Brookdale Irvine

K.S.

I visited Brookdale Irvine and had a meal there. Their food was a belly-seller. It's OK food, nothing to write home about, but it's not so bad that you wouldn't eat it. The place is bigger than the other one I visited, and they have a lot of activities. People still drive their cars if they're able to drive. They have a beauty salon there, and when you walk in it looks grand. There's a lot of light and windows. They just have a lot of stuff there. My friend's little apartment was so cutely decorated. I had lunch with her and two other ladies who are also residents. They have a bus if you need it. My friend sometimes falls, so the residents all get this life alert button that you put around your neck, and if you push the button they come and get you. The medication service is extra, and once a week someone comes in to clean. They also have laundry facilities so you can do your own laundry, and if you have someone do it for you you pay an extra fee. My friend comes and goes whenever she pleases. I like that every day they have a cocktail hour. I think it's wonderful. The place doesn't smell. I've never smelled anything. The building has a few stories.

Joanna

Brookdale Irvine is wonderful, it's really nice and I like it. The rooms that they have are really nice, with a little living room, bedroom and kind of a baby kitchen. The bathroom is nicely appointed and safety issues with the showers are taken cared of. It's all assisted living and they have 24/7 nursing, so if you have someone who needs diabetic shots on the weekend it's possible. If you need hospice, they can come in to Brookdale Irvine and you don't have to move out. There's also skilled nursing located nearby. It's a really nice place.

Dismayed in Irvine

The atmosphere is pleasant for both the apartment and the building. Their accounting and business practices are problematic. The sales person gave us a quotation for the monthly rent and for personal assistance after an assessment by a nurse, however the contract listed a rent $1800/month higher and omitted the assistance entirely. Be aware their accounting system calculates the annual escalator on the higher amount not the quoted or 'discounted' actual rate and it occurs in January no matter when you moved in. Two months later I am still receiving incorrect bills showing a past due amount when in fact we are due a refund. They billed for assistance not received and sent a projected bill for three times higher next month. They could not print an accounting so we could straighten it out. Every month would require haggling over what was actually received over what they billed on the 15th. They have only 1 care giver for each floor, so it was a 30 min wait for assistance when Mom pushed her button for help. For someone fully ambulatory who does not need assistance it is a pleasant enough atmosphere and there are residents without dementia to socialize with at meals.

Provider Response

Maria726326

My mother is at Brookdale Irvine. The independent and assisted living are all mixed together there. They don't put them in separate locations. The staff members seem to be very nice people and competent at their jobs. They're very responsive if I ask for any help. The rooms look normal, clean, and orderly. It's a pleasant environment. The grounds have a nice, pleasant garden atmosphere. the facility has a very pleasant, institutional feel to it. I would say they're easygoing and accommodating. You can walk in without giving your Social Security number and getting your arms checked at the door. They seem hospitable and open. They do a nice job.

Marna2

We moved my mom into Brookdale Irvine about a week ago. The rooms are nice, but maybe not as good as the ones at another facility and small. The amenities are average. What they excell at is the dining room. My mother is a diabetic, and they have tons of sugar-free offerings for her and super healthy meals. I really like that it is super easy to go have lunch with my mom there. They have a lot of family meals and a family dining room that you can reserve. Brookdale accommodated us the most for my mom’s dog by letting us put in our doggie door. There was no other place that would let us do that. It is super pet friendly at Brookdale.

Anita32

Brookdale seemed very nice, and the person who gave me the tour was very nice. I saw the different apartments, and they seemed nice. The residents there looked very happy, and the staff was very friendly. I saw one room; it was pretty pleasant.

Susan108753550

I think Brookdale Irvine is a nice facility as long as the person is fairly independent. My mother lives there, and I have been there many times. The atmosphere is nice. It has a beautiful courtyard in the middle of the building. I think everything is well maintained. The staff is friendly and helpful.

