Brookdale Echelon Lake
Anonymous
"Friendly Staff, Poor Maintenance at Brookdale"
The people working here are really nice and always ready to help. But, the care on the 4th floor, where people with Alzheimer’s or Dementia stay, isn’t good at all. Every time I go see my family member, I have to bring my own bucket and cleaners to make their bathroom and room clean. Right now, they’re dealing with mice. My sister even saw a mouse dash through the room not just once, but two times while she was there. We told the people in charge about it. Our whole family is let down by this.
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Anonymous
"Good Experience Despite Staffing Issues"
Overall, my mom's experience has been positive. Brookdale Echelon Lake faces challenges with staff turnover and being short-staffed. But I think many facilities have the same problems these days. One big plus is that they have Medicaid beds available.
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Cyndy
"Disappointed by Poorly Managed Brookdale Visit"
Our visit to Brookdale was terrible and left us feeling letdown. We thought it was badly managed from the very start. We ended up choosing a different local community.
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Harry M Neerenberg
"Good Value, Staff Could Improve"
Overall, it's a good deal for the price. The staff could be quicker to respond, but I get that hiring is tough right now.
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anonymous
"High Rise Facility; Needed Single Level Care; Unable to Accommodate Needs"
We had a good tour at Brookdale, but it was a tall building and we wanted everything on a single floor. They also couldn't meet my loved one's needs.
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anonymous
"Assisted Living Facility Too Big, Felt Like Hospital"
We didn't like Brookdale Echelon Lake. It was big, like a hospital. We prefer smaller, homier places.
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anonymous
"Virtual Tour vs. Reality: A Mixed Experience"
I visited this place because my friend's relative stayed here years ago, but I wasn't impressed. It felt like an office building—bare and not cozy. The virtual tour was well done, but pictures can be deceiving.
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Lynn N
""I don't recommend this place, especially during the pandemic""
My parents stayed in this assisted living home. I can't give specifics, but based on what I saw, I wouldn't encourage anyone to use this place particularly if you can't see your folks due to the Covid-19 outbreak. You'd want to visit your parents every day if they were here. If that's not possible, it could be dangerous for the resident.
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Tom
"Assisted living offers spacious rooms, good food, and diverse activities."
My friends, it's a nice place to go. The rooms are big enough for one person. My loved one had a private room. The food was good, my loved one said. Activities included trips to the mall, crafts, music, religious services, and more.
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Anonymous
"Clean and Caring Assisted Living at Brookdale"
Residents receive proper care, and friendly caretakers maintain clean sections at Brookdale.
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Marie Gaudelli
"Great care at Brookdale Echelon Lake made a difference"
My husband and I want to thank all the kind and caring staff at Brookdale for their support and concern for [name removed]. Unfortunately, [name removed] passed away on [date removed] at Samaritan Hospice due to several medical issues. [Name removed] started staying at Brookdale in December 2018, and she always told me how wonderful everyone was and how she never felt alone. We are so grateful to your staff for giving [name removed] the care she deserved. I highly recommend Brookdale Echelon Lake to anyone looking for assisted living for a loved one. Thanks again for making [name removed]’s stay so pleasant. Sincerely, [name removed] and [name removed]
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Andrea Monet
"A wonderful place for independence and care!"
My loved one lived at Brookdale Echelon Lake, and she absolutely loved it. During a tough time in her life battling cancer, Brookdale Echelon Lake was a blessing for our family. We felt at ease from the moment we started our tour until the entire move was complete. My mom had concerns about moving into a senior community, but the staff answered our hard questions honestly. The staff truly cares about the residents and takes pride in their work. The building welcomes all kinds of people and even accepts Medicaid after one year of private pay. This community is special with its one-year private pay policy, lakefront views, and close proximity to a shopping mall and the library. My mom felt independent and like she still had a life to live while at Echelon Lake.
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Mary Ellen pierce
"Heartbreaking Experience at Brookdale, Echelon Lake Assisted Living"
Brookdale, Echelon Lake has been a huge letdown. I think Brookdale's corporate decision-makers are the ones to blame. They can't manage well at all. Even the receptionist has been put in charge of housecleaning! When one janitor left, nobody from the staff cleaned my mom's room afterward. Now, my sisters and I have to clean it every time we visit. My mom, who can't move without her wheelchair, is often left dirty because the staff takes more than half an hour to respond to her calls. She's been told by the workers that they don't have the free time to take care of her - they have other residents to look after too. All my mom wants is their care. We, her family, are the ones who bathe her. We also make sure she gets enough to eat because what they provide lacks the nutrients she needs. There's so much more I could complain about, but I'm not sure it would make any difference. It's heartbreaking that big corporations are taking advantage of our seniors. They have no idea how to run places meant for human beings to live in. They pay their workers just more than minimum wage and leave our parents at their mercy, which is often insufficient. I'm extremely upset and disgusted that we've put our mom in such a place. The options are just too limited when it comes to finding a good home for our cherished parents.
