Brookdale Texarkana

The only place I went to was Brookdale. I liked it. We have church members there, so we went there and took a look at it. It doesn’t look like a nursing home; it's more like a big home, and they don’t have big, long corridors like in a nursing home. They have a nice facility with nice rooms and everything. The rooms were nice, well-kept, painted and had nice carpets. They have all kinds of activity for residents. I think they played dominoes and other things, and they have a TV room, too. The staff was very friendly.

It has spacious apartments. The Sterling House said they can handle patient with memory problem, but I could see my mother maintaining a pretty isolated life if she would be allowed to be just in her room and not come out. Their activities were card players, movies, coffee and donut time and some games. I would recommend that to others.

Sterling House of Texarkana was another facility I visited. It was an old facility and I didn't like it at all. I wasn't pleased with this place because they only have a microwave in their rooms. Also they don't have enough staff there. I'm looking for an independent living facility.

On March 6, 2013 I had the privilege of visiting your facility to check on one our patients that is a resident there. I arrived at the facility at 7:55 p.m. I found the medication aide, P. Miller, who had called in a report that our patient did not seem herself and was confused. Ms. Miller was busy passing the evening medicines but every time I approached her, she stopped with a smile and answered my questions. The patient was indeed confused and was unable to answer any questions for herself. Her daughter was also present and was also unable to answer the questions. I needed the information so I could notify the physician. There was also another employee present (I believe she was the aide but I did not get her name.) I was very impressed that the staff did not get upset with me and seemed to care so much for their patients. We do not receive that kind of treatment when we go into facilities. Many of them will not answer questions or look at the med sheets to see what was given earlier in the day. I asked questions like "did she eat supper tonight?", "when was her last bowel movement", "did she do any complaining before the confusion", did she do anything different this evening. All questions are so important in trying to figure out what was going on and when it started. Your staff was so busy doing evening care but when I step out of the room and found them, they would stop and come out in the hall to answer questions. I am sure I interrupted them ten or more times. As the Quality Assurance/Performance Improvement Director when I am on RN call I pay attention to this and to the care our patients receive. I was so impressed. Then early on the morning of March 7, 2013 I was again called to the facility as the patient had slipped out of the bed. It thrilled me that the night shift was just as concerned as the evening shift, I was there long enough for the day shift to come on. The care and love that all three shifts showed our patient were just so awesome. Speaking with your Director of Nurses, Bevin Hawkins was also fabulous. She again took the time to answer questions, she asked appropriate questions from me and together we were able to work out a plan of care for our mutual resident/patient. I reported it to our executive director and also to the staff in our morning meeting. It is a pleasure to see our patients loved and taken care of. Thank you so much. Sherlylynn Pierce, RN, BSN, MS Serenity Hospice QAPI Director

We liked the outside design of the Sterling House of Texarkana assisted living facility. My brother's friend has been searching for a place to live in the region, so we were checking it out. The spacious grounds were well kept with nice seating areas to relax by. We liked the way the main area was decorated with fresh flowers. We noticed the diverse staff and residents - which included people at various levels of mobility. The nicely appointed apartments were all fresh and seemed newly decorated and looked like something you'd find in an upscale bed and breakfast. The staff pointed out that residents are regularly invited to participate in everything there is to offer - from outings to indoor games, films and reading groups. Staff seemed to be willing to accommodate any resident need. Indoor areas were all homey and very fresh. Most of the seniors seemed very active - which will suit my brother's friend well. There was a variety of types of food available - for example, meal choices ranged from a complete meal to snacks or lighter fare, for those who wanted it. Dietary concerns seemed to be well addressed. Every effort is made to ensure that all residents are taken care of nutritionally. The facility encourages family members to visit regularly and participate in some of the annual activities, such as barbeques and holiday parties. We liked the atmosphere at this facility and would recommend that anyone interested consider taking a tour.