Brookdale South Bay (RI)

Leon

I toured Brookdale South Bay (RI). It's mostly a nice community and the staff is great. They were all very kind and helpful. The food was good. Amenities were comfortable. It was like home. They have a salon. They don't have a gym. I was a little disappointed in that.

David

Brookdale South Bay was very nice. It's kind of a little more rural, and I prefer something like that. I don't think there was a doctor on staff. I liked one of the apartments, it was a little better than the others. One of them had a hallway, and the inside was like this tunnel, which was a little claustrophobic to me going down that. My mother is coming from a house and would want something that is a little more like a house, with a lot of sunshine coming in and things like that. She would be a little more sensitive to the choice of room. I would have to make sure she felt comfortable, and not like in a hotel, someplace where she can't even see out the window. The staff who took us around was helpful. They were pleasant. I also met with the business office, we did sit down with the numbers person just to see what things might cost and how long that would go. The cafeteria was pretty much empty, it was during off hour, so no one was there. The cafeteria was very nice. It was dark, the lights weren't on, but there were plenty of windows. It was obviously between meals, and nothing was going on in there. What I saw was fine, it was neat and clean. There was no junk around, so it looks pretty good.

Rainbow2460

Although the the studio apartment was very nice, it was more expensive than I anticipated. They treated my father very well until he started having more memory/behavioral issues, due to worsening anxiety and dementia. They started charging him an additional/substantial amount of money stating that he took up too much of the nurses time. These issues are part of dementia so I don't see justifying a penalty for something he had no control over. The executive director Kerry D. said she would remove the additional payment when his behaviors decreased. That's not something that can occur when you have dementia. After a behavioral incident occurred, and he went outside to check on his vehicle, after they took his keys he was upset when he was told that they kept his keys due to winter weather, but then told him they would discuss giving them back at a later date. The next morning they told him he had a doctor's appointment, which was untrue. He was taken to a Hospital by ambulance & dropped off there with no explanation. He was told that he couldn't return back to their facility. He was very upset about being lied to and not being upfront with him about not returning his keys to him, the behavioral charge on his bill, for telling him he had a doctor's appointment, only to be brought to the hospital for an evaluation, and not telling him that the facility had no intentions of letting him return back there. The while situation should have been handled with more sensitivity. Also, getting a return call from the management is almost impossible.

Provider Response

Sarah

It was the price that has made us decide to have my mother-in-law at Brookdale South Bay. Some other places were very, extraordinarily expensive. She got a nice room. It's clean, comfy, and just exactly what she needs. There's a bed, a sofa, a nice TV, a dresser, and a big closet. She likes the food a lot, as opposed to the other places that she used to be, where she didn't like their food. In this place, she seems to like what they make and she's been eating very well. I haven't personally seen the food, but she speaks highly of it and says that it's good and that it is very tasty. They have bingo, arts and crafts, and get-togethers. She's already made some friends too and they play cards together. So, she is being entertained during the day. She is very happy with it and she likes being there, which is a really good sign coming from her. The staff has been very friendly and anything that she needs, they always contact her son right away, who is my fiance. They talked to him and told him that she had a little bit of a fall. She wasn't hurt or anything, but they still called to inform him. I like the idea that they will call right away and let you know what's going on, that she's eating well and stuff. He had specifically asked for that and they have been fulfilling that.

Susan

Before COVID, I looked at a place with my mom called Brookdale South Bay in South Kingstown. We only went on a visit and my mom got to have her lunch there and she got to see the room. The lady there was very nice and it was a good experience. The woman showed my mom the room that she was going to be utilizing, so my mom was really excited about that, but then we didn't hear from them and I had to call them. I asked if my mom could move in in two weeks and they said yes. My mom got really excited about that, but then we didn't hear from them again. I had to call back and they said somebody came back and took that bed. I found that to be unprofessional. They said to not worry because my mom is next on the list, she's number one, and so for two years I called this woman every single month and inquired about a room for my mom. My mom was getting pretty bad and they said why don't we look somewhere else. After two years, and even during COVID, they said they didn't have anything. I just wondered if they were ever going to have anything for my mom. I find it hard to believe that for two years nothing opened up. And my mom was going to be in a shared room, she was not looking for a private room. My experience with them was disappointing. I wished I didn't take my mom and she didn't have lunch there because it got her hopes up and she kept waiting and asking me about it like a child. It was disappointing, and I just think they could have handled it better or they could have called me and said, "Don't worry, we still have your mom's information. We just want to keep you updated." Instead, I had to call them and they never, ever called me back ever. I felt really bad about that. We were kind of stuck on that place for a while because it really truly was and is right around the corner from my mother's apartment, and less than half a mile away. I and my brother all lived there so we thought it would be perfect. So that was my experience. It wasn't a very pleasant one. I'm not saying it's the woman's fault. If somebody came back and took the bed then I just think that she shouldn't have showed it to me or my mom until she absolutely knew and then hide and not call us and tell us. I think she knew she screwed up and didn't want to call and tell me, "By the way, don't let your mother pack just yet because the lady came back." She didn't and she should have done that. The facility was nice though. I only saw that one room and it was a two-bedroom, and I would describe it as homey. During the tour we went to the restaurant and the food was really good.

bgreengray

Our Mom has been a resident at Brookdale South Bay for almost 5 years. She is safe, happy and engaged which brings wonderful piece of mind to us. The many activities are enriching and provide daily opportunities for the residents to socialize and interact. Part of the expense is offset by the Veterans Administration as our Dad was a Veteran. This financial benefit makes it possible for Mom to be a resident. If you or a family member qualifies as a Veteran, it is worth looking into.