Belmont Village Senior Living Encino

My FIL was moved to Belmont Village Encino two years ago. I do not recommend this facility for your loved one. I have evidence of lack of care, over medicating, incorrect meds being given, meds not taken just sitting on a table, lack of communication, and zero response from many employees. They do not return phone calls or email. Dad’s personal belongings are missing, laundry has been ruined. and housekeeping is the worst. There is a lack of security. There is a ton of employee turnover too. I understand that this facility use to be one of the best (that is why we moved our dad there), but unfortunately, it has gone downhill a great deal. Finally, you cannot trust their accounting. It’s really sad. We never thought we would have to move Dad at the age of 86 who has Alzheimer’s. It’s really too bad.

I’m writing this because reviews truly matter when choosing care for a loved one. Belmont was the second assisted-living community my father lived in. He was diabetic and needed help with insulin administration, which is why we chose Belmont. Otherwise, he loved his previous community at Atria Grand Oaks and we would not have moved him if his medical needs had not increased. Unfortunately, our experience at Belmont was very challenging. We were overcharged for the first two months, and it took six months of repeated follow-ups to resolve our billing. When you are already emotionally and physically caring for a loved one, this additional administrative burden was exhausting and unnecessary. The wellness center does have an RN on duty, however a prescription is required for every medication : including over-the-counter items like cough or constipation medicine. This was not clearly explained before move-in and caused delays in care when my father became ill. My father was cognitively sound and often had to correct staff regarding his insulin and medications. Because of this, I would not recommend Belmont for anyone who cannot advocate for themselves. He also had chronic heart failure. When I visited, I noticed his legs and feet were severely swollen — something I recognized without medical training — yet staff saw him daily and no concern was raised. One week later, he was hospitalized due to fluid retention. The facility is large, staff are clearly overworked, and the level of medical oversight was not what we expected. We were there nine months and ultimately experienced more stress, not less. Would I recommend Belmont? Personally, I would not. For families seeking more hands-on medical attention, I strongly suggest looking into Board and Care homes.

I’ve been meaning to write this review for a month now and I’m so glad I waited, because the more I experience of Belmont Village, the more strongly I stand behind my five star rating. Let’s start at the beginning. I toured about 5 different facilities trying to find a fit for my mom with early stage Alzheimer’s and Gabi at Belmont was the most welcoming and thorough in her questioning of anyone I met. You can tell that she truly cares. I also immediately loved Courtney (the head nurse extraordinaire) and after the first lunch could tell that the food is fantastic (I actually really enjoy joining my mom for meals there now with their always varied menu). What really pushed me over the edge in choosing Belmont is their Circle of Friends program which is truly one of a kind and allows my mom to live with more freedom in Assisted Living, but with access to memory based programming that Belmont develops in collaboration with universities and experts in the field of brain health. It was like the best of both worlds - with most other spots my choices were having her locked down in memory care or in regular AL but without the right level of support physically and mentally. All of those things are what I’ll call initial impressions, because anyone taking a tour can see them. Now that my mom has lived there for a month I am even more elated with my decision. For starters, the communication is fantastic. Any minor issues my mom has are immediately addressed (something as simple as food taking a while to come out one day resulted in Courtney calling me and letting me know she had chatted with the chef and the issue has never returned). The program directors for Circle of Friends are encouraging and really work to get residents participating and feeling good about their efforts. Since partaking in the programs, myself, along with my mom’s friends and family have noticed an improvement in her sharpness which is incredible as the goal here is to maintain functionality as long as possible. Finally, the care staff (Pals and wellness team) are SO attentive and kind. They really get to know the residents and their likes, dislikes, and needs, and treat them like people instead of patients. Just a few days ago, a pal noticed something was off with the way my mom was walking as they watched her return to her room, and sent a few members of wellness to check on her. Without going into too much detail, their observations and quick response in calling paramedics helped us avoid what could have been a very scary medical situation. When she was discharged several days later incredibly late from the hospital, we arrived back to Belmont at 11pm and there were two members of staff there to help get her into bed and cleaned up. Honestly, if you’re looking for a good environment with people truly care, this is it. Dementia is a horrible disease, but I can sleep soundly knowing my mom is in great hands and in an environment where she can thrive.

My cousin recently moved my aunt & uncle into this community and I only have one question: Where do I sign up?! This place has everything you need. Good food, friendly staff who seem genuinely happy and a beautiful environment. I’ve been able to visit several times and each time my aunt & uncle are busy in an activity. The last time I stopped i. there was a great dance class. I was born with two left feet but the energy was so much fun I actually joined in! They have trips to restaurants, museums, theaters and shops weekly. It really seems like the folks that live there have fuller social calendars than my college-aged kids. The building is well maintained and appears to be regularly updated considering it is over 20 years old. My only recommendation is to add a pet park. There is a dog walker who comes by but it would be great for my aunt to be able to take her dog out in between walks without having to leave the grounds. Overall I can’t recommend this place enough and encourage anyone looking for a place for their loved one to put it at the top of their list.