Benton House of Sugar Hill

This is update from my original review! UPDATE! I now give a 1 star review since my original review at the Benton House request a couple months after my mom’s arrival. My mom had a very bad experience after a fall. She was found on the floor, and we requested detail on the fall, not knowing how long mom was on the floor. We did not get accurate information. Seemed everyone was covering for each other. She broke her leg, yet when they found her, they pick her up and moved her to the bed before ambulance arrived possibly damaging the leg more. Mom stay in a rehabilitation facilitation for 3 and half months while we continued to pay the Benton House every month to secure her suite for her return. We paid over $15,000 for no service, no meals, no care. Upon mom’s release from the rehab facility, Benton house did not accept her back. They returned none of the money even though mom was not there and they also prevented her return. We had to desperately find another place under extreme duress to secure for mom. Thank God another assisted living facility accepted mom, providing more space and better care. Mom is now doing well. The Benton House experience was a very bad experience for us as a family, and my mom particularly. We also experienced some mistreatment by a nurse director that created problems for employees and residence. She was eventually fired. What started out good, ended up very costly and terrible. Very bad experience for us, in addition, we feel like we were cheated out of the $15,000 because while mom was not there, no care was provided for those 3 months!

My mom has lived at Benton House for over 3 years and our experience has been a good one. Any issues have been quickly addressed. I feel my mom is safe and well taken care of here. The facility is attractive and well laid out for getting around with a walker or wheelchair. Mom needs much care and it is a blessing for her to receive that help.

My experience with Benton House was terrible. While the admissions advisors initially gave a great impression, things quickly deteriorated once my father moved in. From the very beginning I clearly communicated that my father required a higher level of care, especially since another facility had turned him down for that reason. I was assured that the Benton House nurse would assess him fully. After a thorough hour-long assessment at our home, the nurse recommended memory care, which I agreed to. Two weeks before move-in, I informed Stephanie, the admissions advisor, about our move-in plans. She assured me that the staff was excited to meet my father. However, on move-in day, I was shocked when Stacy, the "resident service director," called me into her office with the executive director, Elizabeth. They claimed they had no record of my father's move and expressed doubts about his acceptance due to his care needs, despite the prior nurse assessment. I insisted they tell me if they could not accommodate him, but they decided to "wait and see." The same day, I requested an independent assessment from Stacy, which she refused. She then suggested I pay extra for a "platinum level of care," which would involve hiring a Benton House employee at $29 an hour to assist my father. Just two days later, I received alarming news: my father had fallen and required firefighters to help him up. Stacy informed me they needed multiple people to assist him. I was told "we need to reconvene" and that Stacy and Elizabeth would call me later. The next day, after not hearing back, I called around and eventually got the name and number of Alison, who apologized for the issues and assured me she would get to the bottom of these issues. Despite my willingness to continue, my father experienced several unsupervised falls within the next five days. He expressed to me and his hospice nurses that he felt mistreated, saying, "these people just throw me around" and "these people are crazy." This raised serious concerns. During our visits, I observed a lack of training among the aides. When my father needed to use the restroom, I informed the aides, who provided no instruction and required my assistance to transfer him to the toilet. One aide even admitted to being new and unsure of the rules. Throughout our visits, aides were often seen on their phones or not interacting with the residents. On the first day, I witnessed an aide rudely dismiss a resident trying to ask a question, which was extremely disheartening. After just over a week, I decided to move my father out of Benton House. I had hoped that such a reputable facility would provide quality care, but they failed my father. Save your money and time and do not move your family members here, ESPECIALLY if they have dementia or mental impairment.

If you are trying to make the hard decision on where your loved one will live, please consider the Benton House of Sugar Hill! My mother has been a resident there for 3 years. She is always clean, happy and you can tell that she enjoys living there. The staff there are the best I have ever seen. They are always engaging with your loved ones in a variety of activities, daily. I have been to other Assisted Living Facilities, but never had I have one give our family the peace and assurance that Mom is being loved and well taken care of while we are away! We will never be able to Thank you enough, Benton House of Sugar Hill, GA!!!