Bethesda Gardens Assisted Living and Memory Care, Fort Worth

Jose

My mother moved to the Bethesda Gardens Assisted Living and Memory Care, Fort Worth. The basic setup for most of the care facilities for memory care has the memory care unit farther to the back of the buildings that they're in, so that when visitors come in they check in the lobby, but then they have a long walk back to the area where the memory care patients are going to be. But at Bethesda, they have two separate units, the assisted living in one section and the memory care unit in the other. To access, you go in the lobby, you check in, you go through one set of doors and all of the people are right there very close by. So you don't have to walk through a lot of other people and disturb a lot of the people to get to the person you want to visit. The staff has been very helpful from the first time I walked in just to look around, to getting me the information I needed about the facilities, prices, and what services they offer. The staff has been more than helpful in everything that we needed to do. Unfortunately, when we moved my mother in it was raining, and so they allowed us to bring all of the stuff in and put it in the lobby for a minute while we kind of did a relay of old boxes and stuff back to her room to get everything set up for her. So they have accommodated us in everything that we asked them to do. They were always upfront with everything. "This is how we do things. This is what you need to do." And they walk you through everything so there's no confusion. It took a little while for Mom to let them start helping her do stuff, and so they've been giving her books to read, puzzles, and stuff like that to do. They've been very accommodating as far as getting that done. She's a little difficult to work with to say the least, but they have managed to do quite well with it. They have very clean facilities, they're bright and sunny, and everything seems open. They seem to be doing everything they need to to provide an upbeat atmosphere for their clients, and everybody seems to want to take advantage of the fact that it's spacious. They have plenty of room to move so you can go and do whatever it is you would like to do. I found two facilities that were less per month as far as the cost goes, but they didn't have all of the things in the facilities that Bethesda had. But it was like their price per month was kind of a bargain, while at Bethesda, you get a fair price for the quality of what you're getting. They may not be the cheapest, but they are the best value per dollar.

Roy

Bethesda Gardens Assisted Living and Memory Care Fort Worth gave a proper tour. The lady showed me around and told me everything that I was curious about. It was a decent home. It was clean and the people were friendly. I also met some of the residents and everybody seemed to be what I expected.

Brenda

My father has settled into Bethesda Gardens Assisted Living and Memory Care. It's very clean and inviting. The staff is very friendly and attentive. He said the food is not hot enough. They offer a trivia club, they're doing an Alzheimer's walk today, and other than that, I'm not aware of any other activities. I believe we're getting what we're paying for.

samanthapatches

What my daughter and I learned is you have to know who's running the show at these facilities--at all times, because it fluctuates! Although we felt my husband's care was good when he first began his residence there in January, by late February it had become obvious that, with many personnel changes (memory care director, marketing director, med aide, nurse, and primary attendants) also came a deterioration in his care. If your loved one has any behavioral issues (as my husband did), this might not be the right facility for them. Their practice with my husband between late February and May 2020 was to immediately administer strong psychiatric meds and STILL send him to an ER--where the ER doctor would ask me why they had sent him as he would be perfectly calm long before he even arrived at the hospital and therefore NO need for him to have gone there. (So even though the price of Bethesda compared to some is on the low side, beware of unnecessary additional hospital bills!) In addition, there were times that he was obviously overmedicated (we popped in unexpectedly regularly on weekends and on evenings) and eventually learned that he was often receiving medications at different dosages than what had been prescribed and/or PRN meds were being given routinely at night even when there was no documentation as to the need. (Insist on receiving MAR reports which show which of the med aides and/or nurse and/or memory care director are responsible for doing so.) He was often not clean and they would leave him in the same pull-up all day. We witnessed wheelchair residents lying on the floor at times where we had to locate an attendant to get help as they often appeared to be nowhere in sight. Other times, we witnessed a "caregiver" yelling at a resident she wasn't apparently very fond of. It is our understanding that this facility is currently under State investigation for several complaints. Check out ANY facility you're considering for your loved one with a fine-tooth comb. If you see any red flags, continue searching for the best possible location. Best of luck to you.

Provider Response

carolinevigilante123

This is a great place, I found it meeting to make a transition due to lack of care at another facility. Kristee, the director is a wonderful person who will take care of you, your needs and your family member or loved one. Most recently, I have met Phe Phe who is an amazing caregiver on site who works closely with my dad. I am grateful to have found this place and highly recommend it to anyone who may need care in the Fort Worth area.

Provider Response

Vicky

I chose Bethesda Gardens Memory Care for my mother because it has inclusive care. There's no care rating, so it's an all-inclusive fee. They seem to have good and friendly staff members, and my mother likes the activities. Food is a big thing, especially in the assisted living portion, although it's not as diverse in the memory care since it's a smaller operation. It all appears to be good, and it's as good as any place can get. Overall, we're pretty pleased. They have games, they watch movies with popcorn, and there's a little bit of dancing that I have seen. There's not as many activities as the assisted living section because it's a different population.

Larry100784

My dad was ready to move into Bethesda Gardens, but he wasn’t quite ready to make a commitment. Bethesda Gardens, in my opinion, would have been an excellent fit for him. They have a very good staff. When you walk in, the place smelled clean. It was a very, very nice place. The room that he would have gone into and the services would have been a big improvement for him, but as I said, he had some personal reasons for not wanting to move in.

