Gardens of Gainesville

Visitor 100050

We’d been to The Holbrook of Lake Lanier a couple of times and she likes it. It’s not as fancy but it’s close to my house and they have a pool; it’s close to hospitals so it’s probably what she would decide to go with when she decides.

Paula115871850

Dogwood Forest of Gainesville was very nice, fancy, professional, and organized. It seemed to have tons of activities going on. It was pricey but very nice. They did not have a room to show me, and to me, it's important to be able to see a room. That’s the only drawback I had. Also, it was out of my way, 30 minutes from where I work. Nevertheless, the people were very nice and explained everything. It was a very nice facility. It just wasn’t what I was personally looking for, but I would recommend it to anyone.

Julie106551250

Dogwood Forest is probably the favorite of all the places that I visited. I find the staff to be very friendly and very caring. They were one of the only communities that took the time to introduce me to some of the residents, which gave me a feel for the place. I was looking for my father, and they actually have a decent male versus female ratio. It is a beautiful facility and fairly new. The rooms were of the large type compared to some of the other places that I have visited. My dad is diabetic, so in evaluating their menu, they have a good variety so that is a positive for me. In a lot of the places that I have looked, the menus were extremely simple carb heavy, which is not a good idea for a diabetic. The dining room setup is comparable to most everywhere else I visited. It was clean and attractive. It was easily accessible by wheelchair. My father is in a wheelchair from time to time depending on pain level. They do regular outings to restaurants and grocery stores. I kind of understand why they do it, but their care charge system was a little bit more complex compared to some of the others. Theirs was a point based system which is perhaps more relevant because you are only paying for exactly what you need, but it was kind of complex and hard to plan for exactly what the cost might be down the road. They do have a cap on it. One thing that was important to us in looking is they were licensed as an assisted living and not just a personal care home which meant that he will be able to stay there through a much higher level of care.

Bruce W.

My mother-in-law was a resident of the memory care area-Inspirations. The staff was very helpful and kind. My mother in-law received excellent care all the way through end of life. We are most appreciative.

Provider Response

Mabel1

The Holbrook was good. The staff and rooms were excellent. We saw the one-bedroom and the studio. One person could be in the studio, and I guess two people could be in the one-bedroom. They had game rooms. They had crafts. They had people come and entertain.

Fredirick

I visited The Holbrook, and the staff are very pleasant. They are very, very nice, personable, and accommodating people. They are also very helpful and answered all my questions. They gave me a tour of the facility, and I think I had lunch there, and it was very good. The chef came down and sat down with me for lunch, and we had a nice conversation. They do have a whole series of recreational activities. The facility itself is very clean and neat, and it offered very nice amenities. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who needs this facility.

Caring80050850

Dad chose Holbrook himself. And the only main reason was because it had a full kitchen and a washer and dryer unit in the apartment. That was the determining factor. Tiffany, I think was the director. She was wonderful and very informative. They gave us a tour and they were very patient with all our questions. It's very clean and well-organized. The rooms were small, but nice. They do give free Continental breakfast that's not included in their monthly fee. The lunch in my opinion leaves a lot to be desired. It is like a little bistro. It's just soup and sandwiches or salads. There's not a lot of variety, and there are only two meals included in the amenities as opposed to three meals like other facilities, which I was impressed with. It seems like their lunch menu should be a little bit more variety. They have different games. The bus takes them to different places like Goodwill store. They have a nice workout room, a happy hour where they can all gather and get to know each other, and special events like at Christmas time. They have indoor pool as well. It is a very nice and clean facility. They're very accommodating. It's everything they promised and it seemed to be top notched.

Jennifer28

I heard The Hollbrook from a friend. What l like about the facility is that it's an active community. It wasn’t people just sitting in wheelchairs. They have a very nice party room and a piano bar. It's just a superb facility. They have a café – it's just like a fine hotel. They have courtyard with a fountain. They have different kinds of rooms. They have a one bedroom and they also have a full kitchenette although they are very small, but they also have a full kitchen, a separate bedroom, and a balcony. They have a washer and dryer in the room. The staff were excellent.

Caring67086650

I'm pleased with everything at Dogwood Forest. The staff, the accommodation, the food, the services, they're all good. It is a dog-friendly facility, which is very nice. The rooms are just beautiful and they look like a brand new apartment with a little balcony/patio thing. They have good appliances and good space. They're all good, nothing bad. It looks like they also have a nice schedule of activities as far as I know, and they're also good.

Concerned Social Worker

This facility is very nice, but it's located on the main road"”which is very busy, and can be rather noisy next to the four-lane highway. Dogwood Forest looks like a brick two story house, and is made to look like a home environment inside, with fireplaces and other nice touches. The look and feel is not at all institutionalized, and the whole place is very well maintained. There is a friendly receptionist who greets visitors at once. It is small, with about 36 regular assisted living rooms and about a dozen memory care units. Inside the assisted living portion, there are several different sitting areas equipped with recliners. The dining tables feature family style eating"”offering residents several choices daily. Offsite activities are offered"”including fishing trips, movies, and shopping. The memory care is in a secured unit. Residents there have no meal choices, but do have snacks and offer good hydration throughout the day. The set-up here is open"”with a main big area, where residents do activities during the day. The activities offered are a drawback; there's a bit of music therapy, but nothing too creative; it's an area that could be improved. The staff is very friendly and very well trained. The nurse is smart and on her game, with a good knowledge of every resident's condition. The staff is very hands on, not condescending. I never saw a resident there who was not happy "” although the staff is rather cliquish with one another. The cost is based on needs and varies accordingly.