Brookdale Niskayuna

R.

I toured Brookdale Niskayuna and met Pam (the person who took me around) and Lisa (the receptionist) and they were both so friendly and so welcoming. As far as the place itself, I thought it was cozy. I liked the fact that the dining room had enough space. I liked that they were refurbishing with new furniture. The places where they go and chat and watch TV were just very, very bright. I liked having all those windows and there was nothing dingy about it. I liked the fact that the main room where they would do their bingo and happy hour on Fridays or any of those other things was not so large for an elderly person to get lost. We had lunch and it was delicious. We met the nurse as well and she asked questions to my aunt and was just so sweet. I also liked the apartments, but the bathrooms were small. The sink was just a sink. My aunt likes to put things out on the ledge, but there's no place to do that.

ReviewerRD#041322w

My mother is now at Brookdale Niskayuna. The community is beautiful, and they offer a lot. It's a lovely place and they offer varied activities for the residents, which I hope my mother will soon be able to participate in. The staff are wonderful. The room is very nice. She's in a studio apartment, and it's lovely. My mother's experience with dining there is pretty good. They have chair exercises, they have bingo, they have crafts, and they have trips to Walmart and Dollar Store. There are various things. They have a lot of activities.

Dolores

We chose Brookdale Niskayuna because they had advanced care for her. So she's not quite in a nursing home, but she's a little bit more independent, and they could provide all the services that we are currently providing to her at home. It was clean, beautiful, and the staff was fantastic. They were great. We plan to go back. There were plenty of options there for my mother. The rooms were beautiful, just a lot of things to do activity wise on the calendar.

William

Brookdale Niskayuna was a little expensive, but they were going to do a lot of things for my mother. The room was nice, and the staff members were very friendly. It was very nice and very lovely. From what I saw, they didn't have carpets, and some people say that's good, and it's cleaner. It looked very clean, and it was expensive. My mother could have been assigned an LPN to give her insulin. At least they sold themselves like she would have gotten the kind of care that was needed. However, two showers a week was like $184 a month; if you needed somebody to walk you down to the dining hall that would have been $400-and-something; the insulin would have cost an additional $1,600; and the room itself was $15,900. We added those up and it was like $7,000. The insurance would cover like $6,300, but she still would have to come up with about $1,200 to $1,300 a month. Nevertheless, it's in a good location, and it is easy to access.

Kimberly

My mom is at Brookdale Niskayuna, and we like it a lot. They are very responsive if you have a question or an issue, and you email or call them. Especially now with COVID, they are always trying to find ways to engage the community even though they are on quarantine. I really enjoy the fact that they host a weekly Zoom meeting for family members of the residents, and keep us very up to date with what changed and what's not changed, what things they're doing, and to ask for our ideas and input. My mom is a picky eater, but she's eating their food, so maybe it is good. She got an apartment with a den. It's laid out well. It allows her to have plenty of room to maneuver and do the things that she likes to do. It's also very bright and sunny. Her apartment was actually just renovated, so she got new kitchen cabinets and new appliances. Mom hasn't had the opportunity to take advantage of all of the amenities that they offer because of the quarantine. She hasn't been able to participate in a lot of the classes that they hold or any of the trips they make because they haven't been having them, but I think that they are still doing a great job. If a friend of mine asks, "I want to find a place for my mom," I would recommend Brookdale.

Dale

We liked everything we saw at Brookdale Niskayuna. The dining facilities were very nice, very homey, and had an upscale restaurant type of feel. The rooms were nice. They had options of singles or doubles with little kitchenettes. I liked that it was an enhanced facility. It met all the criteria of what we were looking for. The staff was good. The menus looked very good, but we did not try any of the food. They had some day trips, they shuttle them out, and they had a nice courtyard, activity rooms, and a formal type of a chapel.