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Anonymous
"Affordable Assisted Living with Shared Studios"
If you pay privately for a year, you'll share a studio with another resident once you're on Medicaid. The monthly cost is $3,780, with a $3,000 entry fee.
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Anonymous
"Helpful Review, Echelon Lake Not Suitable for Father-in-Law"
[Removed] did a great job helping us look at this place and other homes close by. We figured out that Echelon Lake wasn’t the best choice for my wife’s dad.
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Anonymous
"Informative Visit!"
I visited this place for my loved one and it was nice. The staff came on time and gave us lots of good info. They answered all our questions. The building layout was easy to understand. The staff did a great job, but it wasn't right for my dad.
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Anonymous
"Mixed Feelings, but Mom's Happy"
Brookdale Echelon Lake is an older place, but it's clean. It could use some fixing up, though. The staff there are amazing, though! They're super nice and take good care of my Mom. Can't ask for better folks. Food's the only downside. Not much variety and Mom sometimes doesn't eat it. But, I bring her something she likes. There's lots of stuff to do, but Mom's not into it. She does like watching people, though. They've got outdoor seating which is nice, and they'll take Mom shopping too. Mom's really happy there. We're happy she's safe.
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Anonymous
"Nice Community, Tour Went Well"
My visit to this community was really nice. The place looked good, and everything seemed well-maintained. The staff was friendly and answered my questions. Overall, it was a positive experience, even though I found another facility that suited our needs better.
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Anonymous
"Great Tour, Not Right for Mom"
We toured this place for my mom. It was nice. The staff were punctual and shared lots of info about their place. Residents seemed happy and busy with activities. But it didn't fit for my mom in the end.
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Anonymous
"Satisfactory Community Tour"
I had a good visit to this place. Everything went smoothly, and they were all very nice to my family and me. The visit was satisfactory, and I was happy with it. The place looked nice and clean. The staff was friendly. It's a pretty nice place.
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RGoodwin
"Brookdale Assisted Care: Unresponsive and Mismanaged"
My mother, who has dementia, stayed in the memory care unit at Brookdale Echelon Lake for nearly a year. This assisted living facility had some kind-hearted employees, but overall, it was a nightmare due to poor management. I live in California and settled Mom in New Jersey, based on her desire to stay close to her friends. As an only child, I had to deal with all legal and financial matters involved with her stay at Brookdale Echelon Lake. In August, to my shock, Mom's personal service rate was increased by $641 per month, retroactive to June. When I requested an explanation from the facility, they didn't respond. Brookdale's central billing told me that they couldn't help, directing me back to the local facility. After numerous unreturned calls, I flew to the East Coast for a face-to-face meeting with the facility managers. They claimed they didn't have to inform me about the rate increase in writing or get my formal agreement, despite a signature section in the personal service plan for the legal representative. After showing them their own residency agreement, they finally refunded the charges. They justified the increase saying Mom needed help in the bathroom, costing $641 a month. Sadly, during my visit there, not a single staff member helped her to the bathroom. Weeks later, a doctor friend of Mom said she had to assist Mom to the bathroom because the staff ignored her. This despite the stated goal of the service plan, which was to assist her use the bathroom every two to four hours. Later, Brookdale informed me that they couldn't cater to Mom's needs anymore as she had several unobserved falls. I appreciated their patience as I found a new facility in California. I moved Mom on October 20th. Now, two months later, they still owe me $2600 for October's fees. Looks like I'm in for another round of unanswered phone calls.
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Anonymous
"Great care and fun outings for loved ones in this community"
I love the people who work here! They always have music playing, which my loved one enjoys a lot. The staff is really nice and takes good care of my loved one. Also, the place is in a cool spot. There's a mall and restaurants just across the street, so we can go out and have fun. And the place is always clean and tidy.
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Anonymous
"Safe and Caring Community for Loved Ones"
My mother-in-law moved to this community and we're really happy with it. They have all the things she needs and take good care of her. We feel like she's in safe hands and getting great care. I'd definitely suggest this place to others.
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Anonymous
"Poor Staffing, Couldn't Meet Care Needs"
Our time at this assisted living wasn't great. They told us that my family member's needs would be met but that didn't happen. Her care needs weren't even too demanding compared to what they offered. Still, they claimed they were short-staffed and couldn't take care of her. Because of this, I don't think I can suggest this place to others.
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Anonymous
"Nice and affordable with helpful staff"
This place feels nice and safe for a senior parent. The staff is helpful, and it's more affordable than other places. Several people recommended it to me. Overall, it's a decent place.
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Loved one
"Dedicated staff make Brookdale Echelon Lake a wonderful home!"
