Brookdale Pittsford

Mark

My dad was at Brookdale Pittsford. The facility was newer, and it had better maintenance. They should not have placed my dad there. They should have suggested assisted living because their resident population does not know who they are or where they are. My father is not that, so that was a poor placement. The experience was not smooth. They have great staff and facilities. It's physically beautiful. The staff members were caring and good. They know what they're doing and do the best they can. The food is good. They have lovely furniture. They've already had an interior decorator in there from the company Brookdale. It was professionally done and clean. It looked like an upper-middle-class home. If you walked over there, you would feel comfortable. The activities are tailored towards the resident population, which is childlike in their cognitive level, so they are appropriate for them. They are not always the cheapest, but they're down on the lower end, and they give everything that the uppers give. My dad should not have been in a dementia unit. The medical staff should have recognized that this was not going to be good for him because he was talking and he understood.

Annie

We liked Brookdale Pittsford, and we are hoping that we can get my dad in there. One of the main reasons we liked it so much is that they use the Clare Bridge approach to dementia or memory care, which is very personalized. It treats everyone as an individual, and they do a lot of things that just seem perfect, like keeping the same daily routine, even on a Sunday, having exercise in the morning, and everything at the same time. That's so important for people with Alzheimer's. I like that they have consistency with staffing. The meals looked lovely. It's a very homey atmosphere, and they specialize in memory care. It's just a memory care facility, and it just gives it a nicer approach. It seemed very safe for all the residents. The layout is all on one floor. There's just a lot to like, and they have two resident cats, which are sweet and friendly. I just looked at the menus and they said that the food is all prepared fresh. The staff all seemed wonderful. They all get training from the Alzheimer's Association. They're friendly and caring people. There was nothing not to like.

Jill

My father is at Brookdale Pittsford. He's doing so much better. He's walking so much better. There are people for him to sit with. They have music and do games. They're having a little open house. The people that work there are just wonderful. They're so nice. His room is just like a little studio. It was furnished. They gave him a regular sized dresser. He's got a decent size window to look out, his own bathroom, and just a small closet. There was music therapy, bingo, and exercising. Once it gets nicer out, there's a deck that they can go out on like a patio. There's a TV room. We saw a handful of places. We had a hard time finding a place for my dad, and this was actually the one that had an opening and was willing to take him. He's just doing really well there now, so I'm glad we made that choice.

lack of care

My dad's short time as a residence of memory care was filled with inadequacy. He was never properly dressed. His hygiene was not properly attended to. His room was dirty, laundry lost and there was never a garbage can. Other residents typically wander around dirty or with one shoe, or with no shoes. After our first "care conference" of 30 days, they attempted to raise our cost by $500.00 saying they hadn't properly assessed his needs or "level of care". Imagine giving yourself a raise for a poor job. We left.

DH

My mother-in-law is in Brookdale Pittsford. We've been very impressed with it, and she seems to be thriving there. They have a lot of activities, and she's made friends. There's a lady there that's become really good friends with her, that takes her hand and takes her everywhere. They bring in music that she really likes. It's very homey and the people are very nice. She's gained weight and doing very well there. They take her to all the activities. She doesn't always participate, but she stays and watches. I haven't had any complaints at all. She has her own private room with a twin-size bed, a private bathroom, a closet, a dresser and a chair, and a little shelf above her bed that you can put things on. Outside of her room is a little box that you could put something personal in to help her find the room. They go to the rooms and gather up all the people and take them to the activities. They have different areas they can go to, like a living area where there's a TV, chairs, and a sofa.

pog

Mom lived there for 4 + years. In the first 2.5 years, nice value. Generally good staff. Some of the aides are well trained and truly seem to care, but there has been an enormous turnover in staff as well. Last 1.5 years, though, once the name changed from ClareBridge to Brookdale, huge decrease in quality of care. Rates go up every January, but quality has decreased significantly. Staff have been reduced to minimal standards, a nurse used to be available 24/7, not any more. Staff are over burdened with needs of residents, especially at night and on weekends. Residents with higher needs are neglected. Often left wet /soiled, not kept hydrated, meal times rushed-so proper nutrition is not possible. Focus has become meds and minimal care needed. Mom had a recent issue while eating in the AM, she was left on her own without consultation even with nurse until later in the day when a staff person expressed concern. Another issue had also been a concern, but no one did anything about it. I had not been notified of any of this. I arrived to visit and was instantly concerned with her condition. No nurse was around, an aide called for support from off duty nurse and xray but she clearly needed more help than that. Sadly they have put her in jeopardy for the last time.