down and they have a list of exercises to do. I haven't been in the pool yet, but they tell me that about five people is the maximum for it, and you can go anytime, even when there are no classes. There are no exercise rooms, but they do have exercise classes. They have two very nice courtyards that are totally handicap accessible, craft activities, a movie room, Bible studies, big crossword puzzles, poker games, and a group called "The Looney Tunes" that meet every night from six to eight o'clock to play all kinds of fun and silly games or just sit and talk. Anybody could go in for that. The building was probably built in the 60s or 70s, but they have taken good care of it. My kitchen has all-new appliances in it, and the carpeting looks new. Although my bathroom floor is not perfect, it's fine for me. They keep it clean, and we have housekeeping every two weeks. They took advantage and redid the dining room, too, when nobody could go down there.

George

Brookdale Valencia is very good and has excellent care. I know that they have a wide variety of activities, but I don't know if my parents are participating in them. The staff is excellent. I have spoken to the director of the facility and the sales manager directly. They're very good people, very pleasant to work with, and very responsive as well. They are efficient and very detail oriented. Every communication has been pleasant and I highly recommend their services. I know they have a lot of amenities (a lot of which are closed because of COVID) but they do have a lot.

Michael

I went to Brookdale Valencia. They had a nice dining room, and they served me a meal, it was pretty skinny though, and there wasn't a lot to chew on. They gave me a menu and somebody asked me what I wanted to order. The rooms were nice and large. I believe I visited their independent living. The staff was good, it looked very nice, it was more like an apartment complex, and it wasn't homely at all.

Tonya

Brookdale Valencia is a really nice place. The staff seems nice and all the people there are nice. The room was also big and spaceous enough. It was a great place.

Karal Veeh

It has become a hellish nightmare, stay away! Assisted living is a lie here. If you need help, forget it. You frantically press the help button and NO ONE comes. At least if you die on the street like all the homeless who camp directly outside the gates, which are rarely secured, it is free! Save your loved one's money! Food SUCKS, they don't even have ginger ale and let's not talk about how often the heat or the AC conks out. They used to have a fancy water station to help residents hydrate & now that is gone. Dead roaches in the hall for DAYS, super classy.

C. Garcia

My in-laws have been in Brookdale Valencia. They have independent living with assistance for their medication. They serve three good meals a day. My in-laws have started attending some church services there, which they're enjoying. They're having a little trouble getting used to just being there, but we appreciate them being there because there is somebody that can be there and check on them. Like I said, they give them assistance with the medication and that department is really good. The only concern we have is getting in contact with the executive director, but everybody else there is very helpful. They get your questions answered. My in-laws got a one-bedroom apartment with a balcony, which is very nice. They have movies, games, arts and crafts, puzzle rooms, exercise sessions, and reading groups. There are a lot of social activities that are available, but my in-laws haven't taken part in them yet. They have a library and an exercise pool, too.

ET

My father is at Brookdale Valencia, and it's been really great so far. He is non-verbal and they've been working with it pretty well as best as they can. Mostly it's the cleaning staff and the maintenance staff that he knows well. They're all very helpful and friendly, especially the housekeeping staff. The accommodation is fantastic. He has a large 1-bedroom, and he doesn't do any cooking in his own space. He's been very comfortable. The dining area is nice, comfortable, easy to get to, and accommodating for him, and the food is very good. I've eaten a few meals with him there. However, the service is really slow and it seems like the staff members in the dining area don't quite have service abilities. They don't do a very nice job. There are a few that were quite fast and on top of things like the people in the kitchen making the meals, but the service staff is a little slow. The activities are a little lacking.

Tim

Brookdale Valencia was a little bit old and worn, but it was clean. There was a dining room and a meeting room. They offer laundry services. The person giving the tour was very pleasant; I enjoyed our visit. The place showed some signs of wear, but it wasn't dirty.

Bobby

We like Brookdale Valencia so far. They have lots of activities. They have exercises and a little pool. The food is good. My mother's room is nice and big.

Beth

We placed our mother in Brookdale Valencia, and I'm very impressed with them. The food is excellent, and the caregivers are absolutely so kind and loving. Many of them have been with this community for ten to 20 years, and there's very little staff turnover. That really makes the quality of care that much better. The size of the apartments are much larger than in other places, and there's a lot of storage space. So those were the determining factors for us in selecting Brookdale Valencia. They have a fair number of activities, there's a library, a pool, and they're in the process of completing a full interior remodel. There's many things offered there, but there are more in other communities, so it's in the middle of the road in terms of activities and amenities. This place is not as fancy as the new ones, but the food is excellent and I've eaten there multiple times. For this kind of place, there's a good variety, and the food is well-prepared. I think the value is excellent, so I would rate them a five on that.

larry041440

What I like about Brookdale Valencia is that their prices are lower than most of the places are. I was able to eat there twice, and the food is good. I also saw that they have an exercise room and an activity room, and their lobby is very nice. Their staff seemed very engaged with the residents. Overall, it seemed really very nice.