MMC

I had a really good visit at Brookdale Niskayuna. The lady who showed me around was really helpful and knowledgeable. I got to see an apartment and it was pretty positive. The place was bright, clean, and had open spaces, which I liked. The rooms were really big and nice. They serve three meals a day. They have transportation services, a beauty shop on the premises, and a little library. The dining area was very nice. The staff seemed pretty good.

Happy Happy Daughter

The team at Brookdale Niskayuna provided a caring experience for my Dad, for which I am extremely grateful. I slept better at night knowing that he was well cared for and safe. Their ability to customize his food and level of care as his needs changed enabled him to remain in his independent apartment as long as possible. I also was impressed with how thoughtful and helpful they all were to me and the rest of the family as well. Thanks and Kudos to them all!!

becarefulhere

My issue with this place is not with the staff it is with the way fees are handled. My mother has been a resident for about three years. Over the last 18 months she has required some extra services. Just prior to Thanksgiving she fell and injured herself and has since that time been in the hospital of different nursing homes for rehab. I have tried unsuccessfully for the last two months to have her bill adjusted to reflect the fact that she does not need those extra services. I have been told that I should continue to pay for them and that when and if she returns to the facility Brookdale would "review the bill" and see if she was due any money. Buyer beware.

Provider Response

DANIEL L. GRYGAS

very nice atmosphere.GREAT MANAGEMENT under MS. MANCINI'S direction. as reflected in the entire complex, from neat and clean apartments and all common areas. excellent meals featuring a varied menu and a very caring staff who provides services to each and every resident to insure their needs are met.. they and MS.MANCINI treat each resident as we would care for one of our loving and valued family member and parent. lastly i always felt comfortable dealing with the MANAGEMENT, they welcomed our comments and concerns and ALWAYS kept me informed with any suggestions that would be beneficial to the resident. well being.

boneDoc

We have since put our notice in at this location. There are serveral reasons but the one that is obvious is the lack of staff and safety concerns. The staff they do have is inadequate and uneducated. For example Christmas day and LPN was found hanging out in the lobby having cocktail herself and chatting with staff. She was obviously intoxicated and was back to work the very next day no questions asked. When we inquired about the safety we were told by the other staff that the director,didnt address this issue til Monday because of staffing. This community would be a bad choice. Just research NYS DOH and all of the vilations. You will see the one with the nurse drinking and the director admitting the issue wasnt addressed til 5 days later. That among all the other complaints is pretty alarming.

Norman16

Brookdale Niskayuna Assisted Living is an outstanding facility. The accommodations were nice, the common area where the residents usually meet is nice. If you are not an outgoing person, they will make you an outgoing person. They want you to converse with the other residents. The kitchen is great. The tour was really great. I was so impressed by the visit overall. If you are looking for an assisted living, this is the place to be. It is close to the shopping area. It is accommodating to everything.

Carol113400150

We visited Brookdale Niskayuna. It was nice, but the rooms were small. The staff was very nice, and the dining area was very large. It was impressive how large it was.

Barbara Stratton

Brookdale Niskayuna is not new to my family. Both my mother and husband lived here for the rest of their lives. My mother was actually one of the first people who moved here. They are very friendly and very thoughtful. They will go out of their way to help you get something you want. I find it very comforting; if something is needed, it’s provided. I’ve lived in the building since 2008 and found it very pleasant. It’s warm and comfortable. The people are so nice to work with. This place very nice. Not as elegant as the newer ones. It’s very quiet, almost no noise. There are two major streets on either side of the building, but they don’t bring a lot of noise. We are 3 stories with no basement. I have the biggest apartment option which has 3 rooms. They do let you have cats here. We have three full meals a day, which is a bit much for me. Breakfast, lunch, and supper. Each month, the menu carries food from a different country. After supper, what we often have some type of activity. Every night we have something going on. I’m constantly amazed at the number of activities go on here. At 6 o’clock almost every night, something is planned. Outside people will come talk to us, maybe about some place they’ve been. At the bottom of the menu at supper, there will be a notice of what’s going on that night. Everyday, there is something we can participate in. There’s a lot of card playing going on. We do a lot of walking. If there is something special you want, all you have to do is ask for it. They will ask you what you want for your birthday and do something special for you. I like it very much and I’m very happy here.

