Brookdale Sakonnet Bay

There are a lot of positive things to say about the experience my mother had at Brookdale over the 3 1/2 years she lived there. The folks who provide support and assistance were amazing, especially Filomena Lawless and Steve Murphy. Filomena offers such kindness to both residents and their families, and for that I am forever grateful. Steve was a text away, offering quick responses and helping us find who best to speak to in a few cases. The care staff in Assisted Living were incredibly helpful, especially Darlene and Mom's favorite caregiver, Bob, and kept a close eye on Mom's health, even picking up on health issues she hid from us. Mom made a wonderful friend and cribbage companion during her time there, a late in life relationship whose loss was particularly difficult for her. When she had problems with her room, both in independent and assisted living, the staff responded quickly and they were easy to interact with and very friendly. Joe, the man who provides transport, was always ready with a friendly joke and appropriate teasing and always brought a smile to Mom's face. He also brought her several cards after she was out of the building for a health issue. The front desk staff were helpful. So why only three stars? Mom was never very happy about the overall food quality on a day to day basis. Given the rental cost and the fact that that cost increased every year, we would have been happy to pay the increase if there were tangible improvements. During the time she lived there, whenever I would talk to local folks about Brookdale, especially people who had family there, the food quality seemed to be a common theme. The biggest complaint I have came at the end of her stay. At that point, you know that despite the friendliness and care of so many people, ultimately this is a business designed to make money and answer to a board of directors. Mom had to enter a hospital and then a rehab facility and we were hopeful for a time she would be able to return to her apartment. Once it was clear we needed to vacate her apartment, we began the process of recovering rent and assisted living care costs that had been automatically withdrawn from her checking account, per Brookdale's policy. At that point, she was in a rehab facility that was no longer covered by insurance, so she was in need of those funds, amounting to thousands of dollars. Each time we attempted to get an answer about the timeline, we received a different answer about how the process worked and when we would receive her refund. When we tried face to face meetings to that end, the director became testy. It took a full two months after she was completely moved out of Brookdale to finally have the funds in our hands. Bottom line: there are a lot of positive things about this facility, but beware it is a corporation - slow to change and respond.

The staff are amazing! It starts at the main entrance where Carol Naftygiel, who will greet you upon arrival. Then, you may run into Filomena Lawless who cares so much for the residents. She drops cards under their doors and checks in to make sure they’re adjusting well. Last but not least, Jonathan Souza will be around transporting residents. He has a great knack for his ability to make people feel at ease. I always look forward to visiting my loved one.

Learning after what appeared to be a minor stroke that your mother cannot live by herself any longer is extremely stressful and a difficult time for the entire family. Then comes looking into where she may go-can drive one crazy. My brother happened to make a call to Brookdale and spoke with Steve. Steve was extremely friendly and helpful. He gave us not only information about Brookdale but unsolicited guidance regarding what to look for in researching assisted living and/or long term nursing care. After looking at 3 other facilities, we were informed mother was accepted as an assisted living resident. After checking on finances, moving her into Brookdale was a no brainer. They have been extremely helpful in not only assisting my mother in adjusting and accepting her new situation, but assisting our family with the adjustment. In the 5 weeks my mother has been at Brookdale, we have nothing negative to say. The adjustment period for all of us was just what we were told it could be. Thank you!!

Everybody knows "there's no place like home" and I'm amazed at how quickly I adopted that same sentiment regarding my new home at Brookdale Sakonnet Bay.