Kirk102603

We chose Brookdale Valencia because it just had everything my mom was looking for at a good value. They have good activities. She likes the openness of the place. We have lunch there, and their food was good.

Carol123602050

The rooms at Brookdale Valencia are very nice, clean, open, and airy. The whole building is very nice, and the food is good, too. The staff is wonderful. They have entertainment and different things, but I don't know all the activities yet.

C.S.IKFPV

Brookdale Valencia was nice. We toured a comfortable two-bedroom. Everyone seemed to be quite nice. We weren’t impressed with the food; it wasn’t that great but wasn’t that bad either. They could improve on it.

Vickie14

The activities that Brookdale Valencia offered and the friendliness of most of the people impressed me the most. However, the rooms were smaller and one of them was not easy to get to with a wheelchair. The food was OK. Parking for visitors needs improvement.

Moira1

My mother will be moving to Brookdale Valencia. They have a lot of amenities there. The facility was beautiful and clean. Also, one of the things that I really like is that they have a pool and water aerobics. For food, they have eight choices for meals. There were four different choices for entrees and four different choices for sides. My mother can get a kitchenette in a regular apartment. The one she is going into, it has a shared kitchen-living and a private bedroom and bathroom. The staff was wonderful. We really like this community, especially for the price.

DesertDweller

My dad has lived here for 2 years. He came from another Brookdale facility in another state, so he's pretty happy with it. Happy with everything except the food. The food at the other facility was very good! I ate there several times. I've tried to eat at this Brookdale several times and it was terrible every time. Yes, their menu looks awesome, but it is pretty much flavorless and over cooked. Their "chef", and I use this term very loosely, needs to either take a LOT more cooking classes, or perhaps they should hire someone that actually knows how to cook. Another concern I have is that it is located in the "war zone". They do have a security gate, but it is NEVER shut or locked, even though they are right next door to a rehab center. They have signs posted on the doors asking you not to prop them open for safety concerns. The rest of the facility seems to be run very well, going out of their way to help with little problems I have with my dad. The staff is what makes this place great!

Marty9

We found a place called Brookdale at Valencia. It had all the amenities that I was looking for. The staff is great. The staff is fabulous. The problem is they are understaffed. The rooms are very nice and spacious. I have tried to eat there, and intermittently they have good food, but for the most part it is not very exciting. They have quite a few activities for the residents there. They have meet and greet, and they have sitcoms with different acts that come to the place on Fridays. They try to be fit. They have cheery yoga and water exercises. They really do a good job on that.

bdhansc

My mother lived alone at Brookdale at Valencia from 2007 until her death last year. It took "the whole village" of Brookdale to help her stay in her Independent Living apartment, and they were successful. She went through many periods requiring help from the Personalized Living staff--even though she would "fire" them whenever she felt she no longer needed them, they, and the other staff, were always there to help. We were particularly impressed with the persistence and effort the Personalized Living staff put in to get coverage from her Long Term Care insurance policy--there were endless requests for "more information", but in the end, we received the full amount the insurance company would cover.

Dave26

I visited Brookdale Place. It was very clean. The walls were freshly painted. It looked like the facility was well taken care of. The rooms were spacious and clean, and I think they were well laid out. The staff was friendly and very helpful with mom playing overtime with her stigma in the fear of going into an "old folk's home". My mom thought they had very nice apartments, but again this was an old folk's home, and she's not ready for an old folk's home. They had activities like sewing and knitting. They had social get together of some sort. I liked that all the people there were friendly and seemed to be happy there.

Caring91274750

I visited Brookdale Place at Valencia and it seems to be fine. It was a very nice facility. The staff was OK. They were very kind. Their one-bedroom apartment was very nice. They had like a hundred residents.

Caring89698650

I visited the Brookdale Place. It was my second choice. Everything was fine. The people were friendly. It's in a part of town that if somebody walks too far, they're in a bad area, and I knew my brother would take off. He would still go for long walks, because he isn't that old. The place itself is beautiful. The area around it is nice, too. There are a couple of things. There's the fact that there wasn't a lot of places you would walk to that you would be safe. The room that they had available was nice. It was a ground level floor, which was nice. The dining room was nice.

Netta1

I placed my dad at Brookdale Place of Valencia, and I am happy with the facility. He is still there, and everything is great. We are very happy with the whole facility. He has a one-bedroom apartment with a balcony. He goes to morning exercise every day from 9 to 9:30, and he goes down for three meals a day. He also goes to pool therapy two times a week for an hour and a half. The dining facility is great, and he seems to enjoy everything on the menu. We chose this facility because it is an independent living facility where you could move into assisted living.