LusciousMe&Mine

We were loking for placement for our Mom. Initially, we were unclear about the type of community we needed for her; except, it had to be clean and odor-free; friendly/inviting atmosphere; meet Mom's physical and medical needs and the food had to be very good. We visited Brrokdale Niskayuna twice - the second time with Mom. Both times, we found the staff to be like our family - warm, accepting and personable. The care that was given to both our Mom and us has been unsurpassed! By our second visit, we knew what we wanted and needed. The staff was genuinely engaged in the well-being of Mom and the family. Nowhere else did we find the level of commitment and dedication to thier job. I truly believe it is more than just a "job" for the people we were in contact with! Not only did we find the PERFECT place for our Mom, we also gained extended family members! Brookdale Niskayuna is EVERYTHING we wanted and needed...and so much more!

Victoria14

Brookdale Niskayuna is a wonderful facility. They do great; their staff is very kind. They communicate very well if there is any issue or even something that may escalate to an issue. They know my mother’s name. I’ve been there at 8 in the morning and 7 at night, and it’s always the same. My mother is getting the standard of care that I would be happy to give as a nurse. The nursing is more than I anticipated because it’s not a medical facility. There is something to do almost all the time there, and the staff is always available. They have a library; they have bingo almost every day and exercise every day. They have a great little cocktail hour. If you happen to be there at meal time even though you’re not going to have a meal, they’ll ask you if you want something to drink. There’s Trivial Pursuit; anything they have in their brochure actually goes on. They just got a brand new van to take people all over. Even if you just want to get out and go for a ride, you can do that.

mamamimi

My mother has been a resident requiring enhanced assisted living since mid July. After a very long winter and spring in and out of hospitals and rehabs, we were fortunate enough to find availability at Brookdale. From the warm welcome received at the front desk to the kindness, efficiency and understanding of Heather, Ginger and all of the supporting staff, our experience the past several weeks has been most positive. My mother loves her room; it's sunny, freshly painted and carpeted and offers a wonderful view to a lovely porch and courtyard. We are feeling confident that my mother will continue to be extremely well taken care of here and keep enjoying the community atmosphere and activities provided at Brookdale.

tinstar

Shortly after my mom passed away, my dad’s health deteriorated to the point that he required assistance with the activities of daily living. He was in-and-out of rehabilitation facilities for a while but we soon realized that he did not require a full service nursing home but instead needed only a few services, and more importantly, a place to live that he could consider his own. Brookdale is a perfect fit for dad. First, he has a beautiful apartment, all to himself, that is a true “home”. Also, Brookdale offers their services on an “a la carte” basis, allowing us to add or remove services as dad’s condition and needs fluctuate. Dad is very happy at Brookdale. He has made many friends there (with residents and staff alike) and participates in as many social events and outings as he can! For me, it’s comforting to have peace of mind that dad is happy and well cared for… thank you Brookdale.

JeffL10

This community from the very beginning was my first choice for my Mom. I had been working with Ginger for about six months before I came in for a tour. I was waiting and trying to keep my Mom home for as long as possible, but her trip to the hospital quickly became an emergency. I called Ginger and got the ball rolling. A few months in now, Mom is back to her old self and doing great! I can finally spend time with my Mom and our relationship is so much better. I am forever grateful for the work they do, and Ginger for her patience with me and my family.

