Brookdale Senior Living Reviews

With my father having dementia, he cannot even afford to get the help or care that he needs while living here. Unless you are very wealthy, I don't recommend this facility. You can find equal or better care at more reasonable prices from other living facilities in or near West Seattle. It seems this company's only concern is making money, regardless of whether or not their residents can afford it. I recommend going on Indeed.com and reading some of the reviews from their own employees. Not only do they mention the high turnover rate and focus on making money, but they bring to light that they are understaffed when it comes to actually helping the residents.

My father has lived at this location for over 5 1/2 years and unfortunately the quality of the staff has gone down tremendously. No one seems to know what they're doing anymore since the majority of the staff quit a few months ago. You would think when someone pays $4,000+ per month for independent living, they would follow through with the agreement to drive him to his doctor's appointment once a week seeing that it's only 5 minutes away! My father has dementia and can no longer drive and I just had spinal surgery, so I'm currently unable to take him. I will be looking for another place for him to live. I do not recommend anyone moving into this living facility.

Within one month of moving in, the recently hired Executive Director quit. Now, we are being charged a full community fee. They do not have enough staff to handle the care adequately. They only offer fruit in the mornings and vegetables at lunch. My mother had lost 11 pounds since moving in. The food is horrible and the regular alternative she is offered is grilled cheese. They do not provide vegetables at night. To say that I’m disappointed is an understatement.

After this experience, I started reading reviews about Brookdale and I feel like I dodged a bullet because most of the price increases happen after the resident moves in, not before! Brookdale's usual pattern is to get you to move your loved one into their facility and then the pricing increases start! Be sure to read all the reviews on this site and others, you'll see the pattern too. Brookdale is all about the money, don't be fooled! They know that once you move your loved one into their facility and pay all those initial fees, it's too expensive to move out so everyone just endures and pays the added fees. DON'T DO IT! There are plenty of other facilities that will be honest and straightforward about their pricing! Very disappointed with Brookdale and their pricing games!

I would think that a director of a memory care facility would know what’s going on in her building and if she doesn’t know anything I would think the RN would. I’m sure they are both hoping this just gets swept under the rug. Again I say this was just one of the concerns. It was by far the most serious. I am encouraging anyone looking into the facility as a home for your loved one to be very very careful.

This year's notice for the 2022 increase was particularly painful! The staff proved to be not so caring and unreliable. After a fall where my mother-in-law fractured her forearm, she couldn't get staff to come to her room and called us at home two counties away to come help! When she needed their bus to take her for her first follow-up appointment (which was very important as they were to determine at this point if she may need surgery...and we double checked that they had her on their bus schedule for the appropriate day) they DID NOT take her for her appointment!! The doctor's office called and asked why we didn't bring her...shock is not the word to describe how this made us feel. When we asked Brookdale why this happened even after we called them and reminded them of her appointment they said, "The driver forgot..."

For many months after she began residency there, we had to call every single month to straighten out her prescription invoice. It was rarely correct. Such a hassle. To the day we moved her out of this facility, we could not get them to consistently send us an accurate Monthly Resident Form (which we supplied them with) for us to use to file her long term care insurance...the form is one page, front only, with only four questions that require check marks in the boxes, basically.

The last month there it took four attempts back and forth to get it completely filled out and even then they had scratched through the date next to the signature because they put the wrong month. The staff member who kept making these errors seemed unhappy to keep hearing from me about this form. And unapologetic. Believe me, it is no treat for me to have to keep following up on the same problem over and over again. But, the insurance company requires complete accuracy and Brookdale was consistently unable to deliver. These were not the only grievances that we had with Brookdale over those two years, but this review is getting long...

When we informed Brookdale (finally) that we were moving her out, of course they wanted to know why. To be polite, we just cited finances...because the rates had gone up so much since we moved her in there. To which the director replied..."Would you consider letting me see what I can do? I really hate to see Ms. ** move out. She does so well at Brookdale." Well, this is anything but the truth. Later, we found out from a former Brookdale employee that they don't keep the rates the same for every resident. Apparently, they work on a sliding fee scale. They overcharge paying folks like us and use that to offset the costs of those who need Brookdale to "see what they can do" about lower pricing for them. We feel cheated and mistreated. Can't believe we stayed so long. Ms. ** is in a far nicer facility now...and it costs less! We would not recommend.

When we asked about other options for care, none were provided. When I explained that it felt like they were forcing us to move my father, I was rudely told “well he COULD stay if you got a companion.” They had been told countless times before this wasn’t an option not that family members could stay with him 24/7. When I asked about a refund for the remaining time he would not be in the facility, I was informed “this isn’t us not providing care” when it very much is them not providing any other options. Again, my father was there for what will total 6 days and they were not willing to ACTUALLY do the work to help him acclimate or refund the amount for the other 3 weeks. I have already reached out to corporate regarding the request but who knows how long that will take.

