Brookdale Dickinson Avenue

I was at Brookdale Dickinson Avenue for a while and enjoyed learning more about the facility and touring the facility as well. They were very nice there. They were able to answer all my questions as I'm considering the proper care for my mom when it's time. I like the size of the single-bedroom apartments that I was shown. They were very adequate in size, and they had a great window view as well to the outside. I also liked the amenities that they make available in terms of activities for the residents to participate in. The staff who gave me the tour was very knowledgeable and very easy to talk to and answered all my questions. They had two dining room areas that were pointed out to me, but I did not eat any food while I was there. The dining area was very nice, very clean. They have an available beauty salon, and they have transportation getting to and from appointments. They have registered nurses on staff. They have had a library, a nice screened-in porch for residents to sit around outside if they wanted to, and a gathering room where games could be played. They have scheduled a Bible study group that would meet at night. They would have individuals come in for various activities. The staff mentioned that they would have someone come in that is very knowledgeable about gardening and plants to get the residents involved in planting flowers and things like that for their own personal use. There are plenty of opportunities for that.

I went to Brookdale Dickinson Avenue about a month ago. The manager of the place was nice. She sat down and talked to me in-depth about what they had to offer. Then she proceeded to show me the three levels of what was available. In my opinion, the top level was the only one I would have felt comfortable putting my sister in. The third one was like you had a wall between you and another person, and both rooms were your bedroom and your living space altogether. Then you had to share a space for using the microwave and all. I looked to where they ate, and it looked like a very nice place to have your meals at. There wasn't anybody in there that day. So that was pretty much the whole tour, and I just went back into a space with some couches in it and the lady sat down and talked with me. I met a couple of people at the front desk and they seemed nice. I like the convenience of where it's at. From that respect where I'm located now, that would be perfect.

I started my visits with Brookdale Dickinson Avenue three years ago because of change in my health status. I've been in touch with them since when they do gatherings or parties. I go up and during the virtual year, they had drive through connections for people who were interested. You would drive through, and they would give you a new information pamphlet. It also would be a drive through celebrating a new vegetable crop or something, and you get two or three things for your fridge. They are a very active community. The good thing about them is it's only three blocks from where I live now, so it would be accessible to the same friends I've made here. When you walk in, there's a beautiful entryway. Four people could be in there at a time; it would never be crowded because of walkers, wheelchairs, and other mobility assistant devices. They have a beautifully covered area to walk in to the living center; there's never a worry about parking your car and walking in the rain. They have a nice living room center when you walk in first thing to greet your guests if they don't go directly to your room. When you come in, the receptionist knows everybody. There's always a sunny, warm reception there. I chose Brookdale because it is pet friendly. I have a small dog and the room is open seating area. I'm thinking of maybe putting a screen behind my settee. It would just block you from being able to see my bed from the door, but it's an open area. If you rent the 200 square foot, you can have a bathroom that you walk into a square. If you get the one that's a little more square footage, the bathroom is sort of stylishly at an angle. There's access to the patio. You have to have the passcode or have your I.D. card with you; security is good. There's a call button in four places in the room. They accept it if you already wear a fall monitor. You don't have to give up a plan that you might already be enlisted to. The fall monitor that I already have will just transfer there. You can rent medical equipment as needed. They have it within the network, or you can rent it from a local health supplier. If I didn't want to maintain the bed that I have that's already raised, I could get a sort of a semi-reclining bed or a full hospital bed if I needed it. Their staffing is good. Their ratio is like 13:1. Their outreach director is just the best I've ever seen. She's a very involved young woman, dedicated to senior care. I bonded with her a lot of times. The personal connection that you find somewhere not only encourages you to prefer that place, but sometimes it inhibits you for liking another. I hope she stays and just advances within the network. You have laundry, housekeeping, and three meals a day. I have been up for lunch, and it was a nice salad lunch with a very good pudding cake dessert and your choice of beverages. They have all the juices, and there's table service and room service. They have folks that come and do outdoor activities. They have therapy animal visits, daily bingo, reading club, a group that gets together and reads their mail together, a computer interest group, senior bowling, chair yoga, and a lot of different things. Also, they have a bus that will take you to the senior center if you're enrolled at senior center activities. I would rate it a 5 and with the communication and virtual visits that I've done with them, I would keep it at a 5 even though I've been communicating with them over a three-year space.

We saw the assisted living care hall at Brookdale Dickinson Avenue. We could not go in the memory care wing, although that's what my stepmom would need. I loved it. It looked like a great facility. It was very clean, and the first thing I noticed when I walked in was that it actually smelled nice. Everyone was friendly, and even the lady that was vacuuming the floors was very friendly. Everything was explained and all of our questions were answered.

Brookdale Dickinson Avenue has nice quality, it isn't dirty, the staff is very nice, the room is very clean, very nice, and my mother seemed to like it. The living atmosphere is positive and very interactive. She said the food is fine, they have bingo, and they have transportation services. The building is new and in good condition.

Brookdale Dickinson Avenue was very nice. The person who accommodated me was very nice. The room was nice as well. The activities were very good. The residents were out and about doing volunteer work when I was there. It was really good.

My mother-in-law has been diagnosed with dementia and Brookdale Dickinson Avenue accepts dementia patients. However, she couldn't afford it because it's $8,000 a month. It was very nice and very well kept. We went in December and looked at it and their grass was very green. She said they have to cut the grass every week so they have lawn or yard maintenance every week. It was beautiful on the inside as well. The tour guide was very helpful and she has reached out to us several times since we visited. They even went to Tarboro to observe her to make sure they put her in the correct facility. They had set up a Wii in there and one of the staff members was playing with them. It's very nice. The day we went, they were eating filet mignon. They asked if we wanted to stay and eat with them, but we couldn't.

As long as the resident has NO dementia or issues, this place is probably fine. However, just be aware that they are out for money first and foremost. They will say anything to get you in there (with the non-refundable $2500 activity fee) and then if there are any problems, they don't have any hesitation kicking someone out. We went there to tour it and told the lady who spoke with us (a salesperson, who received a car for selling the most rooms that year) that my father had dementia issues and would try to come on to women. We were very upfront about his issues and did not hide anything because we wanted to be sure this place would be appropriate for him with his dementia. She insisted that this was not a problem, said she'd had a resident grab her breasts and they were trained to deal with this kind of thing. Once he was there and started exhibiting these behaviors, all of a sudden, the manager claimed she knew nothing about his dementia. Then it was about how fast they could kick him out, sadly informing me that the $2500 activity fee was non-refundable, even though he had only been there a few months. We were given a few weeks to find somewhere to move him, and finally found a place in Windsor that accepted him and were actually trained in dealing with dementia patients.