Brookdale Monroe

Katherine

The staff at Brookdale Monroe was really, really good. Even though my mother didn't end up staying there because of her condition, they called me. Pat, the salesperson there, was the one who called me and said call the other place. Every step of the way she was just a gem. I would put my mother there for sure, but they couldn't take her just because of their policy. She's absolutely wonderful. She's on the top of my list. The other staff are great, too. The fact that they connect with all the residents there and the residents love the staff. They talk to them. They're like, "Oh, hi, what are you doing? Come over, we're doing karaoke tonight. Are you gonna come, Pat?" They gave me muffins, which were pretty good. The facility was very nice. They have a little exercise room, a library, a studio, a TV room, and a game room. They were doing an activity when I was there. They were doing charades, and when I left, they were doing trivia. They were keeping them active. What I really liked the most about that community was they were very compassionate, and you could tell the passion was there, and they cared about their residents.

P.S.

We toured Brookdale Monroe. It was fine. That was the first one we went to. They're in the middle of a renovation. There was some construction going on. Overall, it was nice. I didn't think the food was that great there. It didn't look as good as the other two places. They had a one-bedroom and a studio. They showed us a one-bedroom. They had pretty much the same amenities. They had a common area for everyone. It wasn't nearly as nice as the other two. The memory care unit was small. There were fewer patients in there, so everything is a little bit smaller. I wasn't impressed with the dining room. It wasn't as elaborate as the other two. The other ones looked more like a restaurant, and this was more of a homey kind of look. The people there were very nice. The staff who assisted us was great.

Diditi

I went to look at Brookdale Monroe. The sales manager seemed more sensitive to my aunt's needs. I saw a studio, but I was not able to see the two-bedroom. The studio was clean, but it was a little small. I saw a TV lounge, a dining area, and a little café. Some places were under renovation, like the salon. They have a little patio area.

Ronald

I like Brookdale Monroe. It has more of a cozy feel to it. I personally didn't have interactions with the staff, but I watched them interact with some of the patients there, and they seemed to be very caring. I like the rooms. They're spacious. The bathroom is handicapped accessible. They have a microwave and a fridge. Just overall, I like the room, and I like the layout of it. It just gave me more of a cozy feel. The dining area looked nice. Upkeep seemed on point as well. The décor was a little bit dated compared to some of the other facilities, but when you go into the room, it doesn't give you that feeling. The rooms feel like they're more updated. The hallway area and the foyer area give a sense of a little datedness, but at the same time it gives off more of a cozy feeling. They had amenities. They had a movie theater, a beauty salon, a little gym, and a patio area with a barbecue pit. They have a private room that if you need to rent a room for like birthdays or celebrations, you can use. They also have a library area. The staff members are friendly.

Cathy

Brookdale Monroe was lovely, it was a nice community and looked interesting. The rooms were lovely and the person who gave the tour was excellent. The staffs were very attentive, informative, and friendly. The rooms are private, it was a 1-bedroom apartment that I saw. The dining area looked like a restaurant, clean and open. The facility was very clean and everything was easy to get to. They also showed us the meeting room where everybody gathered, and they were playing bingo and cards. The gentleman that showed us around, was very excellent, and very friendly, he made us feel at home.

Richard

Brookdale Monroe - Monroe Township was fine, but it was just a little overpriced for us. Everything seemed clean. They were going through some upgrades so there was some construction going on. Other than that, everything was fine. The person who gave me the tour was very helpful. I saw some folks eating and there were also some people interacting socially and playing some games in one location. He showed us where their washing and laundry facilities were, their nursing facilities, and their haircutting/beautician place.

Carol

My mother moved into Brookdale Monroe. It's a beautiful community. One of the many things that I like about it is that it's very nice-looking and welcoming. The staff is very hard working, and I'm happy with the services they provide. We have eaten there a couple of times before we picked them, and the food is very tasty. They had a beautiful holiday party a couple of weeks ago and had amazingly wonderful food for a large crowd of people. They have a number of activities, and every day they have something going on like bingo, movies, and things like that. It's my mom's choice whether she's joining in or not. They're doing a very nice job. It's a little pricey, but what can you do.

HenryKlem

My mother Helen is very well taken care of at Brookdale. The staff is always friendly and accommodating to her needs. My family and I very much enjoyed the father's day brunch yesterday. Thank you as always. From the Kleminski family...

Diane

My dad is a resident of Brookdale Monroe. It's a small enough community with about a hundred residents. I like that the meals are well-done, and there's enough activities for them to get involved. They have physical therapy on-site and a very nice dining room. One of the things that my dad likes the most is that he can get out and walk around the property. Everyone there has been tremendous, although there's one or two staff members who need improvement. The place itself is clean, and the rooms are bright. He complains about the food, and the price is expensive. From his point of view, there are some things that weren't addressed.

