Brookdale Santa Monica Gardens

Realdeal11

Facility is run down and has a lot of deferred maintenance. The elevators break constantly and one of the two is inoperative for weeks at a time. They don't take care of the facility and the food is terrible.

Provider Response

Nancy119273050

My visit at Brookdale was excellent. However, it was too far from my family. The dining area was fine, although I didn’t eat a meal there.

Wendy37

We were disappointed with Brookdale; it was dark, it wasn’t clean, and it smelled. They were having sing along, which was great. Everything was all extra cost. It was not appealing, and the staff said it wasn’t a good fit.

Provider Response

Caring105993050

We visited Brookdale Santa Monica Gardens for my dad. It was much more expensive than the other one we visited. However, the person that gave us the tour was fine. They did have lots of activities, and the rooms were nice too.

Caring110429150

I went to Brookdale. It was nice, clean, and inviting. The set-up was nice. The only question I had was that the rooms were not fully furnished. I guessed that might be standard, but I don't know. They required that you moved in your own furniture and your own bed. I didn't really have time to inquire about that. Then, there was the wait list, which was a little bit confusing as well, because where would they put these people? The cost was also a little high.

Anonymous107692150

The lady who took me around at Brookdale Santa Monica Gardens was very nice and delightful. Because it was an older facility, it was a lot darker, and the rooms were small. They also did not have a garden to come out to.

Provider Response

Caring106129250

Brookdale Santa Monica is independent and assisted living. We chose to visit it because of its location, and I liked it. It has a little older décor, but it was well done. I walked into the lobby, and everybody was very pleasant. There were some residents sitting and walking in the lobby, and they all seem friendly and very happy. The staff was friendly, and when I walked in, they had me sit down, and I didn't have to wait for the representative to come out. I saw some of the staff interacting with the other residents, and they seemed patient, caring, and friendly. I didn't see anybody who was rushing, hurried, or rude. I saw the one bedroom, and it is probably like an average size hotel apartment. It wasn't huge, but it wasn't tiny. The Ocean Boulevard goes right along the beach, and some of units have a view of the ocean. You can go out on the balcony and sit there to look at the ocean. The food is good. I took my daughter with me, and she ordered three things because she had her toddler with her. She just kind of picky sometimes, but she enjoyed it. I did like whatever I ordered. One thing that I like is that the dining room is open continuously. You can walk in and eat anytime that you like which is nice. The dining area had a lot of windows, and it was bright. There were plenty of tables, and it wasn't crowded. The servers were very helpful, and you can also see the beach from the dining room. They have the regular activities like crafts and exercises at the retirement community. You can walk across Ocean Boulevard and go to the beach. The only negative for me because I like to swim is they don't have a pool.

Caring106672550

The lady that met me at Brookdale Santa Monica Gardens was very friendly and very helpful. She took me around the place. I found that it was depressing because all I saw were people who truly needed a great deal of care. The rooms were very tiny. I feel that they do not fit my needs because it was not independent living.

Provider Response

Caring101944750

I visited The Gardens in Santa Monica (Brookdale Santa Monica Gardens). The lady in charge showed me a couple of the rooms, and we took a tour of the facility. The rooms were nice. The place is very pretty. However, I couldn't afford to spend the money they want for one room. Their dining area was pretty, comfortable, and nice. I didn't have any negativesto say about them. I would recommend it. I thought that looking around, everyone was 20 years older than I was, and I was in my 70s.

thomest

I am a consultant to seniors who are receiving long-term care in assisted living facilities. My work takes me to many communities in the Los Angeles area and when I visit the Gardens of Santa Monica, I get a welcoming feeling from the caring staff. When I speak with the residents and families they tell me about the outings, activities, and the unique quality of care that they receive. My impression is that the Gardens is doing something special for their residents and families.

Russ8

My friend and I visited The Gardens and it is a great place. It was beautiful and I thought it was definitely the place he was looking for. The rooms were very nice. The dining room looked pretty. I knew they had some activities, but I didn't notice any activities when we were there.

