Brookdale Chapel Hill

My sister recently moved in Brookdale CH from another facility that wasn't working. We visited several facilities in the Durham Chapel Hill area and found this on to be the best of the lot. We really like the lay out with the smaller dining areas for each of the halls. This allows the residents to get to know their immediate neighbors. It also prevents people choosing to sit alone at smaller tables. Another plus was how friendly and welcoming everyone was. The overall atmosphere was welcoming with both staff and other residents making a point of saying hi. They are paying attention to small details that matter. The administration staff make a point of being visible not just hiding in their offices like so many other facilities. They assign the same staff to be with your loved so they can become familiar with the care level needed. I live else where but was able to stay for at least 3 meals. The food was good with simple choices if the main meal was not to the residents liking. They made a point of trying to find what the resident liked as much as possible. My sister has a nice studio apartment with ample room and a private bath. While I won't be able to visit very often, the staff made it plain that her friends would be welcome to come visit as often as possible. They seem to have lots of choices of activities and are eager to accommodate other interests whenever possible. The activity coordinator is a friendly young woman who has lots of good ideas for different outings and activities. They have a doctor who comes in once a week and a nurse who is there during the week and on call when she is not there. She is responsible for the Med. Techs who distribute the medications. Again they seem to be interested in providing as individualize care as possible. I am hopeful that my sister will be happy at Brookdale for many years.

Brookdale was great, interesting, and offered a lot, but it was not located where I live.

Brookdale Chapel Hill was a nice, clean, newer facility with spacious rooms. I intended to take my mother there, but they don’t accept Medicaid.

Brookdale Chapel Hill (formerly Wynwood of Chapel Hill) was very homey-looking, and it was reasonably priced, when you compare it to others. They had the type of room that we wanted for my mother-in-law, and it's a little bit larger than some of the other places. It's almost like a little studio apartment. She has only been in there for a few days, and we're still learning about it. They do bingo, bridge club, and they listen to music. They have small dining rooms, not one big, huge hall. They have a van, and they go on field trips, shopping to Walmart, movies, museums, or dinner.

I've got my mom in a place called Wynwood of Chapel Hill. All of the employees are very nice. On my initial visit, I felt very welcome; people were talking to me and asking me if I needed help, introducing themselves and telling what they did, so that was very helpful. The people were very responsive to my mom and made sure they were attentive to her needs when we had a conversation about what she would need and what she wouldn't need. The cleanliness of the facility was a plus, and the variety of the activities that they had and also the attention of the chef with the residents in regards to the food and what they cook wa great. The chef meets with them once a week to get feedback about the food, so that is pretty important. And their desire to take care of her for as long as they can was also a plus.

Wynwood has a unit for dementia. My mother has dementia. Right now, she's able to live in the regular part of the facility but as the dementia progresses, she will be able to transition into the adjoining area. My father will still be able to be near her. I'm about an hour and a half away from the location. It seems to be a very nice place; it's very clean and well-run. The only complaint either of my parents have about it is the food, which is not to my father's liking. I think my mother is fine with it. I know that they have movies available to see a couple of times a week and there is a sing-along type of activity that's available to them. My father is getting physical therapy. I know they have activities like flower arranging once a week. I like the fact that they were able to take things from their home and decorate these two rooms so that it feels more like home to them. The staff is very attentive to all of their requests. They are also aware of problems to make sure that there aren't any difficulties. They've just been real caring.

Very pleased with the excellent care my mom has had at Wynwood. Staff is attentive and go out of their way to attend to her needs. I am always updated with any changes and her doctor is always in communication with me about her health status. I have always found her clean and well dressed and happy with her life there. I have friends that pop in to visit her and they have given me excellent feedback. Mom says she enjoys the food and has even added weight . She has made friends with some other people living there and has her own social circle. Lots to do there and a great front porch!

I recently put my loved one in this facility for short-term care. I am very sad to report that the care here is disappointingly poor. My loved one needed much more care than this facility was able to provide. But beyond that there was a lack of communication among the care givers, medications were missed or well over 2 hours late. She was not bathed for over 5 days despite constant requests. The food was extremely poor. Even the long-term residents warned me of the problems and the food. There are multiple issues that were shocking and highly worrisome. On a good note, I think they are trying. I think the facility is clean and attractive. But the care for the individual is extremely poor. The focus seems to be on the bottom-line and not on the wellbeing of the resident. I could not recommend this facility at all.