Hemsley House of Upper St. Clair

Donna

Hemsley House of Upper St. Clair is very nice and very homey. They offer a variety of activities and have a large staff that can cater to mom's needs. She has a kitchenette, which was a big deal for us. It doesn't have a stove, which is what we wanted. It is more like an apartment. She has her own full bathroom and walk-in shower. This is a community that is more like come and go. Even though she doesn't leave the building without me, she feels like she's really in an apartment building. Her big need was coffee, so because of that kitchenette, I was able to provide a little coffee machine in her room. They have a bistro there where she can come down and get fresh Danishes and fruits and any kind of cold drinks like juices or pop, but she can also get coffee and have coffee with other folks. They have a really nice restaurant-style dining area where she can come in, and they have daily specials for lunch and supper, but they can also order a la carte, so she has a lot of freedom, and these are made by a chef, so it's of good quality. I've actually had a meal there. The family can eat with them there for a really reasonable price of $5 for lunch and $7 for supper. Even though this is a very tight area up on top of the hill, they have an outdoor space. They have a lot of area where she can go out and enjoy a nice enclosed environment with flowers, trees, and birds. They have a huge activities calendar with all kinds of not only daily activities, but they also incorporate religious activities, which was important to her, and they give her a calendar, and they remind her because of her memory loss. They have things where it's very interactive, like playing game shows, building puzzles, baking cookies, making crafts, and also movie nights with popcorn, so they have a lot of variety. The food is very good. I actually enjoyed the barbecue brisket the other day with roasted Brussels sprouts and corn chowder soup. They have a lot of interesting meals. It's just like going to a restaurant, but then they have the regulars if somebody wants a hamburger or hot dog. They have great desserts. We had peanut butter pie. They have things like coleslaw, potato salad, soups, and grilled cheese. She had chicken salad with crackers, and that was a good portion for her. There's a nice array, and the specials are posted every day in that bistro area, and that bistro area sits right outside of the dining area. People go there in the morning and in the afternoon to play cards and things like that because there are snacks, fruits, and drinks there all day long. One nice thing about their breakfast is that it has a really wide timeframe. People who are early risers can come and have breakfast, but they give about three hours for a breakfast menu, so they can sleep in if they're not an early riser and not miss breakfast. That allows them a lot of freedom with their mornings. The nurses and the nurse practitioner have called me. They've been really helpful when we needed to talk to a caregiver. There's a community fee of $3,000, which is a lot. It's not a cheap place, but they send us out a newsletter telling me what they're using that community fee for to give better resources for the patient or an upgrade, like they just replaced all the refrigerators in their rooms. You know where your money is going. They also say if there's any new staff or any special event they're having, like a special family gathering in January at Winter Wonderland, and they are inviting the families to come and be with their loved ones. There are different programs that make referrals to individual needs. I just talked to another nurse practitioner today who is more towards the palliative care part of my mom's care. We went over meds and things like that, but we also went over some things that would make my mom feel calmer and just have her best potential life while she's there. The time we came, they knew mom was coming, and every one of them knew her name and approached her and said, "We're so excited. You're going to come with us." They were very friendly and made sure she was comfortable when she first moved in. It is pricey, but it is comparable to three others that we looked at.

Nancy

My mom moved in. The people are just so personable. Every single person is brought out to the community room. They are very attentive. They walk to the units and ask if the patients would like a cup of coffee. It is definitely like a family. The facility is beautiful. They have a hair salon. The activities are wonderful. Every day, I can see them out there doing word games. They have music. If there's an anxiety-ridden patient, they'll have themselves and other patients around them trying to calm the patient, holding their hand, saying the rosary, and all kinds of things to help calm the patient. It's like they're caring for their mother. The food is excellent.

Karen

We went here and talked to someone who was extremely nice. It was clean and welcoming, but because of the room size, we did not pick that one. I liked the friendliness of the people though and when we went there. There were a couple of ladies playing cards and scrabble or something. The community layout was fine too.

Annette

Our tour was nice. They have different pods, which they call neighborhoods. The rooms were really nice, they had a nice layout, and they came furnished, too. The staff was great. She was very nice and informative. Aside from the dining room, they have a little bistro, so they have a couple of separate areas where you could eat, which is nice. The façade of the building was beautiful, fairly new, and updated. It's kind of a comfortable space, and it looked very homey and very cozy, too.

Visitor888884

I liked it. It wasn’t for my mother; what they had available did not have a private bathroom, just a room with a shared common area and a shared bathroom. The facility was lovely and seemed clean. The people were nice. It just didn’t work for my mother.

Bob865434

It was a very nice place. The staff member, Christine, was great. Their staff seemed knowledgeable and helpful. Their follow up was impeccable. Their rooms were pretty nice and standard and had an apartment feel to them rather than a hospital feel. I have not tried their food, but I know they offered three meals a day. They had a beautiful cafe and their dining area was great. They had a great outdoor area where the residents could go outside. Overall, it was a nice community and very clean.