Mom went to visit the location with one of her friends and they showed her a room with a full kitchen and stove. She got excited, they baited her with the discount speech and got her to write them a $4400 check. Then I started getting the calls, texts and emails to sign the contracts. Everything is through Docusign and must be done online - mom doesn't have a computer or email - so they emailed the contract to me with instructions to "just sign your mom's name." They were extremely persistent, even when I told them I wasn't signing. They kept up about the discount and how we would lose it. Even when I said stop making this about the money and that we wanted the place that would give the best care they still pushed about sign now or lose the discount. I told them IN WRITING that we were not proceeding and to destroy the check that mom had written.

I got an email from docusign saying the contract had been voided. Next thing we hear is that the contract is signed and they are expecting mom to move in immediately and they cashed the check. Wait, who signed the contract? There were no copies given to my mom. I called the sales rep and asked for copies of the contract and she refused to comply, saying that mom was her customer and that I was not part of this. We had discussions with mom about the situation and told her we were going to void the contract. We then overheard a call from the sales rep to my mom telling mom to "just pack up and get out of that house as fast as you can." Rep said things such as this is your life, you make your own choices, your family can't tell you what to do. And we recorded it.

This was around 9pm. I heard that and immediately called the rep and left her a voice mail message and told her that call was extremely inappropriate and again that we were cancelling the contract. I followed up with a text telling her that the real word I should have used was unethical, and that we did record the call. Next day we called the rep (Renee) and the site director (Ralph) to cancel everything and be done with it all. Ralph finally called back and said they would cancel and issue a refund for the check. I went to the site to obtain copies of anything that had been signed and Ralph refused to deal with me.

I happened to bring my POA paperwork and he refused to acknowledge it and said the only way he would give me anything was if I brought a signed note from my mom (note they had no knowledge of the POA when they were asking me to sign my mom's name on the contract) and that they only honored POAs when the person was incapacitated. I go back home, write a note and have mom sign, then go back to the site only to be told that Ralph had just left and would not be back until the following week and NO ONE else on the staff could get the paperwork because it was only on his computer.

Finally had the assistant director come our (she was the only decent person that I dealt with) and she said Ralph would be emailing the docs that evening. I did receive the contract and the discounts they had promised were not included - the room and board was being charged at full price. The sheet that outlined the level of care and the cost for the level of care was missing. Pricing for services listed in the contract were outrageously different than what the sales rep had told us. The contract was nothing like what had been discussed - it is no wonder that they were refusing to give me a copy. They still refused to tell me who actually signed it - my mom didn't sign, yet there is an electronic version of her signature where someone had signed the contracts through Docusign. Dirty, dishonest, unethical and rude is how I would describe them.

Original Review: Nov. 30, 2020

My father needed memory care as his condition worsened. I was not able to personally visit the facility due to COVID lockdown. The sales person showed a video of a representative apartment. Obviously, this was a recipe for disaster. When I moved my parent's belongings into the facility I was heartbroken. The apartment was dark, low celing, disgusting kitchen, smelled foul, there were no updates, and the view to the outdoors featured the huge industrial generator. That was it. The next day I moved their things out. They never stayed at this place.

Brookdale refused to refund the $3500 facility fee paid upfront and now they have the nerve to try to charge an additional $490 for what, I don’t know. Even better, they never sent a bill, they just sent it to collections. I don’t even know what the charges were for! How predatory how and disgusting. Plus, dad passed away 5 days later. Please think twice about trusting this organization. I even spoke with the director there, and she told me she would put in a request to stop the collection of these bogus charges but to this day I am still getting collection notice. She did nothing.

I have reached out to Superior court of NJ - family division. I am my Mother’s primary contact with the Somerset County Department of Aging and I am reaching out to them to do an emergency inspection and to give my Mother the capability of speaking with her attorney. I plan on suing this place under criminal code 2C for refusal to return and denying me the right to my property. And for Human rights violations. I am waiting for a Captain and the Mayor of Florham Park to take action. I have informed them if nothing is done they will be sued in Federal Court under U.S. 42 Statue 1983. Under 8 counts and violations against the U.S. Constitution. They under the color of law have an obligation to protect people from abuse, protect property, due process and free speech. All of which have been denied to my Mother. Do Not ever send anyone here; unless you hate them.

My Uncle was only there 2 weeks. He was rushed to the hospital with a urinary tract infection and a viral infection in his lungs. Brookdale didn't call to let us know. We didn't know until the hospital called. The only good things about this place were that some of the staff was very nice - the receptionist, the dining room workers, some of the aides. There wasn't a hand washing protocol. The last time I visited it smelled in his room and the bathroom was a mess - there were no sheets on the bed. He probably got a urinary tract infection because they didn't change his catheter enough. I don't think the medical staff is the problem - they are understaffed and they have too much to do - but they are VERY disorganized.

