Arbor House of Garland
Michael D
"Comfortable care with helpful staff"
Colonial Oaks has very helpful staff who go above and beyond. From the front desk lady to [name], the experience has been great. Our family feels very comfortable with our grandmother under their care.
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Anonymous
"Decline Since New Management, High Staff Turnover, Increased Costs"
This place keeps changing workers all the time. Ever since the new boss came in last October, stuff got worse. The new boss isn't doing a good job. They made us pay more after only one year.
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AS
"Good experience, food and communication need improvement"
Overall good experience, but food and communication need improvement.
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Shannon
"Great location, lots of activities, and tasty food—some chef changes"
The facility offers many activities for residents, like exercise, games, and singing old hymns. The food has been really good, but we heard they lost their chef recently, so we’re not sure how that will affect things. The dining area is nice, and my kids can join her for meals whenever they want. The location is great for us, just a block away from our house.
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Jeremy Paulin
"New management lacks empathy, residents feel neglected and disrespected."
Stay away from this place. They changed the whole management team in October without telling us. The new staff is really bad. They act like it's a strict school, not a place for older folks who need help. They only give you one warning if they think a resident needs to change something. If the resident doesn't do it when they want, they kick them out in 30 days. It used to be a good place, but now it's just about money, not taking care of the people who live here.
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Rita
"High ratings, good location, happy Mom"
We chose this place because of the high ratings and good references. The location was also important. I would tell other families to stay on top of any issues and make sure they get resolved. Overall, I’m very happy that Mom likes the facility and has adjusted well.
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Anonymous
"Needs Improvement: Small Rooms"
The staff is nice, but the place needs some updates, and the rooms are small.
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anonymous
"Disappointed with Visit and Staffing at Assisted Living"
Our family went to see the place in person, and we really weren’t happy with it. They said they’d rather not have families come over after 6 to 7 in the evening, which didn’t sit right with us. During our walk-through, we didn’t bump into any of the folks living there, even though they promised us there’s a lot of fun stuff for them to do. But we couldn’t really see anyone having a good time. Plus, it seemed like they didn’t have enough people working there.
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Garza
"Disappointing Experience at Assisted Living Facility for Elderly"
My dad moved in after losing his wife. Quickly, the director accused him of being threatening, but when I spoke to him, he was just upset about not getting his meds on time, which he paid extra for. The food wasn't good, and his clothes kept shrinking because of the housekeeper's washing. Although he could leave, it felt like a prison with the code system. It's been a month, and I still haven't received a refund, and no one answers my calls or messages.
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anonymous
"Not Enough Space for Families"
Our family visited the assisted living facility in person, but unfortunately, we couldn't move our parents in because they only had single rooms, and we needed a double room.
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Diana
"Great for Active Dementia Patients Needing Some Assistance"
At first, I thought they would offer more, but I now see that would be more like a nursing home. They mostly supervise and help our loved one with eating and similar tasks. As a memory care unit, they are great at handling emotional outbursts and other dementia-related issues. For people with dementia who are active and just need some help, this is a good place.
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Anonymous
"Avoid this community for low-quality food and untrained staff."
My sister got a dinner of processed meat, crackers, pudding, and celery. The staff weren't well-trained, and many quit. I wouldn't suggest this place.
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EJ Szaboky
"Great care and attention, food and activities improving."
My mother-in-law gets lots of care and attention here. Everyone, from the director to the care team, is kind and caring. I’d give 5 stars if the food was a bit healthier! The variety of food is good, and they’re adding more fresh fruits and vegetables, which is a nice improvement. The activities are fun, which is important since the residents can’t easily go out for family events during quarantine. I’m happy she’s safe and well taken care of.
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Ken A.
"Great Staff and Care, but Visitor Meals Too Expensive"
Mom has been living here since December 2018 and she loves it. The building is pretty new (built in 2016, I think) and always looks nice. The staff is awesome, and whoever hires them does a great job because they are all really good at what they do and care a lot. I can only talk about the non-memory care side, but the Activity Director is amazing! She always goes above and beyond for the residents and sets a great example for everyone else. The Executive Director is also great; I've seen them doing things like carrying empty food trays and washing residents' hair during the pandemic. The food is better than average, and they pay attention to special diets. My only complaint is that they raised the price of evening meals for visitors from $5 to $9. This wasn't an issue during the pandemic, but it will be soon. I've seen other places keep visitor meal prices low to encourage visits, so I think $9 is too much. Lunch is cheaper, but not many family members can come for lunch.
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Lauren07
"The best community in Garland!"
This company truly "gets" dementia and Alzheimer's care on all levels. They believe in doing what is in the best interest for our residents. The team members are well trained to take good care of the residents. If I were to need a place for my loved ones, Arbor House would be the place I would go.
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Melissa H.
