Brookdale Woodward Estates

Carolyn

My mom has moved into Brookdale Woodward Estates. The overall experience has been good. I think the best feature is that they have a lot of activities for the residents. They have groups come in for singing and dancing. Those who can go out, can go out to plays. They have chair exercises. Some of the rooms are small, but you can get a one-bedroom. They have one-bedrooms available that are large. I haven't tried their food, but I think that they're trying to get more variety of food. Most of the activities are in the community room. There's an outdoor patio at the back of the dining hall, and that's nice. They have onsite physical therapists. They have Sunday church services. However, like most facilities, they are in need of CNAs and caregivers, and they need to have more training. Of course, some are qualified. My complaint is like when the residents ring their bell for assistance, they may not get an answer from the staff, particularly at night. It was also very expensive. They just raised their prices.

Ruth

I'm currently at Brookdale Woodward Estates. The upkeep of the place is nice, it's pretty when you drive up, and the apartments are OK, but some of the staff are lousy and don't care about the residents. I think they are understaffed. I like the place, it's the staff that's bad. Some of the staff care about what they're doing. Some are here just for the dollar, and some are here because they care about the people. We have exercise, puzzles, movies, and people coming in and singing and dancing. They have a lot of wonderful activities. The food isn't too good. Some of the cooks can't cook. Their staff and management need training.

Provider Response

VM

Brookdale Woodward Estates was wonderful. They were very friendly. The residents looked happy. I could tell that their intake director was caring and willing to help me navigate my specific situation. I really enjoyed it. It was clean. It was a little bit of an older facility, but it looked really nice. There was nothing negative about it. The amenities looked pleasant. There was a family room where you could meet your family or enjoy some recreation. They had musical instruments, nice TVs, and outdoor accommodations to sit out on the patio. The staff all seemed quite nice. I liked how the staff interacted with the residents.

Sarah

I chose Brookdale Woodward Estates for my aunt. First of all, it's close to me, so I'll be able to get to see my aunt regularly; it's like eight minutes from me. Second, it was clean. The people were nice. She is a religious lady, and they said they would have church three days a week, and they would have Bible study. That's something big for her. And they have activities. Those were the main things. The rooms were perfect. That's all she needed, a nice room, and it was nice. Everybody I talked to was really nice. And when I was walking around, everybody was speaking and being really nice to us. I watched how they were handling people. So they did good. They had an exercise place where they could exercise them. The one thing I like is they can get their hair done. They had a personal room that when I came to visit her, we could go in that space. Like if I have five other relatives and we couldn't fit in her room, we could use that. They had a television room, an activities room, and they had several outside areas where they held events.

ReviewerFY#0513

My mother moved into Brookdale Woodward Estates in April. The first week or so, I had to go toe to toe with a couple of people about some of their staff procedures. My mother called me at almost 6:00 in the morning because she was annoyed that one of the nursing staff came into her apartment at 1:00 in the morning just to check on her. That's waking her up and pissing her off. I had to tell the wellness director that we need to have a sign on her door not to disturb her after 9 p.m. I understand that there are always going to be some initial start-up issues. Once you get to know some of the staff, it's not so bad. It's just a little annoying to my mother because they've got their mask on and they're almost mumbling. She couldn't understand them. I even said to one girl, "You have to speak up and enunciate". She likes the food and it has a good variety. They even give her lots of food and she can't always eat it all. They have very nice landscaping and they're kind of in the middle of that. I don't think anyone has started with the garden club yet because she likes gardening. She also has physical therapy visits.

Darlene

I went to Brookdale Woodward Estates. It was homey, that was my first impression. It's a lovely sight, with beautiful landscaping, and a homely atmosphere throughout. We were impressed. The staff was very polite, the executive director, Joey, was quite extremely helpful. Great follow-up, great customer service. He provided lunch. He's just very, very generous and very welcoming. The food was great. He not only made sure that we sat down in the dining room and enjoyed a meal, but he also packed up something for us to take home; different samples. He went above and beyond. At Brookdale, we were able to observe the residents in their activities, and in some of the places, we didn't even see the residents. But here we saw their residents, they looked happy, they were engaged. He invited my mother over to one of the activity tables and she just brightened up. We knew that if we had chosen that particular property, she would have felt at home.

Vincent

We toured Brookdale Woodward Estates for my daughter. There was nothing that I did not like, and that place was wonderful. Even my daughter expressed how nice it was. The facility, the way the patients have free reign or free run of the facility, the meals that are served, and the parking area were all good. It was nothing but pluses in my view and my daughter's view. They have the typical facilities that you would expect from such a place. They have lots of games, they have people who play music for them, they have a bus that takes the patients to the shopping area, which is not far away. They just have a lot of nice stuff, and the location is quite ideal. It's very close and convenient to a small hospital. We just like everything about it, and I can't give you any negatives about it because everything was positive.