VElsbree

My mother is currently in this facility, I can not say enough goods things about the care she receives. The assistants are kind and work very hard to care for the residents. I visit and different times because of my schedule I have never found her anything but clean and well dressed. There are a number of activity's available and a wonderful hairdresser. The other day my mother was having a problem they called the MD and he ordered medication that they went to the pharmacy to get and administered with in 30 mins, You do not get medication that fast in a hospital. A very special thank you to Usman and Deb for going out of your way every day .

wool39

For the past year my mother was a resident at Wynwood which initially offered many positive aspects for her. The rooms are spacious and clean, the grounds have green space and areas for the residents to enjoy and are well maintained. The dining room is like a restaurant and food is well prepared. Many of the staff are warm and caring and paid special attention to my mother as she needed increasing amounts of attention, especially Ussman, Kim, Ginger and Caroline. The front desk personnel is friendly and very helpful. On the negative side - Most of the aides are foreign and speak with an accent which was difficult for my mother to understand. They did not seem to make an effort to talk slowly so my mother could understand. Also they did not respond readily to calls for help when the emergency button was pushed. There did seem to be a big turnover in the aide staff.

Provider Response

Caring104596250

My mother needs enhanced assisted living, and I took her to see Wynwood today. We are going to make decision on Wynwood within the next couple of days whether she wants that or not. It is very pleasant. Everybody seemed very friendly and very helpful. The community itself is very nice, very pleasant, and very clean. We ate there, and it was very good. I didn't ask a lot questions about activities because my mother is not interested in a lot of activities, but I know they have enough. They have exercise, they have book clubs, and they have happy hour. It seems to be a better community for someone who is mentally active. It has a better atmosphere. I think the community is great, but I would have preferred a little more grounds around it.

Maggiemae12

My parents moved to Wynwood thinking they would be there forever. They were promised that my mother would get 24 hour care that she needed. Everyone was so nice and were available to answer our questions whenever we asked. Upon arrival we soon realized that this fantasy was turning into a nightmare. The "aides" were the nastiest women we had ever met. They never smiled...they were rough with my mother and they laughed and made fun of her right in front of us. We were promised that when my parents pressed their buttons that the aides would come within fifteen minutes but was usually less than that. This was a lie. They never came in less than 30 minutes. Sometimes 40 minutes. We complained and nothing changed. We were at their mercy. We also found out that they are not certified aides. My parents had to leave after 2 weeks because it was so terrible. Ann at the front desk was the nicest person ever!! Also Shannon in the nursing dept was lovely and helpful as well. If you love your parents and they need any type of help... Do not send them to Wynwood.

Provider Response

LovelyLady26

I like Wynwood the best. I felt very warm and good about it. I like that all levels of care are intermingled. The staff was particularly attentive, and they seemed so friendly and very, very caring. The people who were more capable seemed to look after the others other than just the staff. It gives them a good feeling about themselves that they’re able to help someone else, and the people who are less able to take care of themselves benefit greatly from everyone looking out for them. It seemed like a very good mix. I thought the rooms were the nicest venue that I saw. They were spacious, had a full refrigerator, and were very nice and clean.

John91479650

We visited Wynwood of Niskayuna. I thought it was very nice, very clean and very well kept. The apartments were well furnished. The staff was nice and friendly. I thought they were very good and I thought they had all the services that other communities claimed to have -- I thought they were at par with everything else that we had read about. The dining area was very nice. It looked like more of a dining room of a restaurant than a cafeteria, but we didn't have a chance to eat there. They had quite a few activities. They had arts and crafts, a large area for people to gather to do various things. They had a big bulletin board with everything that was going on for the week. They kept everyone fairly active and most people looked happy. I thought location was nice because that part where it was, you could walk to little restaurants and shops where you could go to while you were mobile. I thought the cost, when compared to other places, was fairly reasonable. It was a less expensive community. I would have loved my parents to consider it.

Isabelle1

I live in Wynwood and they’re very good. The staff was very helpful. The food is very good, I have no complaints. They have a lot of activities like board games and Bingo.