Judy's loved ones

Our mother was a resident at Brookdale at Monroe for 17 months. We had high hopes that this move from independent living would continue to foster our mother’s sense of dignity and self-worth. Unfortunately, our experience didn’t match our expectations. The facility was clean, pleasant, and the activities and food were without complaint. Our biggest and most consistent issue was how our mother was treated by the staff and the lack of appropriate action taken by administration to address these concerns. Our issue was solely with the administration and how they handled the complaints we made on behalf of our mother and her treatment by the aides. A slight stroke left out mother with limited mobility which necessitated a move to assisted living. Being confined to a wheelchair meant that our mother was completely reliant on the aides to for every physical move; ie in and out of her recliner, wheelchair, toilet, commode etc. The only thing our mother could do was brush her teeth and feed herself. Dressing, toileting and even just reaching for her water, tv remote, and blankets was impossible. Therefore her reliance on the aides was all encompassing. While some of the aides treated out mother with patience and respect, there was a consistent lack of understanding, a sense that out mother should be doing more to assist the aides and a conveyed feeling that our mother was a burden and inconvenience. Over the course of 17 months, we reported specific instances of inappropriate, rude and hurtful comments, such as; “ you are too heavy for us to move”, “you don’t help us at all”, “stop drinking so we don’t have to toilet you so much”, “my back hurts from lifting you”) however, the response from the administration was always in favor of the aides. We were always told that the aides reported a different version of the incident with our mother being described as uncooperative and needy. We found this to be unconscionable, indefensible and without regard to our mother's feelings and well-being. We never felt as though our mother was cared for or respected in the way we were told she would be during our tour and inspection of Brookdale. The last 2 –3 weeks of our mother’s stay at Brookdale caused great concern by family members. She was attended to last for meals resulting in her eating a cold breakfast alone in the dining room; oftentimes being the only resident at her table for lunches and dinners. Our mother was a dynamic, vibrant and accomplished independent woman who experienced many unfortunate physical illnesses which slowly limited her mobility. She remained sharp and had limited cognitive impairment which made her treatment at Brookdale all the more demeaning and unacceptable. She always stated that she felt she was treated as less than a human being which made her situation all the more difficult and sad for her and our family. We have since moved her to another facility where she receives respectful and decent treatment as she should. In our first week, an incident arose in which an aide made an inappropriate comment. When we reported it to the administration, it was handled in a quick and professional manner with the aide apologizing to our mother and family members. This is all we ask and expect; for our mother to be treated with respect, dignity and kindness. Unfortunately we rarely experienced that at Brookdale.

Provider Response

Mario084326

My mother has moved into Brookdale Monroe. There are socializations with other members and events all day long. I know my mother is always busy. They have bus trips, too. Socialization is most important to us because she was all alone where she lived before. They have an internist doctor who comes in-house every week. You can see him if you like if you don't want to go to your previous doctor, so you don't have to leave the building. My mother switched to this doctor. They will transport you to your specialist as long as it's within 15 miles of the place, and all of my mother's doctors fit within that requirement. The food is excellent. They provide three meals a day.

Caring Son32

I visited Brookdale Monroe. For every question, I would give them the highest intellects. The staff was working there very well. The rooms were clean, and comfortable. The residents look okay.

Sandra117768350

My visit at Brookdale Monroe was very good. The staff was great, and the residents seemed very happy. They had a lot to offer and were very flexible. The rooms were large, nice, and felt almost like having a private apartment. The amenities and the dining room were excellent. They had a lot of in-house care for the patients and the residents seemed to be having a good time.

Michael117362050

Brookdale was very clean and impressive; my mom liked it. The people were very nice and very good. The rooms were fine, of a good size, and clean. There were lots of activities. They had everything for them.

Inge

I had a good feeling about this place. I can recommend Brookdale Monroe (Formerly Wynwood at Forsgate) from just seeing it. They showed us around and showed us everything where my husband might be and introduced us to some people that walked around there. If you didn't like one of the two things they offered on the menu, there was always a choice of salad or a hamburger. I had a very good impression about the place, the rooms, and the general atmosphere there. It was a little larger -- you could walk around more because they did have one huge area for independent living, and then they had the assisted living. The rooms were spacious with bathrooms inside. They had one-bedroom apartments and studios. In the mornings, they had exercise for their residents.

Holly20

I visited Wynwood. The facility looked very interesting. It was cheerful, and the residents seemed quite happy there. The rooms were very nice. They're very much like a hotel room. As for activities, the one thing I remember is that they had a men's program. They had like a men's club, which I thought was nice. The staff seemed very attentive, and the people seemed active.

Mary99112250

I chose Wynwood at Forsgate because they would take my husband for ten days respite care, and the other places that were recommended would only take him for thirty days. I didn't want him to go for thirty days. It has been absolutely excellent. The place itself was lovely, the accommodations were more than adequate, the food was very good, the grounds were very well-kept, and the staff was extremely friendly and cooperative. I couldn't say anything bad about them because they were all very good. I would highly recommend them to anyone.