Scott

My mom moved into Brookdale Woodward Estates a week ago tomorrow. They're fantastic. The place offers everything that we were looking for. The other place we looked at didn't give us half the stuff that we got here for the price. She loves the food. The food is fantastic. I talked to her every day, and she says it's great food. It's laid out beautifully and the upkeep is fantastic. The staff is very friendly. They go out of their way to keep us informed of anything and everything that happens. My mom is on 14-day Covid lockdown, so she's restricted to her room right now. Anybody that comes in gets a rapid Covid test and temperature screening as soon as you walk through the door, no ifs and or buts about it. They do Covid screenings on all residents every week including staff. The value for the money that I'm paying is a lot better than the other places that that we looked at. I've got everything covered under one price.

Debbie

My father-in-law was in Brookdale Woodward Estates for 10 days. He didn't like it because it was too big, he got lost, and he felt like people would just open his door. It was set up like an apartment. It was a 1-bedroom, efficiency apartment, so he had a bedroom, a living area, a refrigerator, a microwave and coffee maker, but people would just walk in. He felt his privacy was being invaded, and he wouldn't sleep because he thought somebody would come in and rob him. He was shaking, he wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep, he wouldn't get in the shower, because he was afraid somebody would walk in on him. They kept charging us after he moved out. We got bills for months that I had to go into the manager to contact the headquarters in Dallas to make them stop sending us bills, when he didn't live there anymore. The food was pretty good. The unit they showed us was nicer, and when he moved in, it just wasn't as nice as the one they showed us. You had to walk through the activity room to get to his room and there was a lady who was supposed to be giving them the news, but instead of just giving them the news, she would give them her opinion, and it was extremely, extremely politically biased. I felt that was wrong. He didn't participate though, he isn't into music and artsy stuff, they had a lot of activities, but they just weren't for him.

Provider Response

Reviewer52520

The care that Brookdale Woodward Estates is providing for my dad is excellent. On the inside it looks a little bit old like the carpet is old, but it's not unclean. Their staff is pleasant and cooperative. They do a good job and I don't have any complaints. The parking is extremely poor, but overall the place itself feels homey.

Cynthia

My aunt moved into Brookdale Woodward Estates, and it was a very good experience. I'm very pleased with the care that she received, they have a very familiar, friendly staff, and the people there know the family members. They have a lot of activities that they engage the residents in. She's in a large studio apartment furnished with a single bed, a dresser, a table that basically more than meets her needs, and a bathroom with a shower. However, I'm not pleased with the housekeeping. The food is excellent, especially for special events. Her lunch and dinner looked very appetizing, was presented well, and the service was nicely done. They're very respectful, and pretty much know what the residents desire, like, and their tastes.

Penelope

Brookdale seemed pretty nice. The staff member who showed me around was very nice, accommodating, and answered all my questions. They seemed to have a lot going on at different times, like different programs and classes throughout the day.

Marsha625424

Brookdale Woodward Estates was very warm and inviting and had a light feel to it. There were lots of open windows, and the natural sunlight was coming through. They have the same kind of daily activities, and the residents can choose to participate or not depending on their interest level. They have a varied menu as well where the residents can select from the daily menu what they want to eat, and if you are not able to go to the dining room for your meals, they are going to bring it to you in your room.

BestDaughter

Staff very nice! I love the size of the rooms. They had a lot going on. Lot of activities and the food smelled good. The lady showing me around was very knowledgeable.

Angela037288

Brookdale was beautiful and looked like a hotel, but it was too expensive for my mother’s budget. The person that assisted me was fine and gave me all of the information. There was a lot going on with people moving around in the dining hall. The dining room was nice.

MichelleMPHWG

At Brookdale Woodward Estates, two rooms had to share a bathroom. The rooms were small and had a kitchen. The staff who gave me the tour was OK. I wasn't really impressed with the place. The best thing I liked was the kitchen, which had a refrigerator, a stove, and cabinets, but that was shared, too.

Provider Response

Anonymous Visitor17

Brookdale Woodward Estates was a really nice facility, but a little more expensive than others. If we could afford it, I would not mind putting Mom in there because it had a lot of amenities, and the rooms were great.

