Belmont Village Senior Living Encino

Belmont Village Encino is amazing. I could write a two page review on this Senior Living home and the terrific staff that works there. It's been almost 7-months since we moved my mom into Belmont and she's finally adjusting thanks to the team. My mom has dementia and it has been such an emotional rollercoaster finding the right place for her. The team at Belmont (Kate, one of the directors), the pals, Lynnell, Linda, Lydia, Jeffrey, Olga have helped my mom adjust and also rode the emotional waves I have gone thru putting my mom in SL. My mom and I are best friends, so I was so scared to place her somewhere, these guys couldn't be better. We go all hours day and night to visit. We eat dinner regularly at Josephine's Kitchen (the dining room), shout out to Barbara who is one of the servers we love. In addition, the activities they offer keep my mom busy and happy. It took her awhile to make friends but now that she has she looks forward to the daily events and weekly trips. Honestly, I love the residents as much as the staff and I'm ready to move in myself, lol. We know everyone on a first name basis. Team members like Joyce and Sophie help my mom get dressed and take her to the bathroom when she needs it. Like I said, I could go on. What you get for the price is exceptional, IMO. It's such a hard transition seeing your parent with dementia move into assisted living but if you need a place, this spot is home. Sarah

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.

Our mother stayed for 6 weeks in Belmont's memory care. She had been in another care center in another city for 10 years where her experience was outstanding. Belmont in Encino was a sharp contrast. At Belmont the caregivers, who were hands on, were caring and gentle. However, the administrative staff was unresponsive and time after time did not follow through with their promises. Unlike at our mother's previous facility, we could not directly phone a caregiver for current information. An administrative person on a different floor would give us information based on what was in our Mother's chart, which was not necessarily current or didn't address our questions. All the way to the highest administrator, there was often no follow through on what they said they would do. To add insult to injury, despite numerous calls and promises, it took at least 3 months for the thousands of dollars our mother had overpaid to be refunded. In general, promises were made, and there was very little follow through. We therefore cannot recommend Belmont in Encino.

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.