Phil16

I have moved my mother to Brookdale. When I first looked at it, it was still the Inn at the Park, and I made an appointment to look at there and met with Marie, the counsel lady there. I do visit my mother once a week, and they seemed to have enough people to take care of everyone’s needs. The dining facilities are very nice. The only saw two rooms -- there are only two options for my mother -- and so far it’s working out fine. The bathrooms are large; you can get a wheelchair in and out of it. It’s a studio apartment, and it’s clean. I took my mother for lunch the first day she moved in. The dining room is nice, very large, and looks clean, and they decorate it very nicely. The people that worked there were very helpful. The manager even came to our table and said hi. They have bingo, movies, and arts classes -- plenty to do. It’s a large and nice facility, and I like it. I didn’t see anybody roaming around.

mbdaughter

My parents live at Brookdale Irvine. The facilities are OK, although they need to replace the filthy carpet throughout the common areas. The food (and salad bar) is somewhat better than many such facilities, and the staff seems to care about the residents.

Provider Response

Lake Girl

My father lives here and has been here several years. He is very happy with the facility and the services. He likes the food very much. The staff is friendly, helpful and respectful. The only negative that I'm aware of is the price. It is on the higher end which is preventing another relative from being able to live there.

Betty101147950

Inn at the Park was really great. It was really one that we were thinking about going into. It was our first or second choice and it is not because of them, but it is because of the area. The staff was fantastic. What I like most about this community is the whole situation, i.e., the landscaping and the friendliness of the staff. Their rooms and their dining room were great.

slave4ups

First I must comment on Caring.com's amazing response time and friendly adviser, Nicole, who helped me plan our tours of four facilities. She called within a minute (and I'm not exaggerating) after I pushed the submit button to book a tour of a property, and from there, I didn't have to do anything else on the computer as she took on this responsibility and helped me plan an itinerary. Ok, now on to the Inn. First, Nicole recommended that my husband and I visit this location, but we already scheduled to visit four others and I felt it would be too much. So, Nicole starred it in case we would want to visit it another day. Shortly after hanging up with Nicole, Marie called from the Inn and talked with me for a short while, getting to know me and the situation with my mother-in-law. Thanks to her, I learned about respite care (which is an interim type situation if your loved one is not quite ready to be on their own after a hospital stay) which sounded like a real possibility for our situation. Unfortunately, I had to tell her we already had four visits planned, but if any of the other four places didn't work out, I would give her a call to schedule a tour. As luck would have it, Villa Valencia canceled on us a day after confirming our appointment, so I called Marie and she was very willing to see us at 3:30. When my husband and I arrived, we were very impressed with the surroundings and entry way. It does have the fell of a nice hotel when you walk in the way the counter is set up. The young man at the counter was very pleasant and quickly helped us. Marie was on the phone, so we walked around and took in the sites and we both felt a very good vibe as we looked around. Then, I noticed that Marie had made a sign on the computer for us that said, "Welcome Goodger Family." and something else I can't remember. That little extra effort on Nicole's part made us feel as though she really cared about our experience. After a few minutes, Marie joined us, and from our phone conversations and meeting her in person, I can tell you she is one of the nicest people I have ever met. We could tell she loves her job because she raved about the facility and she said hi to everyone we passed, employees and residents. She took around the property and to the room my mother-in-law would be using for her time there, which had recently been remodeled. She continued to tell us that if my mother-in-law decided to stay as a permanent resident after the respite stay, it would be no problem and my mother-in-law would just keep that room and make another respite room in an available apartment. When we finished our visit, I was very excited and couldn't wait to share the information with my husbands' mom. This place is exactly what she needs and I truly felt that if she decided to live here for a while, she would be totally taken care of. The next day, my husband went to visit his mom to share with her our experience. Without much prodding, my mother-in-law agreed this would be the best for her instead of going home and being by herself with just a few hours of help from an in-home caregiver. She is scheduled to move in on Saturday and I cannot wait for her to experience all the conveniences the Inn has to offer: three meals a day, help with all her personal needs, laundry and housecleaning services once a week, and the 8-10 activities that are planned on a daily schedule. This is how an 81-year-old should be living; enjoying their days and relaxing. Not cleaning, cooking, and being by themselves watching T.V. and napping as the days drag on. My husband and I are very excited and know she will love it and perhaps, she may not want to leave.

Dan23

The only one I visited was Inn at the Park. It looked like an excellent and well-run facility. However, they only do retirement and assisted living. They had no memory unit. They do have extra services that might fill in some of the gaps. I saw their studio and one-bedroom apartments, and I liked the studio much better. The one-bedroom does offer some privacy, but the walls took so much space. So, the one bedroom wasn't much bigger than the studio because the extra walls cut up the space. When I was there, the people were eating. The food looked good, and the people seemed to be happy with it. They had a whole list of activities. They had a movie night because they had a small theater. They had gardening and all kinds of exercise. They had church services. I couldn't find anything wrong with it. There seemed to be staff everywhere. They had a receptionist at the front desk, and it looked like checking into a hotel. It was just a little outside of my price range.

