Highlands Senior Living Gaston

Shirley

I've chosen Highlands Senior Living Gaston because the cost is very reasonable. The biggest thing is that they accept Medicaid. My brother and I toured it last week and made the decision that that's definitely where I want to go. It's very nice, it's very clean, and the staff there is very nice. Every person we came in contact with, just walking down the hall, spoke and was friendly. It's a smaller community. It didn't have a lot of people, and I liked that. It has lots of amenities. I feel sure I'll be happy there, and it's not far from my family, so they could visit. When you go in, it smells nice. It didn't have any bad odors. The rooms are not really large. It's just plenty enough. It doesn't have a kitchenette, but that's fine with me. They have a library and a pool hall, which my brother likes. They take the residents out shopping. Once a week or once every other week, they take them to Walmart. If you don't feel like going that day or whatever, you can make a list of the things you need, and one of the staff will get them for you. The staff were just as nice as the people you would want to meet. My mother was in a nursing home for about three years before she passed, and just comparing it with them, they're above average and very friendly. A lot of them would stop and introduce themselves to us. They were extremely nice. My brother asked the girl who had taken us on the tour, "Do you eat here? Have you ever eaten anything here?" She said, "I eat here three times a week, and it is very, very good." When she handed us the menus, the food was not just like hamburgers. It's a nice, well-balanced meal. They have a chef there, and the kitchen is open 24 hours. If you want to go at night and get a sandwich, or you need a little snack or something, you can go in, and they'll fix it for you. You have two choices of dining area. You have the big community where everybody sits, then they have another smaller dining area that has tables and chairs, and you can eat in there if you don't want to eat with the community. If you're going down Fish Hatchery Road, you'll miss it because it's back off these pine trees, and you can't really see it. We had to take a few trips around to find it. There is a fee you pay upfront, and you pay it once. It's only $1,500, and all the other ones I've checked have been a lot more than that.

Lisa321

The outside of Highlands Senior Living Gaston doesn't look very inviting. We went inside, it was better. They had just taken over a year ago, so I know it takes a little while to update a place. It didn't seem too bad of a facility, but we didn't get to look at it much because it kind of set my dad off being there. The staff who gave the tour was very polite and understanding. They showed us a private room. It had an attached bath, and it was clean. The outside of the facility looked rundown but they're in the process of fixing things up.

Deb81

My friend moved to Highlands Senior Living Gaston. It's a very happy place. They're so well cared for, and they just have smiles on their faces, and they're doing a lot for them. It's just nice to go there. Her apartment is a little small, but it's comfortable. It's clean. They have all their own things in there. She has a therapist. She is in a situation where she is in a special area for those with dementia.

Janice

I went to look at Highlands Senior Living in Gaston. It's a good community. The staff was very knowledgeable about letting us know what goes on there, what's available, and all that. Their rooms are what I'm looking for. I saw the residents sitting in the dining area, drinking sodas, and doing a little snack thing.

Jean

Rapha Residential Care was not a good fit for my mom. It wasn't a welcoming environment in my opinion, and it was like in the rural area with not very much around as far as stimulating activities to engage my mom in. I didn't see too much activity going on with the residents that are there now. The people were nice, the ones that I've met, but I just didn't like the location. The facility could have been a little bit cleaner, and the furniture could have been updated. The person who showed me around was very friendly and very knowledgeable. I didn't see too much that was going on there. They did have a dining area, and I didn't see an activity chart anywhere, and I don't recall seeing too many of the staff members there. I only met two of the staff members, and I think one was in maintenance and the other one was the nurse. She was at the front desk as I was ending my tour. The building itself was OK, but the front steps as you go in were full of debris. It looked like it hadn't been spray washed to make it looked clean. It had dirt spots on it. I didn't see any outdoor spaces, and I didn't see an exercise room. The rooms were ample size. They did furnish a bed and chest of drawers, so the family didn't have to be concerned about furnishing a room.

Veronica

My aunt was a resident of Rapha Residential Care. It's not clean, it is going downhill. We went to see it for my father, and of course, I was not going to put him there. It just wasn't clean enough, and I didn't like the staff. They need a lot of help with their facilities; it's in a very rundown state. The staff didn't seem very professional. The food didn’t look very appetizing. They did bingo, I believe a lot, and she liked it. The facilities need a lot of help, they need to tear it down and start again. It's too far out; there's nothing close by, so I don't like the location.