Nursing Home Communities in Vernon, CT

"Staff: The Staff are really great. They are friendly and truly care about the patients. They seem understaffed but are always willing to help. Amenities/Facilities: The facility is in Vernon off of a main road. Its secluded and quiet with lots of trees surrounding the facility. The building seems kept in decent condition. There is a dining room that serves as a recreation room and there is also a meeting room for various functions. Each room typically has two beds with a blinder separating each patient. The rooms are a bit small but they make every effort to get people where they want to be. They helped my Grandmother find a room with another woman who speaks Polish. "

"I have had many opportunities to be inside of Woodlake. I worked as an Emt and brought pts in and took them out for different appointments.The staff are outstanding and the really show that they care about the persons living there. The facility is well maintained and never gives off a bad aroma. I now am on that long journey of cancer,and getting close to having to consider a facility. I would put Woodlake number one on my list. "

"My husband is in Westside Care Center, and he is there because he needs to be in a secure Alzheimer's unit. The staff is good. He cannot express any feelings at all because he does not comprehend anything, and he does not talk; he lost his speech years ago. It is a very secure place. "

"My father was in this nursing home after he had a stroke. They took very good care of his diabetic needs and emotional needs. The nurses were very nice and helpful every time I visited. He was never in the same place for long because they had adequate lifts to handle tall wide people. They bathed him often even though it wasn't an easy feat due to his size. Because of the way he was taken care of, he had very good report with the staff. Next to the facility are horse stables, and my father's room had a view of their horse paddocks only 10 feet away. They also have a garden out back with rose bushes and a patio with furniture for residents and visitors to sit on. There are no fences around the property to keep residents in or people out, but it lends a sense of hominess rather than being in a prison. The facility also is in touch with some of the local churches that provide bussing for residents to go to their churches, even if they have a physical difficulty like needing a wheel chair to get around. Also the people from the church would visit residents throughout the week. When my father passed away at the facility, the residents were helpful in getting my father's belongings together in a timely manner so we could figure out what to bury him in. I am very grateful that he was at such a caring facility. I have only good memories of my father and I there. "

"My husband is now living in Fresh River Healthcare. As soon as I went in, I was warmly welcomed by Robin, who is the director. My husband's disease is Huntington's as well as dementia, and I'm very happy with the care that he's being given there. They do offer a lot of activities and you can get PT. They do a lot, but my husband doesn't want to. Somw people really enjoy it. They go down for art and they do different things, but we just haven't been in any of the programs as of yet. I think the staff is wonderful. They're very caring. They're very knowledgeable about the disease that my husband has. People know about dementia. However, it was very hard to find a welcoming facility that understood Huntington's. They understand Huntington's disease like the personality and the different changes, and that's what drew me to them. I think they've been great. They're very generous, too. In fact, on Christmas, everyone got a present, and my husband got a beautiful plaid shirt. They're very welcoming, and I like how they treat everyone. I'm there quite often. I go a lot, so I see a lot. The front desk is very welcoming. I'm very happy with it, but there's always room for improvement. "

"I had my mom in this facility for long term due to dementia and this was one of many homes that I had her in and I have to say it was the BEST experience and caring place I have been to. She was always out of bed, dressed and ready to start her day. She always had a variety of food and always went to recreation activities even though she did not participate they always had her there. Unfortunately my mom passed away due to natural causes recently but I wanted to share my experience... Wonderful place!!!! "

"My mom was there for the last few days of her life. The facility is beautiful, very homey, and the staff was fantastic. They took care of the entire family, not just my mom. We spent many hours there and they made sure we ate, had plenty to drink and were comfortable, When the time approached for mom to pass, they explained to us what to expect, what was happening, and made sure that she did not suffer at all. We were there when she passed it was peaceful. They treated her with respect, talked to her all the time, even when she wasn't responsive. I can't say enough good about them and highly recommend them for hospice, rehab or extended care. While walking around we could see that all the residents were well taken care of, they had a beautiful dining room, and regular events. "