Debra26

The staff was very friendly, very nice, and I could tell she was very committed to her job. She loved it, and that came through. From the inside, it felt like the areas where the people live are institutionalized, as far as the walls having nothing on them. Every hallway looked exactly the same. The walls were a kind of a pinky peachy color, and that's all you saw. It just didn't have a warm feel at all. Inn at the Park had various communal areas that had nice furniture and felt more homey. The building was like a square looking down into something. There were a couple of flowers but nothing that left an impression. They seemed to know all the people's names. They may be very good with the people, but as far as a superficial visit, when you're just there looking at things, the details weren't there.

Caring78934650

We found that the rooms are more spacious at Inn at The Park. The staff has less turnover rate. They have all been great, and my mom's really happy with the staff in general. They're very kind to my mom, she really likes everybody and she likes how she's treated. The food is good, and it is in a nice location. They have a wide range of activities. It's just when I called on things to try to get some clarification on something, sometimes I don't get called back so I have to call back again and it's mainly with the health services because they're so busy running around.

George78053650

Inn at the Park was a beautiful place, and it was nice and clean. I was there for two days but it did not have the right facilities that I needed. I needed a doctor to be on staff. They don’t do those things so they gave us our money back.

Robyn2

I found Inn at the Park aesthetically pleasing and very open. It passed the smell test as they say. It was looking very clean. The residents there are still pretty active even though they are old. I saw them carrying conversations at each other and I really like that. The apartments that they offer were roomy and it has a lot of sunlight. The staff were very friendly, very helpful, and they understood some of our dilemmas and the difficulty of trying to get our parents to accept the idea of moving.

commercesd

While in the area looking at assisted living places for my cousin's mother, we stopped in at Inn at the Park. The grounds looked well tended, fresh and lovely. The outside patio areas were ample enough to host parties, where residents may also sit and relax in Irvine's mild climate. The main foyer had a lovely receiving area, like that of a nice motel or country home. The interior areas were all clean, fresh and bright. The communal areas all had interesting activities occurring, from reading to games and resident interactions. It was clear that the residents enjoyed living in this environment. Seniors can use the exercise room at any time and also go on daily walks. Aerobics and yoga classes are offered. The facility can accommodate all levels of ambulation. The living suites were all a nice size and did not seem cramped. They were also beautifully decorated. Each unit had individually controlled temperatures. Events and outings scheduled include many options - from restaurants, to art museums and the library. They also take suggestions to add to their activity calendar. They host monthly celebrations and encourage friends and family to attend as often as they can. Residents also go to see local films regularly, participate in crafts and visit dining establishments. The dining areas had several menu options. Residents can choose whatever they like - in addition to visiting with guests over a meal. The food choices looked nutritious and delicious, as well as the regular snacks - offered whenever desired. In all, this is a nicely designed facility with caring and attentive staff. All of the residents appeared content and very well-cared for. We would recommend checking out for anyone interested.

babystepsCA

Inn At the Park is a decent assistant living facility. I visited a friend once a week for three months and had a nice impression. Pros:(1) The meals are provided. The seniors can eat together in the dining hall at the first floor, which provides good social interactions for the seniors. Alternatively, the seniors can also ask the staff there to bring meals to their apartments. (2) Every week, there are different activities for the seniors, including shopping trips, church visit, movies, etc. (3) The assistant living facility is mixed with regular living apartment. The friend I visited lived in a single-unit assistant living apartment. The nearby apartments belong to seniors that live independently. I consider this a very good diversity. Once I met a 103-year-old lady who was doing her own laundry and who loves to surprise visitors with her age. It was quite a pleasant experience to talk her. (4) The staff in this facility is quite friendly. (5) The parking place is not big. However, usually parking spots are available for the visitors. (6) There is a nice garden in the center of the facility. Hence, young children coming with visitors won't get bored. (7) The place is in walking-distance to Albertson, Trader Joes, and Edward Movie Theatre.