Braddock Glen

I toured Braddock Glen. The saleslady was great. I didn't meet anybody else that worked there. From the outside, it's not very inviting; the inside was much better. You can tell it's an older facility and it's old school, and they're trying to convert themselves over to the new way of thinking about assisted living, where it's a home and an apartment and not a room where you do nothing. The advantage there is you can get a price break. It's a government cooperative type thing and you can get a cheaper rate, which is nice. The facility was nice; it's just tired. They need to brighten it. It's a little bit darker in decor, and they may redo some of the areas like the entertainment area and the activities sections.

I think this facility is best described as independent living or as an assisted living that is appropriate only for medically stable persons who are mainly independent and only need meals and medications provided and to have someone around in case of emergency. In summer of 2021, I was given misleading and incorrect information by the marketing director regarding the level of assistance that Braddock Glen staff would provide, despite specifically asking about this several times. I was mislead about the staff to resident ratio by the marketing director and it was only corrected by the nursing director on the day that the contract was to be signed. I had heard from other Assisted Living facilities that Braddock Glen did not provide a "high level of assistance" and when I asked about this, the marketing director said that she was unaware of that and that they do provide a high level of assistance to residents. When I asked what conditions would require a resident to move to a different type of facility, I was told that a resident would only be required to leave the facility if they were completely dependent (unable to do anything for themselves) or had medical needs beyond the abilities of the facility to provide (like a feeding tube or on an IV), or were a danger to themselves or others. I specifically asked about getting assistance pushing the resident places in a wheelchair and was assured that this would be provided for meals and to take the resident anywhere else in the facility. I was told that if there was not enough staff to provide the level of assistance needed, then additional staff could be added. After move-in, the other Directors told me that this facility is only for people who can get themselves independently from their rooms to the dining room. When pressed, they said that the resident had to at least make more of an effort. After a month and a half of unsuccessfully trying to work this out, it turned out that the resident had an undiagnosed heart condition that made it very difficult for her to push herself in the wheelchair, but the staff thought she was simply stubborn and didn't want to do it. The LPN and RN were very attentive, as was the Therapy staff (from a contracted company), although they all missed an easily spotted diagnosis (both legs newly swollen and increasingly so, could indicate congestive heart failure) and thought for a month and a half that it was due to inactivity. The Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) who provide the caregiving try their best and are generally kind, but are overworked and typically in a hurry (have to leave resident on the toilet and tell them to push the call button when they are finished). I have to say that this seems to be the case at other facilities too, however, as the companies try to squeeze maximum productivity out of the fewest number of caregivers. The daytime caregivers at Braddock Glen are occupied for at least 2 hours 3 times a day - before, during, and after every meal - because the caregivers prepare the dining tables, take residents' orders, serve the drinks and meals, and are generally not allowed to leave the dining room area during meals. If a resident needs assistance to use the bathroom during a meal, that is a problem. If the resident finishes ahead of the other residents and wants to be pushed back to her room, that is not generally possible. I had mistakenly assumed that different staff would serve residents their meals, or at least that someone would be available for those who do not attend the meal or who needed help during the meal. If you add in the time it takes for the caregivers to change shifts, to give out medications, to let people in/out of the building, to have their own breaks/meals, to help residents bathe (which is very time consuming), then there is actually very little time available for them to help residents who need a moderate to high level of care. Other things were annoyances: it was difficult to use the courtyard if you were in a wheelchair due to the keypad being too high up and needing to key in the code and physically push the door (although this was going to be addressed and may have changed by now). To get in/out of the front door you would have to ask the receptionist, or if after hours, find a staff person and ask to be let out and back in. Every time the door is opened, there is a very loud and unpleasant beep noise (which happens very frequently during the daytime). That noise limits the enjoyment of any areas indoors or outdoors near the front door. Many of the residents have dementia which made it difficult for a new resident to form friendships. There was frequently a TV playing in the common areas and/or loud music from a jukebox playing during meals. Although hospice can be provided at Braddock Glen by an outside agency, I would caution against it due to the added complication of dealing with the Braddock Glen staff, pharmacy, and computer system, the relative inexperience of the caregivers with providing a high level of assistance, and the lack of enough caregivers to provide the constant assistance that is required (despite the director assuring me that they would be able to do it). The building itself is very nice and clean and the housekeeping staff kept the rooms very clean. The outside areas are not very large or pretty or easy to access. No transportation provided.

We had a good experience touring Braddock Glen. The people were nice, it was in a good location, and it's affordable. It would certainly be in my top three. Cleanliness was very good, too. We walked around the entire community and saw the dining room, the studio, and their reading room. All of the rooms were occupied at the time. It's all one level which makes it easy to get around if you have any issues.

Great location from the Beltway, easy to visit. Small scale compared to other communities and affordable. People seem happy to be here.

My father in was the waiting list at Braddock Glen. I thought that they were exceptionally pleasant. They listened to what our concerns were. They took him on a tour and showed him what the rooms looked like. They explained that they were not furnished. They had three meals a day plus snacks. They said that they would review his application. They did. They called us and told us that he was on the waiting list. The rooms had microwave and refrigerator. I thought it looked like a fine place.

My mother is in Braddock Glen, and I like it a lot. It is pretty and clean. The people are nice. It's subsidized by the county, so it's half the price of what a regular place is for her. I'm happy with the staff. She has been there about 10 days, and so far, so good. She seems happy with the food. She has a private room; it is an efficiency apartment. Her only complaint is that it has a small closet. She likes to have more closet space. They play bingo and dominos, and they make cupcakes. They have bible studies, parties, exercise, and outings like shopping and movies. The dining area is very nice. I would recommend them, but they have to qualify with their income. She told me today she is happy, so that makes me happy.

The Braddock Glen was a very nice facility. It was very pleasant, and the staff was very nice. They were doing some activities while I was there, and they had a singing program where somebody comes in to sing and play the piano.