The Pearl at Watkins Centre

Phyllis Newman

I stopped in expecting the same type of senior living but was immediately impressed with this place. Large open spaces and a warm inviting atmosphere. I got the opportunity to have a full tour even though I had not called ahead of time. The staff were polite and friendly towards me. I got to see many people in activities which is what I want for my mom. I saw a table with three ladies working a puzzle and got to see during my tour nursing students from UVA. This place was bustling with good energy and positive people. I think my mom would love it here!

Samra

Don't believe them when they say "We'll take care of your Dad like family". Because this is what will most likely happen in the Pearl "home": - Unqualified employees dispensing medication. - Residents sitting in their own filth for who knows how long. - Bathrooms with black mold in the shower. - Your loved one not getting their teeth brushed. - I wanted to have lunch there (pre-Covid), and the squash was grey. I lost my appetite. - I counted 18 residents sitting ALONE in the common room. -Very high turnover rate, so there's no consistency. - Poor communication. You get the picture. Buyer BEWARE.

Debbie

The Pearl at Watkins Centre was a newer facility, so it's clean and fresh with bigger ceilings and more windows. They had a beautiful outdoor garden patio space that was very well maintained. I liked the rooms, too. One of the good parts about them was their bigger and more spacious bathrooms, nice closets, and skid-proof flooring. They also had a spa with a whirlpool, an actual movie theater with a big screen that was comfortable, and really wide hallways. It's an 'L' formation and all one floor. In the dining or visiting areas, they had access that they invented for COVID visitation, where you could have visitors on the outside and get hugs and talk through a little intercom. So, there was interaction with the family without personal contact. I did not see a lot of staff though, but the two staff members we met were friendly and educated on the facility.

Amy

My mom has moved into The Pearl at Watkins Centre. I like the location, and the staff was excellent. My mom's safety is excellent. They have every kind of convenience that you can imagine for a patient as far as helping them get through the entire facility with ease. They have great railings all along the halls. The staff is continually checking on them and offering to help them out. My mom has had a couple of instances where she has fallen, but they have been right on it as far as taking care of her with nursing care immediately. We just could not be happier with them. It is beautiful. They've got plenty of room, and the food is fantastic. I want to live there. Joe the chef, he's fantastic. If there's something that they're serving that my mom does not like, he will make her what she wants; He's just great. They will try everything they can to coax them to eat. They have daily activities every single day. It rotates in what they do. It switches from sports activity to trying to get them to do crafts or reading. They have a movie day. They get to go out every week on the tour bus somewhere. They have people come in and assist them with things, some are musical things. With COVID, some things are limited, but they do try to keep them busy, active, and mobile as much as they can. The price is reasonable. They're the same as any other location that we've seen, and we've used several. The pricing is comparable all across the board. So, for the money, I think it's fair. She needs continual, constant care that I could not give her, and she's getting it there. I feel perfectly safe having her there.

T

I toured The Pearl at Watkins Centre for my father. I liked the Pearl a lot because that was a place that was memory care specific. The whole facility is just for memory care residents. The staff that I met were kind and patient, and they did a walk through of the facility. I don't have any complaints about the staff. The rooms were nice. The building itself was only about three or four years old. If I remembered correctly, they opened right before COVID. The rooms were new and nice. The whole facility was very pretty and very nice. I know they have single rooms, and I think they have a suite where one person would have their own room and another person would have their room; they share a bathroom in the middle, like a Jack and Jill. The common area and eating area were very nice. The common area had a little fireplace when you first walked in. When I walked in, I did not feel like it was a memory center, it felt very homey. I did not feel like I was in a facility. I felt very comfortable. They have their activity calendar. They have different events that come on site like car shows, from what I remember. They have lots of different activities, and they also have activities where they will take some to places. They have a pharmacy where the medications could be sent, so that the relatives of the residents don't have to go drop off medications. The medications will just be shipped to the Pearl. I thought that was beautiful. The staff was very nice. But because it was a new facility, and I did research, I know they've had some staff turnover. I think when you have staff turnover like that, it can cause some issues.

K. Swainey

I visited this facility recently while still under construction. After recently losing my father to Alzheimer's I can honestly say I wish he could have been in a facility as nice, open, accommodating, and active. While there were obviously no residents yet, you can tell that everything is built with a purpose for well being and in order to foster activities and community. The rooms are very spacious with a couple different options for layout. And the court yard is going to be amazing! There is not a feeling of confinement at the Pearl and I think families will be very comforted having their loved ones there.