Caring64936450

The Gardens of Santa Monica would have been the best facility for my mother if we could just afford it, but we couldn’t. The rooms were light and airy. It has natural light and good air ventilation which would have been very important to my mother. They have very beautiful grounds with a very beautiful patio for sitting outdoors. The director there was extremely helpful and all of the tenants there seemed extremely active and involved in a lot of different things. It’s a really wonderful place. I had a very good feeling about it.

Caring1141

The Gardens of Santa Monica was clean and within our price range. The facility was clean and the staff were hospitable. When I went there, they told me about the activities like crafts, exercises and day trips. They were nice and they followed-up with me. The rooms were incredibly tiny, so it would be great if they were larger. They had larger rooms but it was more expensive. There was also a restaurant with a menu.

David74637150

I have come across The Gardens of Santa Monica through an internet search. I visited this place and it really looked good. The staff there was cheerful, pleasant and helpful. The rooms were just what I expected. They have something we could do either individually if we were unable to function or we could do as a couple, so it would meet both of those needs. We looked at two different rooms. The small room was just like a hotel room with nice bathroom, carpeted floors, and safety bars in the bathroom. The larger unit, which would be better for two people, can accommodate a king-size bed. Again, it was also carpeted and it had a nice bathroom. We had lunch there and the food seemed good.

Daisy11

The Garden of Santa Monica's parking is not easy. I think because of the location and its right near the beach. They are very tight with their parking spaces. There was not really something on their grounds that impressed me other than its close to the beach. The person we met was really nice. What I do remember from this facility is that they have apartments connected to the building and they also have two or three rooms outside on the ground floor not easily accessible. The rooms on the outside were very, very nice and spacious.

Nicholas1

Before my grandmother could no longer take care of herself, she would always spend so much time in the garden. She would spend hours there, it was like those plants were a second family to her. That's one of the reasons why she would refuse to go to a nursing home because leaving her house would be leaving the "family" that she nurtured and loved for so long. And when it came to nursing homes, usually what comes to mind is just the elderly having to sit in front of a television screen and waste away there would be no flowers she so fondly grew to. We could no longer let her live by herself though, there were specific personal problems which she couldn't do on her own. So you can guess how happily surprised we were when we came to this nice little spot. With all of the necessities, there is that ONE thing that was most important to her LIFE. Not only the lives of the plants, but also the lives of those who love plants just as much as she does. She seems so much happier now_ something that I haven't seen her be like for a long time. This place has all the necessities and more, it is a community filled with LIFE it is everything that I could have hoped for. Heck, I'd want to live here.

nabipoop

The facility seems very quaint and nice, quite appropriate for my grandfather. He seems to be doing fine; he is not showing drastic signs of aging or anything similar to that extent. The staff is amiable, affable, friendly, and are willing to do anything to make their patrons satisfied. I am very grateful for this facility since they seem to take their patron's and their patrons' family member's feelings into consideration and try to make everybody content. If I were to recommend a retiring facility, this would be the place that I would tell my friends and family to send their loved ones when they become of age. I think that if I were to retire from working for so many years, I would feel very comfortable and at ease if I were sent to this retirement facility. In conclusion, I feel that my grandfather is very much appreciated and cared for in this facility.

Michael F.

The Gardens of Santa Monica, I have to say, was one of (if not the best) facility that I have ever visited. They had an awesome reading room with tons of books to choose from, a great balcony with a view of Santa Monica - and you could even see the beach from it (although it is about a mile or two away). From what I understand, it is a bit pricey. They don't take private insurance, but my client's retirement paid for their stay, and I couldn't think of a better thing to spend it on then retiring in this facility. Santa Monica is the best beach in all of LA - and The Gardens is most definitely the best facility in Santa Monica. My client said that it was a bit noisy sometimes from the tourists - but very peaceful and relaxing after about midnight. I would highly recommend this facility to anyone retiring in the LA / Santa Monica area who is able to afford private-pay care.