Washington Gardens Memory Care

Liz Derrough

UPDATE 2020: Mom passed away in mid-December, after 2 weeks of hospice. I was mid-move when hospice started, and docs thought it would just be a couple days, so I did not bring her home with me. Instead, we stayed at HER home- Washington Gardens. I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful the WG folks were to me. When we got mom a hospital bed, they let me keep her bed in the room so I could sleep there- which I did (note: all residents at WG get their own room, even on Medicaid as we were). The cook insisted on bringing me food and the caregivers were constantly asking if I needed anything and sharing lovely stories with me about mom. More than a couple of them came and sat with her, holding her hand and shedding tears. I received more hugs than I can count. It truly felt like family. My gratitude for this community is beyond anything I can truly express. 2017: I am so grateful for Washington Gardens. I have been the primary caregiver for my mom (Alzheimer’s) for over 8 years. It’s been a tough road- and finding support who have a real understanding of the disease and how to best offer care that won’t exacerbate symptoms is very difficult. My mom has adjusted very well to Washington Gardens- after a few months, we were actually able to take her off anxiety meds and she is still doing great! Never thought that could happen. Since anxiety for her is incredibly sensitive to the way people talk to and treat her- I credit the staff with much of why she is doing well without meds. I also credit the design- so that she is with a group of residents who are most like her “stage” wise- which really reduces possible conflict, and so she rarely has to be redirected as the community is absolutely safe. I have never seen any of the things that another reviewer mentioned (wet linens, pills on ground) and I visit often. My mom is 100% incontinent so I would definitely know if she were not being changed/linens were dirty. Maybe new management? I love the managers there now. They are incredibly supportive and understanding - of both my mom and of my needs as a daughter. Also, recently I was able to sign up with an insurance/care plan they offer (Medicare) that means there is a NP in the building about 3 times a week and that has been amazingly helpful as we work on a few chronic health issues. I really can’t recommend Washington Gardens enough.

Steve Miller

My mom has been at Washington Gardens since December 2018. She has no short-term memory and wasn’t doing well in the outside world. She is perfectly able to express her wants and needs but she was afraid of everything and hated being alone. At WG, I know she is being well taken care of and everyone there is so nice. If I have a concern, I call up and it is addressed right away. I live out of state and when I talk to her she always seems happy and content. We looked at a lot of places as we tried to find the right fit for her and I think Washington Gardens is the right place.

Lisa VanderBom

To Whom it may concern; My father stayed at this place a for a couple of months a few years ago. He has since passed away but this experience haunts me even to this day. This was the first place we found when his Alzheimers came to a place that we were no longer qualified to care for him. At first this place looked nice and big and the intake person made us feel like this would be a good fit for him. Nothing could be further from the truth. We visited him every day and each time we were met with a new negative happening. The clients were left to sit alone, often wet, thirsty and hungry. We were told we could get my dad a cookie or juice whenever we wanted. He always seemed very hungry and thirsty. I often thought, what does he do when we are not here? It only escalated from there, with unexplained bruises, missing things from his room ( I even found his sheets tucked in the crease of the couch one time. The final straw was when we received a call that he had a bad fall. They said it was nothing to be concerned about and that they just wanted to notify us. When we arrived at the place we found my dad badly shaken with a bad black eye and bruising on his body. Everyone had a different story, but they said he was noncompliant with one of the aids and they had to force him into his bathroom and he fell. My dad was always nervous around that male aid and we knew why. I would strongly urge anyone thinking about placing there loved one in this place to keep looking. The staff was shifty, uncaring and dishonest. I will never forget the care my dad didn’t get at this place.

Carly Smith

The inside of the facility is clean, the nurses inside the facility are always nice. However the woman at the front desk is very rude every time I have been there. She does not acknowledge anyone when they come in, she does not ask if you need help with entering the passcode as you’re standing there at the door waiting. I don’t think I’ve seen her smile once. Other than that it seems to be a nice facility for a family member. UPDATE I have just learned that the owner of the facility was not happy with my review above. He then called my grandmother’s(a resident at the facility) husband to complain about the review I left. What kind of person is running this place?