Country Meadows of Bethlehem

Joseph

My father is in the Country Meadows of Bethlehem. He's in memory care. He's happy with their food. They're shorthanded, but they're helpful. It's not what I thought it was gonna be. I thought it would be a little bit homier. It felt more of an institution going through and looking at the room. There was a promise of a lot more attention on a day-to-day basis and that's not occurring. I think there was an understanding that there would be more day-to-day activities and that's not occurring either. Right now, due to Covid lockdowns, they're not doing much of anything. Because it's a memory care unit, I don't think there's a lot of group activities going on at all whether that's a Covid thing or just overpromised and underdelivered. I'm not there enough to see the day-to-day activities, but I know he's not getting enough because he is complaining about it. They kind of keep him in his room more so than being out and amongst other people. I tried the food and it was good. They provide laundry care and help with showering. They're not checking his day-to-day hygiene. He needs diabetic socks and they weren't upkeeping that from a medical perspective.

Provider Response

janet and don

We are very content in our two bedroom apartment and with all levels of health care available here on one campus. Every single member of the staff is outstanding . The food is excellent. It is ideal to be near Green Pond and the community college. We researched senior living in the Lehigh Valley for several years and we are satisfied with our choice.

Provider Response

Carol

We had an in-person tour of Country Meadows of Bethlehem. The layout and rooms were nice. They were roomy. The residents were good too, and they seemed happy. The layout was fine. And as far as the amenities, I think they have an exercise room and another room where they did crafts and things. So that was nice seeing that. It was more of like a room and had a refrigerator in it. There was no kitchenette or anything. It was a one-bedroom that had its own bathroom. They had a few places, which is pretty nice, like patios in different sections of the building that you could go sit outside. The staff was very good, very attentive, and spent a lot of time with us.

Provider Response

Donna

We checked out the independent care of Country Meadows of Bethlehem. It was very lovely. It was very comprehensive in what they offered. They have tree-lined grounds. One really very appealing thing was that it's across from the Northampton Community College. They have reached an agreement where you can take classes there, and they also come and do classes at the facility. They have an art room, a physical fitness center, and a community area. We looked at the one-bedroom, one bath and one-bedroom, a den, and a bath, which was very nice. My sister was interested in having a place for an office, so that configuration appeals to them. Three meals are included. The atmosphere was very pleasant and homey. The staff was very pleasant, too. Lynn was very helpful and very pleasant.

Provider Response

Barry

Country Meadows Retirement is very clean, very neat, and people are caring. I'm happy with the place. It's a little high in price. The staff is good. They're very friendly and helpful, and I can call them any time. My mother has been here for about 2 years. Their food is sufficient; I thought it was fine. They have activities, but she's not into activities. Their layout is good. The place is very clean and neat. In terms of value for the money, I think they're a little high. It's very, very good for what is there.

Provider Response

Lisa

I toured Country Meadows of Bethlehem for my mother, and it was very nice. I didn't have the normal tour person with me. I had an appointment, and when I showed up the woman who was supposed to take me for the tour thought I was coming the prior Friday, which I don't understand because that wasn't the date we talked about, so I didn't have the normal tour guide salesperson with me. I had a woman from the office, take me around, so whatever information I have, I got it from paperwork. She was knowledgeable, don't get me wrong, but she wasn't the person who would normally answer the questions. I was a little disappointed with the miscommunication in terms of the appointment and not providing the usual tour that you would have for someone visiting that facility. She showed me the chapel, she showed me where they ate in the dining area, and I saw a room, it looks nice. It was decorated, it was pretty lively, and the residents were walking around. I was told about doctors coming in and stuff like that. I saw the dining area, they were lunch at that time, so there were residents there. I did not sample any food or anything like that. The woman who took me on tour was very knowledgeable, but I felt sorry for her. She got stuck having to take me on a tour, and that's not her thing. The place didn't smell, it was nicely decorated, it seemed fine, it looked clean, and there's nothing sticking out that made it look like it was in disrepair.

Provider Response

Thomas

I toured Country Meadows two years ago. The staff was very good and very informative. The facility was very nice. The general atmosphere and the campus setting were very nice, and I liked the fact that it's in a rural location, too. The buildings were separated, but close together that they could leave their assisted living building and then work their way to the dining facility. Also, the fact that there was a memory care facility right on the same campus was nice.

Provider Response

ReviewerFY#0106

I'm going to leave my father at Country Meadows for now until he recovers fully from Covid. At some point, I might move him, but right now I'm kind of in a holding pattern until he gains more strength. They have three levels of care. My dad has been in all three, the independent living which was good, the assisted living that he is in now, and the nursing home. It was very difficult when he was in the nursing home recovering from Covid because I didn't get a lot of information and I couldn't see him. I think all nursing homes are this way, which is very frustrating. I would like to see more attention per patient. Now, he's moved to assisted living, and he's doing much better. Actually, Country Meadows is very good. I think all the staff has done a good job. They've been very nice. Covid makes it so difficult because you can't see your loved one, so you really rely on what the staff says.