Robin044282

Bethesda Gardens had good specialist training for the staff in the memory care unit and a good staff-to-resident ratio. They had a piano there that the residents could use. The staff turnover was also pretty impressive because they had people who had been there for six, nine, and 15 years.

Elaine42

My visiting experience at Bethesda Gardens was pretty negative. I told them that my mom was a fall risk, and they told me that they never leave their patients on the ground longer than an hour. That doesn't sound like a fall risk medication plan to me. Their rooms were nice, and they had an activities calendar. The dining area looked like a normal cafeteria.

Provider Response

Edith9

We ate dinner at Bethesda Gardens and showed my mother three different rooms that were all nicely done. They were not as updated, but they were clean. It was very busy and felt more like a nursing home than what I wanted. I want her to be able to have her own little apartment and cook if she wants to. They had 200 people, and it was overwhelming to my mother. I would want her to be in a smaller community.

Janet118352150

I wasn't impressed with Bethesda Gardens. When we walked in, we smelled dog urine, which put us off. They need to be able to take care of the odor of animal urine that was prevalent in the hallway. However, we were impressed with the fact that they said they had a chef that prepares the meals and the staff was very accommodating. They appeared to care about the individuals that were living in the facility.

Lillian11

I called a Place for Mom. They suggested several facilities within our area. We looked at several. Bethesda Gardens gave us a full tour but we're the only ones that spoke to my mother like a person not a patient. They asked her questions- it wasn't this is what we offer but what would you like us to do to make this comfortable for your new home. They offer several interactive activities and field trips with no pressure and invite families to attend.

Caring106745550

Bethesda Gardens was the one we visited. They had a lot of good features, and they had good access like for a wheelchair, but the prices prohibited it right at the moment, and there was no apartment available. They had an excellent dining area. I liked the accessibility and their programs. While we were there, they had an Elvis impersonator and a show for a bunch of them. They had 3 meals a day which were very good.

Caring106823950

Bethesda Gardens is an excellent home; it is clean, beautiful, very modern, and very bright, and the appearance of it is great. The apartments have one bedroom, one living room, and a small kitchen. The staff is wonderful. They have numerous activities, and they have entertainment. The dining area is excellent.

Caring103307650

My mother is in Bethesda Gardens. The staff is good. They’re very clean. The communication is good. We can reach someone very quickly. I’m happy with them.

sharnrose

Wonderful place, nice people, activities, good food, attentive staff. Comforting to know your aging parent is happy and safe.

mghuddle

Bethesda Gardens is an attractive and well maintained facility. They keep the property updated and clean at all times. They have high turnover in staff from medication aides all the way up to the director. As a result many things get lost in the cracks. Medications are not kept up with when prescriptions run out, the food went downhill with the last chef change and apparently budget cuts, emergency button pulls are not answered promptly, and there are often mix ups with laundry for which no one takes ownership. Meetings with the director will often affirm that "This is not acceptable" but still it continues. They do have ample activities for residents and bring in a variety of entertainment which is always welcomed.

commercesd

We visited the Bethesda Gardens assisted living facility while searching for a place for my brother's friend to live in Texas. The outside of the building was very nicely maintained, with well manicured greenery and many places to enjoy. The foyer was fresh and bright with very nice decorations and furniture. All of the indoor rooms had plenty of fresh air and light. Each room was beautifully decorated and furnished. The colors throughout the building were soothing and comfortable. The private rooms featured plenty of space in nicely decorated surroundings with lots of natural light and fresh air with very comfortable furniture. The seniors can easily socialize, make crafts, play games, watch TV and films and participate in many stimulating activities. The facility can accommodate all levels of ambulation. Communal activity rooms were spacious, with comfortable furniture. Seniors can use the exercise room at any time and also go on daily walks. Aerobics and yoga classes are offered. The also have a full service salon for the residents. The dining room was quite nice, with plenty of space. The food we saw looked and smelled delicious. The menus all had healthy food options for all kinds of diets. Healthy snacks are offered all day and into the evening, as well as whenever residents request them. The residents go on trips to visit the many art galleries and museums, eat at casual and fine restaurants and enjoy the many cultural events offered in the area. The residents here were well cared for by kind and considerate staff and appeared to content. b

Sonny2

Bethesda Gardens is providing a good home for my mother-in-law. They told us there would be a rough patch when she made the move, which was true but less so than might be imagined. We have found that there is less interaction between the residents than we might expect, but some folks are attracted to some activities and some others. A big hit for her is about the simplest you can imagine. They simply schedule a time to take interested residents on a random driving tour of the area. Literally random: they don't know where the ride will take them until the van is rolling. Given that most of the residents have lived in this area for much of their lives, the tour is a good way for them to see what has changes and what has not. The weaker aspect of the facility is that some of the caregivers seem to be less than enthusiastic. They come when there is a problem, but somewhat on cruise control. But they get the job done. Oh, then there is the food. All the residents say the previous chef was good and the new one is a bozo. It sounds like much of the vitriol is about attempts to reduce wasted food, but nonetheless everyone now is lining up prior to the start of meal time to have a chance to get anything on the menu. I guess I'd wish my mother-in-law could enjoy her golden years without Pavlovian mealtime behavior.