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.

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.

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.