I don't think the lunch staff received benefits as one woman told me she was on Medicaid. Which of course also means that they were grossly underpaid. I am not sure what 9k a month was paying for. My uncle was quite old. He is dying now. I'm not going to say that he wouldn't be dying if they had taken better care of him but I do think that, perhaps, they sped up the process.

My mother lay there for 17 HOURS, with no help, pain medication or medical attention of any kind. I had to place her on crisis care and she passed away 5 days later. What’s makes this even worse, the same exact thing happened to another resident shortly before this happened to my mother. So this was not an isolated incident. As I said, I reported them to The Department Of Health and Human Services. An investigation followed and my complaint was officially substantiated and they were cited. Please, if you are considering this facility for your loved one, please look elsewhere. You can also look at The Department Of Health and Human Services or D.A.D.S to see the citations this place has received.

*Note = while we were trying to find help we stopped one of the staff who was walking through the facility and asked her for help and were shocked by her response that she was "clocked out". She did not even ask what the problem was or the severity of it. Is this the type of person that should be working at a Senior Home??

When someone did come to our friend's room she informed us it was her first day. She was very friendly - but not trained. My sister, with the help of the new girl were able to get our friend out of the bed so that she could go to the bathroom (which at this point was too late) so it was just a matter of cleaning her up. Due to the time it took to get someone to help her, she was upset and stressed out. She was also concerned about her oxygen tubes coming loose and said she could not breathe.

During this ordeal we noticed how dirty our friend was. Her skin, her hair, nails etc. It was very alarming and concerning that she is not getting the care and attention we were told she would get if she stayed at Brookdale. What would have happened if we HAD NOT SHOWN UP WHEN WE DID? When would someone at Brookdale answered her bell she rang numerous times BEFORE we walked into her room?? The biggest concern we have -- which we have many - is the lack of compassion and care the staff demonstrated today when we did finally get someone to come to her room.

We were also told, by her son, that no one in management works at the facility on the weekends so basically no one is there to assist when something happens to the residents that are staying there. If you are someone that has loved ones that are needing assisted care, I urge you to do your research and read the reviews on Brookdale Beckett Meadows before making a decision.

Sheree, Jerry and Connie **

Then, factor in that everybody seems to have access to his room. He has had money stolen on several different occasions and staff even help themselves to snacks and soda in his refrigerator. He cannot drive so I get groceries for him. When he runs out, he is out until I bring more. These people are capable of driving and getting their own. So disgusting.

Sad thing is - he knows the other residents and likes living in the small town and is afraid to move. Plus the fact that, AFTER he moved in, they informed him there was a $1000 one time non-refundable move-in fee. (We never were told about this when we looked at the establishment.) This is what, I believe, they count on to keep the seniors living there. I don't know how these people can look at themselves in the mirror each morning. Another thing, they give the residents these lovely "life alert" buttons to push to contact the nurses if there's a problem. My dad took a nasty fall a year ago. He pushed and pushed and pushed his button. It took them 30 minutes to respond. Thank God it wasn't a heart attack!

Our father has severe COPD. I explained that he has to walk a little every day for his lung health. He has a wheelchair that is used for appointments and so on. He was in it the whole time he was there!!! He has gone to the hospital about six times. The night staff told him they were not Doctors so what does he expect them to do for him!! He had to phone 911 himself for help. I guess if you're independent that's ok but if you need a little help WATCH OUT!!!!

After the community fee and the 4,190 a month rent a total of 18,760 and 4 months later he is now deceased due to immobility aggravating a severe lung issue. They forward all his mail to a family member without his knowledge, resulting in him not receiving his debit card. He couldn't order anything or even pay his cell phone. They didn't care about him. People please read all the reviews. This is not a isolated incident. Your loved ones are nothing more than a cash cow to Brookdale - BROOKDALE LIVERPOOL NY. PLEASE SHARE.

Around Feb 2019 we get a call from medicaid saying that they were going to start processing his medicaid so my husband went to talk to the new director Amanda and all the sudden hes not in a medicaid room and she says that they can't take care of him anymore and that he really needs to go into a nursing home. So that flip flops the whole process with the lawyer and we start searching for a nursing home. So we find a nursing home to take him and we moved him out before the first of May. Now we get a bill today for the first 10 days of May for over a $1000 dollars. How can a company charge someone for time they aren't even there. And supposedly the $2000 deposit doesn't go towards anything and we will still get a bill for the carpet. They Rob the elderly. Stay far away from this company. They are crooks.