Provider Response

pontoon

Our mother is currently a resident here for rehab after a fall. We were initially impressed after several phone calls and internet reviews. However after 2 weeks our family realizes it was a mistake choosing this facility. The nurses are fine but the aids that actually interact and care for the patiants are terrible. Our mother has repeatally complained about getting help with using the bathroom. She has to ring a number of time and wait (unfortunately sometimes it is too late). She is a very proud person and we feel terrible. Her current roomate is also very rude and inconsiderate. We have requested that she be moved but have not gotten a response. Currently the facility is on lockdown do a flu visrus. We will due our best to get our mother moved from here but it it difficult with medicare. Please look elsewhere and do further research for you loved one.

Provider Response

Ramie

Rooms are clean and well cared for and each room has its own temperature control. The Staff is caring, knows each person's individual traits and wishes. The activities directors are very creative and always coming up with new ideas e.g. book club, rides in the country, cooking, and games. Church services, meals with fun themes, e.g clambakes and Oktoberfest.

Provider Response

KS

Country Meadows - Bethlehem was excellent and very clean. They had activities going on. I got a very good impression from the studio apartment, and their rehab was large and staffed well. They had a nice dining room. The staff was excellent and very informative.

Provider Response

Craig

My dad is in Country Meadows of Bethlehem. It's all on one floor and very well kept and clean. The staff has been excellent and very helpful. There are lots of activities for the people there to do. From what I saw, they have bus trips, movies during the day, Wii bowling, card games, arts and crafts, building things, and many more. They also have a signup sheet where they fill the bus and go to the supermarket or shopping. He's raving about the food and saying that it's really good.

Provider Response

Joseph274083

Country Meadows had a graduated service, which was very nice and more inclusive than an independent home. The best thing that stood out was the care. The staff was very friendly. The only thing that made it a little difficult was the layout involed a lot of walking to get to the different areas. It smelled very nice and didn't have any odors.

Provider Response

Sara Jane

I visited Country Meadows. The people were not that friendly and did not know the residents. They only served one meal a day and took a lot of outside trips. I thought they needed to have two meals a day and needed to know their residents. They showed me a nice apartment with a washer and dryer inside.

Provider Response

Helicopter Daughter

My mom needed to transfer to a skilled nursing facility ("SNF") for wound care following a hospital stay, so my research began with a list provided by her case manager and continued on the internet. I made Country Meadows ("CM") my first choice for several reasons: (1) It offers the full spectrum of retirement living, from independent living to assisted living (with or without memory care) to short-term rehab to 24 hour skilled nursing (also long-term); (2) the reviews were uniformly positive; (3) CM provides a link to its Medicare inspections right on the section of the website devoted to its SNF; (4) it looked pretty; (5) the sample menu seemed tasty; and (6) it is amazingly pet-friendly. In fact, this last feature is what made me lobby hard for a bed for her at CM. My mom is a tremendous "dog person," but just generally an animal lover, and the fact that not only are residents allowed to bring their own pets, but also staff bring their well-behaved dogs to work to interact with the residents, and each "neighborhood" has resident feline "mascots." Despite her love for the canines, my mom became quite fond of one of the SNF cats. My mom, who has dementia and started requiring oxygen for the first time in her nearly 81 years during her hospital stay, was in the CM SNF for about a month and just moved into a memory care apartment in the connected building next door. Everything I can think to say about CM is absolutely positive. The staff is genuinely caring and knows each resident by name. Because it boasts being one of the top places to work in PA 12 times, there appears to be relatively little turnover. There is a whole range of activities geared to interest and "function" level, even in the long-term SNF; for example, my mom, who used to love to cook, was chopping veggies for the canning and salsa-making (these products are sold from the CM neighborhood to benefit a designated charity, often the Alzheimer's Association. One day, there was a "full campus" activity, a performance by a pianist from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The food is actually genuinely good ... and the dessert cart in the SNF is "diet-busting"! My mom's extremely recent (yesterday) move to the memory care neighborhood was pretty seamless, and an activities coordinator accompanied her all day to help her get acclimated. CM's attention to detail is evidenced by the fact that her roommate (until a private becomes available) has a family dog who will be visiting - terrific informal pet therapy for my mom. Finally, CM is very good about calling regarding any issues that arise with a loved one. I've discovered that I am definitely a "helicopter child," but the CM staff is helping me to "back off" a bit and still feel all right about it. Certainly my peace of mind has exponentially increased. Obviously, no "personal care"/"assisted living"/skilled nursing residence can ever be the ideal solution (wouldn't we all rather have our loved ones healthy, with memories intact?), but CM, as far as I can tell, is very near that unattainable goal.