We've had a great time at Brookdale Echelon Lake! The place is awesome, especially the memory care team. The lady who runs memory care is amazing! She works really hard and cares a lot. She makes the place awesome to live in. I've never seen someone work so hard! She's the best. The community got new owners recently, so I hope she stays!
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K M
"Happy Residents, Helpful Staff: A Great Assisted Living Experience!"
I helped someone find this place, and it's been great. Their family member is content, and no problems reported. The staff member I talked to was really nice and told us everything we needed to know. Overall, it was a good experience!
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Bonnie B
"Caring Staff and Positive Atmosphere at Emeritus Assisted Living Facility"
Our experience has been great! My brother just moved in, so I'll need more time to give a detailed review. The staff I've met are friendly, professional, and responsive to our needs. It's a big change from his old place! They really care about the residents. I'll have a better idea after future visits with my brother, but for now, everything's going well!
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Son
"Great tour, chose another due to family accessibility. Nice community."
We toured a few Emeritus places while checking options for Mom. This one wasn't our pick, but it looked nice. Everything seemed good on our visit. However, we picked a different place because it's easier for our family to get to, and the staff there was awesome.
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Daughter
"Good Care, Some Frustrations"
This place is pretty good for my Dad, but there are some problems. Everyone I've talked to on the nursing team knows a lot about his care, which is good. But, talking to the aides is super frustrating. I feel like we're not getting useful info from them. Some staff don't even know basic things like how much care costs, which seems like they should know. They do a good job taking care of everyone and keeping them busy with activities. But sometimes they forget basic stuff like giving pain medicine, cutting nails, or reminding about baths, which I have to remind them about. I appreciate what they do and the help they give, but it's tough not to expect the best when you're paying so much for this care.
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Customer
"Super friendly and helpful staff."
Super friendly and helpful staff.
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anonymous
"Shocking experience: Poor care, cleanliness and management at Emeritus"
My mom was a resident in this facility for about a year and half. During that time, she encountered numerous troubles. She actually slipped and fell while trying to transport her laundry; she even needed to be hospitalized with staples in her head. The laundry service was generally unreliable, with clothes often mislaid or mixed up with others. The cleanliness of the facility, particularly my mother's room, was far from satisfactory. It was particularly visible on the bathroom sink and toilet which I had to clean myself. Dust had found its permanent harbor on the dressers. Additionally, my mom was being mistreated by one of the residents, and the staff didn't do much to intervene. While some of the employees seemed genuinely concerned, the head of the facility often seemed cold and standoffish. After a rough journey, I decided to transfer my mom to another facility which is definitely more hygienic and better managed. At Emeritus, the residents are simply replicated due to lack of stimulating activities. Even when I volunteered to help with an activity, there was little enthusiasm or participation. The staff seemed too busy, always running here and there with hardly a moment to spare. I'd really advise against this place which is grossly mismanaged. My mom is now happily settled in a new residence, which is more passionate about residents than their financial contribution. Despite notifying them about my mom's departure in writing, they continued to bill me for a duration she wasn't living there. The main reason behind my shock was their inconsistency - their actions never met their words! I'd recommend you seek a better place for your dear ones. This place clearly lacks the necessary understanding and competency to care for the folks that they're entrusted with.
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John
"Safe and clean but difficult transition"
We chose Emeritus in New Jersey because of limited assets and a referral from A Place for Mom. It appears to be a safe, clean, and good environment. Compared to other places, Emeritus seemed cleaner, friendlier, and safer. Although there are issues being resolved, he doesn't like being there. He is happy around the Emeritus staff but begs me to take him home. He resists being in assisted care and can't understand why he's there, which is very hard. I see no evidence for his complaints. Where he was before had no human interaction, but people say he's friendly when I'm not there. My responsibility is to do what's right for him, not what he wants.
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anonymous
"Great staff, but the location is a bit far"
We couldn’t find any other affordable places, so this one is farther away than we hoped. But the staff is amazing—I can’t praise them enough. We did have one issue, but they solved it quickly and to our liking.
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anonymous
"A Great Place with Happy Staff and Residents"
The staff is really nice when I call. My dad was at a rehab facility before moving to Emeritus, and the staff here are genuinely happy, which is refreshing. He’s only been here a short time, but they’ve introduced him to other residents and are encouraging him to join the activities. When I toured, I liked the atmosphere, the place, and the people. The residents looked happy and clean, and I had a very good feeling during the tour. A friend of my husband is looking for a place for their loved one, and we highly recommended Emeritus at Echelon Lake.
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Customer
"Seeking financial assistance for assisted living; VA benefits advised."
The assisted living facility is really nice. We might need more help paying for it. They suggested we look into VA benefits. We'll talk to the Director after meeting with the VA to update her.
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Customer
"More Hospital Than Home, But Still Nice"
The place feels more like a hospital, but it's still nice.
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