"Avoid Arbor House - Unsatisfactory Care Amidst Breach of Obligations"
**UPDATE [date removed] - The response from the Executive Director at Garland, [name removed], is just a copy-and-paste job from a certain [name removed]'s response to my Facebook review. Who this [name removed] character is remains a mystery as he doesn't work at Garland and doesn't appear to be part of their Executive Team. It seems he only pops up to respond to negative feedback. The fact that their own management team can't muster up the courage to address these reviews themselves speaks volumes. Moreover, the way they refer to a "loved one" as a "POA" (power of attorney) highlights just how detached they really are. The CEO even referred to my dad as the "POA" in a recent phone conversation. As for compensation for the missing items, my dad had been asking them for weeks while my stepmom still lived there to locate her stuff, but they sat on their hands and did nothing. It wasn't until he demanded reimbursement for the missing items AFTER his wife was no longer resident there that the CEO finally decided to take action. This was likely because she knew the Executive Director wasn't going to solve anything and wanted to wash her hands of the whole affair. Despite accepting blame or saying sorry for any wrongdoing, they did refund my dad for the final 10 days in June when my stepmom wasn't living there, but only after my dad specifically asked this of them. As it stands, they've yet to refund the deposit (or, as they term it, the "community fee"). ** Arbor House Garland certainly looks the part with its attractive decor and cleanliness, but that's as good as it gets. My stepmom stayed here for just under four months. After the initial two-week honeymoon period, it was nothing but trouble with the caregivers and management. The very first problem arose when they allowed my stepmom to run out of her critical medication and made zero effort to notify either hospice or my dad. (Anyone with a loved one suffering from dementia/Alzheimer's will know that messing around with medication schedules can have serious consequences.) The catalog of other issues included: 1) Exposing my stepmom to sleep outside during sweltering 95º heat for three hours. This might have even carried on longer if another resident's relative hadn't called my dad to keep him in the loop. Even when my dad confronted caregivers about this, their argument was they left her outside because they couldn't wake her up. 2) Ignoring the air conditioning that was broken for several weeks during a heatwave when temperatures rose quite high. 3) Constantly losing my stepmom's clothes, towels, and bedding. Despite my dad constantly bringing up the lost items, the Executive Director was of no help. In all, Arbor House Garland let us down in the brief time (4 months) my stepmom stayed there. Their caregivers were mostly unprofessional, rude and seemingly inexperienced. The management wasn't any better. I wouldn't trust Arbor House to take care of my garden gnomes, let alone a loved one.
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Anonymous
"Expensive rent and cramped rooms, not enough residents"
The rooms are really tiny. The number of residents is insufficient and the rent is too costly for what is provided.
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Anonymous
"Friendly Staff, Great Activities, and Delicious Food at This Facility"
While searching for a place for my loved one, I got a list of places to call and visit. Some people recommended this facility, and I'm glad they did. They gave me great information and were really open to answering all my questions, unlike some other places I contacted. This made me feel much more at ease. The staff here keeps us informed, and there are lots of activities for everyone, including family members. The team is very friendly and welcoming. They regularly update the calendar with activities like exercise programs, word games, and crafts. The cleaning team does a good job keeping everything neat and tidy. They take out the trash every day or so and help with laundry every three days. My loved one says the food is really good and enjoys it. The menu changes every day, and they get fruits and vegetables throughout the day for good nutrition. Overall, this facility is fantastic with professional staff.
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Anonymous
"Safe, Well-Cared for with Great Staff"
My sister is doing great in this community. I’m really happy with her move here. She is safe and well cared for. The staff is very thoughtful and caring. They take excellent care of her. The place is always clean when I visit. They provide tasty meals and fun activities. I’ve recommended this community to my friends and suggest it to anyone looking for a good place.
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Anonymous
"Things are really rough at mom's new spot!"
My mom recently shifted to this care home, and we've been facing tons of problems. The folks in charge don't seem to have their act together and getting things done with them feels like pulling teeth. The meals are subpar at best, and it's safe to say, mom's not a fan. Also, I'm not thrilled with the dull routine they got for the residents, it could really use a perk-up. Given that the place is fairly new, I'm hoping they'll get their act together sooner rather than later.
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Anonymous
"Pricing Structure Could Be Better"
We really enjoyed this community a lot. It's a new place and looks really nice inside. Everything is very clean and tidy. The boss is really friendly, and the workers are nice and helpful. I liked the choices they offered, but I didn't like how they decide the prices. They use a tier system, but families don't get to say anything about it.
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Anonymous
"Great short-term care for my husband"
We really liked the care at this community. The staff was nice and caring. My husband wasn't here very long, but it was a good experience. We liked the community. The menu was appealing. They have activities for residents who want to participate. I would recommend this community for the care of a loved one.
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Anonymous
"Helpful staff made the transition easier for Dad."
We needed Assisted Living/Memory care nearby. The staff was welcoming and gave us a lot of information. We ended up moving Dad into Memory Care. They helped us adjust to this new chapter in our lives.
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