Clara253553

I am in Country Meadows. I think this is really a great place. Everybody is so positive. The employees are always smiling and helpful. That means a lot. This place is expensive for me, but for what you get, it is certainly worth it.

Provider Response

Caring108247850

We chose Country Meadows for my father-in-law. It is very nice, and we have been very pleased. He is in a one-bedroom apartment, and I just have absolutely nothing negative to say about it. It has been a very positive experience, and he has adjusted very well. He was living by himself in Florida and having him here -- we only live a mile away -- is absolutely wonderful. The apartment is very nice. They cleaned it up pretty nicely before he moved in and put fresh carpeting in, and it has a little kitchenette with a microwave and a sink; it doesn't have a stove, but he has all of his meals there. And they just have a lot of activities going on. When he was there at Christmas, he went out to see the Christmas lights; he does a lot of just rides down to the community and to the stores. There is a happy hour with the guitar and such that he enjoys. The chaplain there is just outstanding. I am not sure exactly what else he goes to, but he has a cat, and you are allowed to have animals there. That was big for him because he had to give up his dog since he really just could not take care of the dog. You can even have a dog there, but you got to be able to take care of it, walking it outside and such. So he got a cat that is easier to maintain inside, he enjoys that, and it has worked out well.

Provider Response

Nilsa224

I went to Country Meadows unannounced, but it was excellent. They were extremely pleasant, very accommodating, showed me the entire facility, and gave me all the information that I needed to get. It is almost like going into a hotel and getting a single room. It is like you are in a fancy hotel.

Provider Response

Caring77245950

I chose Country Meadows because it seems to be all-inclusive. Everything is included there. A lot of the other places have a la carte fees. If you need to get a ride somewhere or if you want something done, it's extra. They have people coming in and helping with physical therapy, ordering what you need, doing your pacemaker check, your PT and INR checks. The people there are very, very nice. Mom didn't want to go, but she's managing fine there. They've helped her a lot with physical therapy. They have an occupational therapist come in, and they make them as comfortable as they can. They will either supply furniture or you could bring your own. You can bring your pet. They have a lot of things going on. They play bingo, they play bridge, they have trivia. They take them out for a ride, go to lunch. Anything you need, they take care of it for you. I've not had a problem. When you first go in, they give you a buddy who stays with you to get you integrated into the routine.

Provider Response

Donna75767050

Both my parents are at Country Meadows. My dad said there are individuals working there that are very caring and give individualized care. They are busy and there are a lot of people in this facility. They have a lot of activities that my father can participate in. They have religious services at my parents' convenience. The food, I would not say it’s the best ever, but it’s not terrible. During the summer months they have outdoor activities. I believe there is a room where in the winter they can go and get some sun without having to experience subzero temperature. They also have activities that my father would be able to leave the premises and they transport them. They also take them to doctor's visit within 10 miles which is nice. Basically it’s like many of the other facilities that I've seen, but for now my parents seemed to be okay there and I'm not worried about them.

Provider Response

Caring0937

My parents were at Country Meadows of Bethlehem. It was in a nice area, and it was clean and well-kept. My father had Alzheimer's so he stayed in the Alzheimer's area, while my mother stayed in the assisted living area. I liked that she could visit him although they kept them separated in different areas in the same building. The staff were attentive to the needs of the residents and when something happened especially to my father, they called me immediately. They also had medical staff available. My parents were in shared rooms and they were big. The bathrooms were set-up for washing and cleaning with a special toilet and special places for them to clean-up. They also provided help for them if they went to the bathroom. They had activities for the residents like sing-along. The food was good, well-balanced and fresh.

Provider Response

BobSig52

My Mom has been cared for there very well for almost 2 years. She is almost 95 years old, very physically funcitonal, but serious dementia. The Staff really cares "about her" and for her. The Connections Club staff (extra memory support) is terrific and have a wonderful attitude for those they provide extra support for in the Personal Care Service level building #3, where Mom resides. The nursing, pca's and other staff all have a great attitude and care for all residents. I'd recommend (& have) this place, especially Bldg #3, to anyone. I hope I can keep Mom there as long as possible!

Caring6324

My relative and friends used to live in Country Meadows. You can pick what size of room you want and you can bring your own furniture, but they could also provide furniture. They have wonderful meals. The staff has always been wonderful and very helpful. It's a very laid back type of place. It's where I want to go.

VictorP

I visited a relative at Country Meadows. It was very clean and the employees were kind. The rooms where the residents stayed were nice. It was like every resident had their own little apartment. The kitchen area was very nice as well. Families can sit and eat together. The grounds had fantastic landscaping. The residents could go out and sit on a sunny day. Since it is an assisted community, nurses checked in during certain hours. It was nice to know that someone is checking in on your family member. There's also different activities that the residents participate in to make friends. When you are visiting, you can watch these activities.