Mary94148950

Both my husband and I did visit Wynwood at Forsgate and the place was very nice. We were able to try their food and it was very good. They were celebrating the month of friends and they have entertainment so they have activities. The rooms were spacious and it's well laid out. Their dining room is large. I like the way the grounds are laid out. They have a vegetable garden that the residents help maintain.

Barbara66606150

I found a nice place, Wynwood actually. I had even paid for a room for my uncle, but he passed away. All of the facilities really seemed very nice. It was affordable, which was why I chose it, but the place itself was also very nice. The staff was excellent. I was impressed with the care and the things that they had planned for the people there. My uncle would have been in the dementia unit. They even put a little bar at the end of the floor, and that was going to be a place just for the men. It seemed like they took a lot of care in making it a comfortable and happy place for the residents. From what I could see, it was very well-run.

Kerri2

Wynwood at Forsgate was very nice. The staff was very friendly. The one room that we saw was very clean and spacious for one person. What impresses me when I visited this place was its cleanliness. The dining room was a very good size.

Diane88199950

Wynwood seems to have a very attentive and caring staff. When we went to look at all the different places, they seemed to take the most time. My father has become very well adjusted and happy there. Their therapy program is excellent. He is now walking again. They seem to have a very good social scene. There seems to be plenty of activities. The staff is always there. Every time we go, there's the staff hanging around. They say hello; they ask how everybody is doing. The place is clean. His apartment is lovely. The apartments look very nice in terms of the way the rooms are laid out, and the hallways are very nicely kept. There's living furniture and carpeting everywhere. He's in a private room. We've eaten there several times. The food is quite good. It seems very healthy. We've had quinoa. There are always vegetables. The portions seem appropriately-sized, which is good because most of these people are not that active. My father seems to like most of the food. It seems to be very well run, and he seems happy.

Caring88012950

Wynwood was very nice, very pleasant, and I had no problems walking around there. The rooms were fine. Everything there was lovely. If I could place my mother in there, I would. However, I can't give them a perfect score because I didn't see everything.

Caring73268350

Wynwood at Forsgate's rooms are smaller than others but it's a little more personable. Everything is just very clean. Money-wise, it's a really good value.

Caring82043650

Wynwood is in the area where my mother lives. The facility was lovely and beautiful and it looked like a hotel. The staff was friendly, courteous and professional. The bedrooms were private rooms with shared kitchen and bath. They had arts and crafts, exercise and music.

Caring72506150

I didn't like Wynwood at Forsgate as much as the other facilities I've looked into. Although the facility is nice looking and very well kept, the rooms were small and the staff didn't seem that attentive to the people.

Joyce16

When I visited Wynwood at Forsgate, everything was excellent. They had everything.

timmeh

I was young when my grandfather first developed alzheimers and moved into the facility. The facility is located in a beautiful building with a nice outside area to sit and chat and do whatever. Going inside the building is warm and nice and all of the staff members seemed very friendly. My grandfather would often sit comfortably on one of the chairs in a large sitting area and would either sit to himself or try to engage with some of the other residents. There were always staff members standing by in case they were needed for any reason. I remember the food being decent and filling, if not bland and unexciting. The rooms are spacious and warm and the beds are comfortable. The courtyard was a big open space with a small pond and nice green shrubs and other plants, and was a very nice place to sit. Overall it seemed like a pleasant place to live and I would recommend it to others.

Michele2

My mom was treated excellent at Wynwood. It was a beautiful community. There's a specific section for seniors with dementia. They were very assistive. She said she had a good time. The food was fabulous. It was like a hotel.

luciejay

Everyone was very friendly. The location is very nice and peaceful, well kept, and clean. The facilities were not too sterile-looking, which is nice. The residents seemed to be engaged and entertained and happy. Online reviews of the facility are pretty much universally positive, which is very important since these are the most honest opinions you can find. We feel that this is one of the best facilities that we have visited so far. Most important to us, my grandmother seemed to like it as well, which is important since she is leaving her husband in the facility's care. Although we have not come to a conclusion yet, this does seem to be a definite possibility. It's in a very nice neighborhood as well. The gardens are beautiful and very peaceful. However we are also looking for a facility with more therapy options, although we do need something that we can afford as well.

Wonderer

One of my friend's relatives has resided in this living facility for over 9 months now. I was able to pay her a visit in March and I have only but praise about the grounds of the facility, amenities and the exceptional staff on duty. As I approached the grounds, I felt a very vibrant, vacation like atmosphere which brought a sense of tranquility and calm to the forefront. I feel that this was imperative as the daily grind and life outside the facility is very chaotic and not fit for those who require assisted living. The meals that I saw in the facility looked scrumptious and were portioned out, similar to a meal in a typical home. The residents looked to be eating steak and potatoes while playing cards, a very jolly and carefree atmosphere. Finally, the staff was very friendly and seemed to be on call at all times for assistance and also to engage in the activities of the residents. Overall, I highly recommend this facility.