Mother Hubbard

Both my uncle and my aunt stayed at Brookdale Woodward Estates. It has a very nice, very engaged, and robust staff. Basically, the staff members are all friendly, and they really engage the residents in multiple ways. They really have made it a family atmosphere there. The dining area is very clean and very inviting. The food looks very appetizing and looks like there’s a large variety, but their dinner meals are often sandwiches, which is a complaint. But, the meals are very appetizing, and they get a fair helping of food, including a nice salad. Basically, they can receive as much as they want, and people are very good about bringing more or supplying desserts. One issue I had as we were reviewing the contract for my aunt was that they were going to increase her charges because once they got into Brookdale from Emeritus, they had a different billing system. Instead of doing leveled care, they were now doing individual care or whatever the person called for based on their needs. The problem I had was that they said that they were going to increase charges for my aunt because she was a diabetic and was getting diabetic meals, but she doesn’t. She gets the same meals that everybody else does, and there’s no special diet. I never saw anything done differently for her. So, while on paper it says that she would have a diabetic diet, there’s nothing different in her choices of food than any other resident. This was my complaint and the reason why I was looking at moving them as early as November. From the beginning, and it continued throughout, they had difficulties in getting the staff to be responsive when they would page them to change my uncle. He was incontinent and toward the very end, he wasn’t getting changed more than three times a day, and that’s major problem. When he passed, he had sores on his bottom because my aunt wasn’t able to get them to come and change him as often as they asked for it. At the very beginning, they assured us that they understood that under no circumstances was my aunt to be in that situation. They changed the billing system and basically charged two increases last year, but I have not seen any improvement in staff accountability for the things they need to do to warrant that kind of increase.

Loving Daughter22

When we visited Brookdale Woodward Estates, they were in the middle of construction and doing a lot of reconstruction of different rooms. I thought the facility was a little bit large and thus would be confusing for my mother. I also thought that the rooms were too confining. The director gave me a tour. She was fine, engaging, and professional. The dining room was fine and looked very large.

Crystal7

During my visit, the staff there was very pleasant and friendly. The people working there were very positive about their work and enjoyed what they were doing. They were also very helpful. On the other hand, I liked the size and the layout of the rooms. I liked the fact that they had a little kitchen with a microwave and a refrigerator. I had tried eating there once, and the food was very good. They had a large dining room, and it was nice. They even had a table service. They also had scrabble, cards, movie nights, and a whole lot of things as part of their activities. I know that the doors were locked at 8PM, so the security was tight. Overall, it was a good community for seniors.

Donna97910050

I thought it has a very nice setup. The woman who works there was very nice and helpful. The dining room was OK and fine. I would recommend the facility to others.

Crystal5

We placed my aunt here. My aunt needs extreme care with her medicine, and she has to have her blood drawn weekly. So, I like that they provide a nurse on board. I like that everything is done there as far as having her medicine, filling her prescriptions, and checking her heart rate instead of me taking her back and forth to the doctor. I love that they do all the lab work, and we eliminate a whole lot of doctor's appointments. I like that they have therapy right there on board. All the nurses there are really nice. My aunt really loves them all. The rooms are very nice. They just had a renovation. So, all the rooms have updated cabinetry, carpet, wood, and ceramic tiles. I had a meal there, and it was good. My aunt says they always have good food there. However, I think they can improve on the menu to give them more variety. The entertainment that they do for the seniors is lovely. They have a lot of activities, and they are always busy. The grounds are well kept, and I like that they are located right by a hospital. They are right next door to a senior center. Everything is convenient there. I will recommend them to others.

Caring84274350

I liked it and if I were to choose, I would put mom there. I liked the people and talked to the staff -- they were very nice. The lady who did the interview with me was extremely helpful and she took me to all the rooms and the conversation was good. The rooms were of nice size. I did eat there and the food was good. The residents were happy as I got to talk to them. They do have many activities. I brought my sister to the place and she liked it, too. What I like best is that the residents seemed to be in a good state. It’s close to a major shopping and restaurant area, so there is plenty of stuff for the residents to do.

Tamara4

It is closer to where my daughter lives. They're very cordial, they're very kind, and I have nothing negative to say. I think the rooms are spacious and very nice. Maybe they could decorate some of those a little bit, but most part they looked to be OK. The dining are was very nice and well kept. They had everything, like games they could play. They had a kitchen that they could access easily if they needed snacks. They have calendar of activities. It's calm, clean, and very peaceful.

Joshua3

I came across it online, and I went there for a visit. The staff were very friendly. They waved and said hello. They had quite a variety of floor layouts. They had studios or companion suites. They were all pretty spacious, and that was really cool. With their activities, they have been doing arts and crafts. They also watch old movies and go on trips.

Caring84239550

My visit is very positive. It was a great place, and I thought it was very nice, but I thought it was too big for my mom. It wouldn't fit her needs. The staff were very helpful and very friendly. It's probably one of the best places I've visited. I saw that they have activities, but I don’t remember specifically what they have. The rooms were fine.

Greg15

It had larger facilities and larger living spaces to include private apartments. It certainly looked friendly enough. It was more like an apartment building with the facilities downstairs to go eat and to shop and things like that. So it was advantageous to be in a larger place because they had more facilities and more capabilities. The rooms were very nice. It looked like you could be quite comfortable there. My father is wheelchair-bound, so he's not involved in doing a lot of social activities. I did notice that they had some sort of fitness class.