Jan32

Brookdale Place at Valencia is my number one choice. I was really impressed with everything about the facility. I thought the residents seemed to be very happy and friendly. They were obviously very happy with where they were. The energy of the place was very positive. The place was very clean. I was very impressed with the cleanliness of the units I saw, plus the general facility. Everything about it was very nice. Regarding the rooms, I thought they were much more generous and thoughtful, as far as providing closet space and storage space and things like that.

Jodi3

My grandmother is in Brookdale and it seems everybody knows her and talks to her. The staff has always been every nice. They are checking on her every two hours. Their food is very good. They have activities all the time, I just don't know if she goes to them. They have swimming pool and a nice exercise room. Her room is like a little studio apartment. It is like an L-shape with bathroom. She also has a refrigerator and microwave. There is stove but we don't have the stove working for her. She also has a kitchen table, a love seat, a recliner, a dresser and a bed.

Jptinohio

My mother lived in Brookdale Assisted Living for the last three and half years of her life. The entire Management and staff with their personal compassionate card are the strength of this facility. They appropriately identified the correct time for Hospice to come and coordinated with them very well. We are comforted in the fact that Mom spent her last years in such a caring environment. If we had a rare issue and raised it to management it was handled promptly. The facility has been recently remodeled in good taste and we think appeals to its potential residents. Having Mom in a facility that provided/coordinated all phases of end of life (assisted living, nursing, hospice) in her same apartment and surroundings was important to us and Mom. Job well done Brookdale, Thank You.

Larry21

Brookdale Place is nice but it's more expensive and more fancy. The rooms are also nicer. You could tell it's a good place.

Rick12

We felt Brookdale Place at Valencia would meet the needs of my mom-in-law in terms of assisted living so we put her in there. They had a good reputation. We toured the facility and saw that the staff were caring and it seemed like she will be receiving good care in there. The food was okay.

Lovely Wife

I visited Brookdale Valencia and it's an older facility, but very nice. The people were extremely nice. The staff were very pleasant. The price is quite reasonable and the rooms are of adequate size.

GloriaV

I visited Brookdale Place Valencia and it just did not stand out for me. It was kind of small and laid back. The facility itself was an older facility. Their rooms were also on the small side. However, the facility had a very friendly atmosphere. I like that it was also very pet-friendly.

Suzanne10

We chose Brookdale Place because it had both independent living and assisted living facilities. My mom also liked the price. It was clean and modern. My mom had a two bedroom apartment with two bathrooms, living room and kitchen. It was very big compared to the others we saw online and it could accommodate two people. They had a lot of activities and they had something going on everyday. They had a lot of music and dancing which my mom liked. Even if you were in the independent living, you could just pay for the additional services you wanted and they did it. Although the dining room seemed to be understaffed with waitresses, but the food was good. The location was not on the best part of town so that was a concern but it was fully-fenced. So far, I had not seen any problem.

Caring500505

I visited them regarding care for my mother. I am still researching facilities that specialize in memory care. I really like the layout of the facility. The Memory care portion of the facility was very impressive. The caretakers had an unobstructed view of the entire memory care unit. The residents' lived in quarters that resembled little neighborhoods. It is a controlled environment yet I didn't get the feeling that it was a confined space. They could go wherever they chose in their neighborhoods of 5-7 groups without it being an overwhelming environment. I like the outside areas of the memory care unit as well. It was inviting and non intimidating. I would definitely recommend this facility to others.

Cat_Fan_79

I need help taking care of my elderly father. That's why we took a tour of Brookdale Place Valencia. Brookdale Place Valencia is located about three blocks south of Central Avenue on 300 Valencia Drive SE.A friendly staff member named Pam took us on a tour of Brookdale Place Valencia. Pam was very nice to my father and me. She was also very patient while she showed us what the facility had to offer. I appreciated that because it showed that she cared about my father's needs.She started the tour by taking us to the library room. It was a cozy space that contained many books about sports, finance and other topics. My dad liked it because the room's large window made the area inviting. Pamela then took us to the residents' dining room. It looked clean. It also seemed to have enough room to allow residents to relax while eating.Moreover, the food they served us for lunch was quite delicious. The sandwiches and brownies were fresh. They contained high-quality ingredients. They also were served in huge portions. We later toured the kitchen where the residents' meals are prepared. It seemed clean and inviting. The staff members were also friendly. Pamela then showed my father inside one of the facility's apartments. The apartment seemed to be comfortable. It also seemed to be furnished with the things you'd need to live comfortably. He seemed to enjoy the apartment's kitchen because it had a powerful microwave that he could use to prepare snacks quickly. Finally, we took a tour of the game room. The game room had a pool table, an air hockey table and a card table. My father especially enjoyed the pool table because it could be converted into a snooker table.As a result, my father and I would gladly consider Brookdale Place Valencia for all of my dad's long-term care needs.