Communities in East Longmeadow, MA

"My mother is settled in at Jewish Nursing Home of Western Mass. It takes a while to get somebody to come and help her if my dad pushes the button to call for help with getting her to the bathroom or into bed. It can take a long time before anybody comes. Other than that, the staff is very pleasant, and very helpful. The place is really bright and clean, and I like that about it. It doesn't look like a hospital like most nursing homes do. The care is good when she gets it, it's just that sometimes it takes a long time to get some help, but that's all. I think they need more staff members, but the staff members themselves are very nice. The food isn't much. My mother has participated in a couple of their activities, which is good."

"Going to see a family member in a facility is extremely difficult as it is so knowing they're being taken care of is extremely important. When I first walked into the facility I felt a warm happy feeling. There was a receptionist greeting people as they entered and was there to help people if need be. There was hot coffee made and a cat roaming in the lobby. The lobby has couches which makes it feel like a living room at home. I think this was a great touch so if family members are up to it they can visit in an environment that is comfortable rather than seeing them in a bed looking ill. I asked about the cat and was told they keep the cat for the guests as a feeling of home and not a hospital like setting. When I met with the staff that was caring for my family member they were very sweet and gentle with him. They were patient and caring. Ive been to others that were very business like with no personalities, they were completely different. They seem to all know eachother which is nice. He ended up passing away and the people were extremely sympathetic and expressed how it was an honor to know and care for him. Very touching. "

"We're very pleased with Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing. I liked the whole community, the surroundings, and the care of the grounds and the facilities. Just very professional, very welcoming, updated. My mother is going into an independent apartment. It's being renovated, but from what I saw they looked wonderful, updated, clean, and bright. The dining area was welcoming, just lovely, and inviting. They have exercise, entertainment, a walking trail, and a recreation area. And I know they have yoga classes and fitness classes, special event parties, and holiday sort of celebrations. There was a lovely library that was well stocked and a beautiful cafe that's outside the dining area, so that visitors coming in could engage with the cafe."

"Heritage Hall East was, overall, a clean and well-run nursing home where my grandmother lived after having a series of strokes and the death of my grandfather, who had been her primary caretaker to that point. She lived in Heritage for 5 years before passing away, and my family found the staff there kind, courteous, and efficient people who truly cared about their residents' needs. Medically, my grandmother was provided for in every way, from her three-times-daily pills, to making sure she had regular showers and clean clothes, to helping her walk and, once she couldn't anymore, helping her get around via wheelchair. She had a pleasant, joking relationship with one of her primary nurses, and they developed a friendship I would call very appropriate: Gary would get my mother down to the dining room early so she could get her favorite seat; he'd remember her bingo winnings for her (because she couldn't keep track of which drawer or purse she'd put them most of the time); he would stop by often just to chat, but made sure his time with my grandmother never interfered with his general duties or obligations to other patients. My mother and her brothers were frequent (1-2 times weekly) visitors, and the staff was always friendly to them, would give my mother brief updates on my grandmother when they passed her in the hallway as well as be available upon request for more in-depth consultations. The facility was always clean and mostly always quiet (various residents had hearing problems and would turn their TV too loud, for example). It was a good experience for my grandmother, and comforting for my family, as we felt she was in a safe, pleasant facility with competent, friendly staff. "

"Excellent rehabilitation staff good care. Smoking facility.. dining area for patients a patio... hardworking staff care about the patients "

"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 "

"PRO: 2023...The staff upstairs in Heritage West is caring and patient with elderly residents, including my mother. This is not an easy job! CON: Laundry was frequently lost. Phone numbers to various offices and nurse stations changed, making communication difficult. "

"My grandmother is actually in Heritage Hall South. She has been there for about a month now. This is our choice of a nursing home because they care about their patients. They actually take one-on-one with them. The staff is great. They talk to my grandmother. They did everything that she has asked them to do. Their service is excellent. I would recommend this place. "

"My grandmother was at this facility initially for short term rehab. The nursing staff was pleasant most of the time and the physical therapist was phenomenal but overall we had a very bad experience. For the 3 months she was there we made multiple phone calls on a weekly basis trying to talk the overseeing physician- not once was our call returned even when we begged to speak to her. We never met her or even talked to her once during my grandmother's stay despite all our efforts. Additionally we also had much difficulty discussing her care with the advanced providers who didn't seem to make time to talk with us. She was transitioned to long-term care and a week later her health rapidly declined. During the transition to long-term care which was the last week of her life she did not have a phone as there was a problem with the connection in the room when she moved despite us paying for the service- no one helped her; my father had to figure it out. We went to visit her and she was crying she was so lonely. The worst experience we had was the day before she died. We went to visit her and it was evident she was rapidly declining. We asked to speak to the PA and we waited for ~3 hours before she came to see us. Instead of having a family meeting given the obvious change in circumstances, she spoke with us for less than 10 minutes. We asked about hospice care as my grandmother was clearly uncomfortable. She said she could start arranging it on Monday (it was a Friday) but that they wouldn't do much differently. My grandmother was struggling to breathe and was in obvious pain. We asked for her to be transitioned to a liquid diet as she couldn't swallow her food. As the PA walked out the door, my father asked how much longer she thought my grandmother would live as my mother was planning to travel that weekend and was wondering if she should cancel these plans. The PA told my father her hydration status was good and at least 2 weeks - as a healthcare provider myself I knew this simply was not correct, aside from the fact that you can never truly predict the day or hour and it is irresponsible to tell families otherwise. My grandfather went to visit her Friday evening and was distraught as they still brought her solid food; when he asked for a liquid diet he was told by the nursing staff they would get to it; it had not arrived by the time he left. The next day Saturday afternoon my grandfather went to visit my grandma. He found her unresponsive, notified the nurse and discovered she had passed. He was by himself, there was no hospice, my mother was traveling. It was a horrific experience and the epitome of poor patient and family care. This facility may be good for very short rehab that doesn't require medical decision making as the physical therapist was excellent. But not for any complex medical conditions, long term care, elder care or hospice. Overall we were extremely disappointed."

"My husband was at Suffield House for rehab. The experience was really good, the food was good, and the staff was friendly. It was very bright, and they have a glass ceiling, so it was very open. They have their own little coffee station where you can pour coffee anytime you want, they have recreation, they have a nice patio, and courtyard. It's a good place. The day staff is much better than the night or weekend staff. Medicare is paying for it."

"Staff here is wonderful - very friendly on every occasion, even just when you encounter someone walking down the hall. Great nursing care and physical therapy. As a family member I was made to feel perfectly welcome and my input was encouraged. My husband was a short-term resident who said everyone was very nice and the food was good. The room was perfectly fine - comfortable and with everything needed. But he says the best part of it was the people. I agree!"

"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!!!! "

"I was at Bear Mountain at West Springfield. It's a nursing home, but they do have rehab. I was there for maybe nine-and-a-half weeks at two different back-to-back admissions. The staff was excellent and the food was excellent. They provided three meals and snacks. I was mostly in my room, but I knew that they had activities every day. From what I could see, they were very good. Everything was excellent."

"My dad was at Mary's Meadow at Providence Place. They were great. The staff was awesome with my dad. I have no complaints whatsoever. It was great. It was helpful. Dad had a great time there. The staff was friendly. I work in customer service, and it's one of the best customer service that I've had. Everybody was answering any issues, and everybody was always pleasant in a timely fashion and would return calls. So it was nice. My dad was in a private room. He participated in activities, so they were good. I know there's church on Sundays and there's physical therapy. There were a lot of different activities. The people received a calendar of activities."