"I was a patient at Blair in November 2016, it was an unexpected stay, I had no time to research, and I was there for hip therapy. I shared a room with one other young lady and we were sort of separated from long term care residents.. I received the best of care, I was so well taking care of. My daily aid was a joy, we laughed all the time., she got me out of bed and relearning to care for myself again. My morning therapy session was intense and my afternoon more useful in gaining strength and use of hip. I looked forward to daily dining with the other long term residents, most in wheel chairs and/or dealing with alzheimers, or other age related conditions. They are of course, a strong lot, dealing with serious conditions bravely. I loved the food, it was so well prepared , with a daily choice of meals, and always soup. The best. I would go there today to eat. The facility is old, dated, but well maintained and clean. The residents who could, were in the corridor traveling in their wheel chairs to participate in daily activities, or meeting in groups to chat. Those who were 100 years old, and there were several, sat where everyone passed by so they could talk with them if they wanted to or could. They dressed up daily. No hanging around in bed clothing unless you were bed bound.. I was impressed with the level of care they provided even when you knew the funds were tight.. I understood that. If in the future I come to need a place to spend my latter years, I think I would look for a private room and a pool, so I don't think they could supply my wants at this time. But you never know what the future will bring. I hope they are not closed, they serve a need in our community, better to fix the medicaid requirement than to take something greatly needed away from the elderly. I hope the community comes together to fix this. You should visit to see how you can help. Try to grab a meal there. Volunteer "

"The staff is totally unprofessional and borderline abusive; the patients are relatively ignored and herded like cattle. They over medicate and under-rehabilitate their patients leaving them dependent on substances and waiting out their term. I could never get a hold of someone in charge there to formally state a complaint, either. On one visit, I got into the room and my mother was lying asleep. The nurse came in and forcibly woke her. Afterwards, she gave her a collection of twenty pills, some of which she openly admitted were for later in the day, and then made her take them all. Originally she didn't even bring water for my mother to take them with. The home even has a smoker's club where the smoking patients can go out as a group and smoke! Much of my mother's health issues are directly related to cigarette smoking and i feel like enabling people in this regard is against rehabilitation standards. My mother is now home and worse off than she was when she was in the hospital before she entered the assisted living home which promoted high quality rehabilitation services. I would say that this is certainly not the case. "

"My mom was in this nursing home for 13 years till she passed. Loving caring staff whom became my extended family. Same nursing staff for the 13 years she was there. There is very little turnover at this facility. They all became my friends and my family. The care given to my mom was above and beyond what I would have expected. Professional and caring from all staff. "

"This nursing home is very well staffed and also very clean compared to other nursing homes in the area. They have quite a few Alzheimer's/Dementia patients there and they have a unit that is locked 24 hours for some of these patients who are at risk of wandering. My Dad has been there for 6 months and has been doing extremely well, under the circumstances of his illness. Their Rehab//Physical Therapy unit is fantastic and they have helped my Dad to be able to walk with a walker instead of being in his wheelchair. I would recommend this nursing home to anyone thinking of transitioning their loved one. "

"Glastonbury Health Care Center is very good. The staff is excellent. The nurses, the aides, the personnel, the social director, and the financial office are really helpful. They've helped us an awful lot and they tended to all our needs, as well as those of my mother. The place is very nice, they keep it extremely clean, and they're always available. The food looks good, but she finds it bland, and I suspect that's because they don't put a lot of salt in their food. It's been about two months since she moved in."

"There are two levels in this center and, if I remember correctly, two wings on each level. The nurses, recreation staff, nursing assistants and even the janitorial staff in each area are very nice. The staff was helpful and quick to respond to residents' requests and call lights. Some rooms are double and some are private, all are very homey and many of the residents have made their rooms look like home. This facility has a lot of activities including bingo and community mealtimes for the residents and other opportunities for them to socialize. The location is very nice and there is a great outdoor space with sidewalks (handicapped accessible) and benches where family or volunteers can take residents for a visit. I did not have a family member staying in this facility but visited on several occasions as a volunteer while I was in college at the University of Connecticut about 20 minutes away. "

"The woman I am helping is in Salmon Brook Center. They are willing to accept her long-term. I think it is a good nursing home since I know several people who have gone there. My mother is there, also, for a short time. They seem to be very patient with her and have been very helpful in assisting me and answering my questions. They seem to be well-staffed. There is just one thing that I am a little concerned about; the person that I am trying to help happened to be in the hospital, so, whiel I wasn't getting any answers from the hospital as to how long she was going to be in there, I went to Salmon Brook to pick up some of her belongings. I walked in, picked up her clothes, walked out, and did not see anybody near the front door. That causes me some concern. The room that she is in seems nice enough. The first week she was there, she had the room to herself. She went to the hospital, came back, and she now has a roommate. There are two people in a room. The staff seems to be adequate. In the area where she is, it seems to be quite busy. I do know that they probably have a few activities going on for people who want to attend. When I go there, there is usually maybe three or four people in the lobby area in wheelchairs just sitting there; I do not know what their circumstances are, but there seems to be activities happening all of the time. "