Apparently, Medicaid can only pay one place at a time. My husband went through a lawyer so that everything would be legal and the lawyer gave him paperwork to take to Brookdale so they would be sure to get paid but they refused it and said they don't do that. In March Brookdale told us to get her things out of her apartment because she wasn't able to pay her bill. My husband was her attorney in fact and tried to explain she ran out of money but they didn't care. Now, Brookdale says that he signed the paperwork so he is responsible for the bill and have turned us over to collection! We have obtained an attorney to try to straighten this mess out but overall I would avoid this place like the plague.

My family member also contracted c-diff infection among other issues. Unsanitary. They do not offer special diets to Residents and they will not tell you that. If your family member is hospitalized they will not reimburse you for the fees they charge you for care that was never received. You will never get a straight answer from the staff and they change their stories and can't even get on the same page. If you don't have time to call five or six times per day and be there regularly you will never know what is going on.

I feel sorry for the residents who live there that don't have family members doing this. This is a horrible excuse of an assisted living facility. My family member had to pay extra for standby shower assistance yet when I called the apartment the aide who was supposed to be standing by and assisting answered the phone and she was left in the shower alone. Activities are minimal nothing of what they describe. Residents look miserable there. This is why the tours are scheduled. It's all a front. My family member was talked to and reprimanded like a child in her own apartment. Do your research. Also check the BBB website and numerous lawsuits.

When I would call the Director, she never returned my phone calls. I always had to call a second or third time. Besides the "base rate", The director has the authority to decide what to bill for personal care, so be very careful of their billing process. More than once I was able to review the care plan and have the bill reduced or a credit issued. The living expense at this facility for 2018 was $60,000! Room sizes are small and barely navigable for handicap equipment and wheelchairs. And if you want a room with any kind of a view...you'll pay for it. We lost our loved one in January 2019. Not one of the staff attended the funeral, sent a card, or made a donation to the Alzheimer's Association as they said they would. Their main goal is to fill every room and make a PROFIT!

Then I was informed that the state of Colorado allows one to two months for the refund. Also, that the 7 days where standard. How can you bill someone for 7 days when they are not in the facility and no items are left in the facility? We told that 7 days would be allowed to remove items and that the days would be prorated. On January 14, 2019 Angela the regional director stated we bill like the hospital and I informed her the hospital does not count the day of discharge. Why are seniors being financially exploited by these for-profit corporations?

Angela stated, "We treat you like everyone else," and I informed her that is not my agenda and that I do not care how others are treated that I am only concerned with this situation. We submitted a check for 6,788.00 and were initially told they would bill us for 11 days. Now they are charging us for 4 days instead of 3 days. Why do they take your money and you have to fight to receive a refund? They immediately cash the check but you are at their mercy for the refund.

So, after losing my mind trying to find these unicorns that know and treat this condition, (I have to pay more $$ out of pocket now for this) Brookdale is telling me now they don’t want to do the simple velcro wraps that I use between having her in compression which allows her to take a shower, keep an eye on skin condition, etc. This takes no more than a 20 to 25 minutes at best and no more than 8 days max in a month, and they are whining about that now!

I spoke about my frustrations with the administrator and he insinuated I imagined the sales gal telling me they agreed to help care for her leg if I showed them. That infuriated me! I would have never even shown up if they said they would not help with this chronic condition of hers! I finally got him to agree to do the velcro wraps if I got someone to do the compression. Now they are trying to rescind that! They don’t want to do anything more than they absolutely have to and just babysit these mentally compromised adults.

Mom is able to walk on her own, shower herself, dress herself, feed herself, and 3 months later I am still getting calls from them that they don’t want to do this as it takes more time than THEY want to spend on her. I say bull excrement! I WAS a certified caregiver and bathed, dressed, transferred, fed elderly folks and it all took a heck of a lot longer than a half an hour! So, you are to pay thousands a month, (for a shared room mind you) and the care is minimal at best.

I feel like a sucker that was drawn in by all their courting and family like atmosphere, now to have them turn on me when I have the audacity to get upset and call them out on their lies. If you do bring your parent here, get EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING in writing regarding their care. Do NOT sign the waiver saying you will work with them first on any issues instead of your attorney, I tried that and was treated like I was inconveniencing HIM and my complaint was a falsehood in my imagination. Downright insulting!

It is very traumatic moving a parent with dementia and now she is finally adjusting and I feel like they are trying to drive her out of there by refusing the care they initially agreed to. This has been an absolute stressful nightmare. I DREAD going to see her now. I DREAD when I see they are calling me, the thought is... “Oh God, now what?? ?” This is just not right. After 5 long years being the sole caregiver for my Mom, burnt out beyond belief and they have turned this into an unnecessary, ongoing nightmare.