Harry20

Six weeks ago she moved to Wynwood of Niskayuna. The facility looks very nice, as well as the rooms. We chose this facility because we were able to find a room on the first floor, which was what we were looking for, and they also accept pets. The staff were very nice, and they are quite efficient. The food is OK.

delhiDoll

II Right from the very first phone call I knew that Wynwood wasn't going to be our choice. The first impression from Jennifer was not warm or understanding of our needs. Then once we toured her personality grew more evident when we started hammering out our finances. Once it was learned we would need more income, her answers to our questions were more and we were dismissed. Mom just came into some more income and part of me would like to call Jennifer and let her know she should never have disrespected us with her cold personality. I'm glad Mom didn't move in there as the first impression could very well have been the standard.

Provider Response

Linda62761750

It was a really nice and big place. I beieve they have 200 residents. They have very nice little apartments with kitchenette. It's very clean too. It's just that they have the 3rd floor available and there was no way my mom could stay there. She needs a little more than assisted living. While I was sitting there waiting for the lady to show me around, I noticed a bus that picked up a lot of the residents. They go to the malls and do some shopping and have lunch. I noticed that they also have a billiard room where some played. They also have a library. It's a nice place for retired people to go to.

Doc.JMD

My Mother lived at Wynwood for 2 years. My Mother was a very intelligent and well spoken woman who was very particular about selecting a place to live the rest of her life. She chose Wynwood and we as her family could not have been any happier! The staff became family to us. Anne at the front was always welcoming! Ferra and Heather were always availible and genuinely concerned when it came to Mom's care. My mom has just recently passed on and the staff once again were there to assist us during our loss. Knowing she passed at Wynwood, her home, in the care of staff who felt like family was a blessing to us and mom. Thank you all for what you do!

Allan2

The rooms at Wynwood, including most of the meeting rooms, were small and dark. The receptionist didn't know some of the resident's names or which room they lived in. It was terrible. The nurse around the place gave me a tour. She wasn't supposed to but the regular person was out. I asked about diabetic meals and she rolled her eyes and said this company doesn't have diabetic meals but they give you half the amount of food and call it diabetic. There seemed to be a dearth of staff. Both the staff and the residents were here a year and a half and apparently they all tried to get out as quickly as they could. The staff wasn't paying attention to the residents. The people there looked like zombies and they were not talking with each other. It was awful.

Provider Response

Debbie48

Wynwood was very good. It was a nice facility. There were activities. I liked that they were willing to work with me. However, it would not work with my situation.

melodyjill

My parents moved into the Wynwood following my dad's stroke. My mom continued to live there after he passed away, about a year after they moved in. The care was atrocious. There was severe negligence with my father's medical and ADL care. The aides were not skilled, no compassion; they seemed either irritated or annoyed when called to proved assistance to help my dad out of bed. My mom provided all care for my father, and after he passed, her health began to deteriorate. The staff also neglected to provide adequate supervision, attention and medical oversight for her care. Her apartment was dirty each time i visited, I would borrow a vacccum or clean it myself. They charged for services she was not getting,(charging for administering medication when she was on vitamins). They did not clean her apartment or maintain her laundry to proper cleanliness. I had to clean when I visited. While she tried to advocate for herself, they ignored her requests or concerns. When things needed to be replaced or fixed, they did not take care of these things. It took the family's persistence calls for them to respond. But even then, they did not follow through with things they said they would. I lived over 230 miles away and was unable to come on a regular basis. My mom lived at this facility for several years, much to our dismay. We would have moved her soon after my dad passed, but she was not willing to make another move. In hind site, we should have moved her immediately after my dad passed, because the quality of care at the Wynwood was completely inappropriate. I would not only not recommend this facility, i would strongly caution anyone against moving their loved one into it.

Provider Response

HenryLilith

My Father lived here for over 5 years. I was never impressed with their very limited activities and choices of foods. The management barely bothered to be social so we even knew who they were. When presented with any problems or concerns, the Executive Director Heather pushed them away...denied any problems, was totally useless... they recently changed to being a certified Assisted Living Facility meaning the Dept. of Health has certain rules and regulations that they need to follow and Heather just kept saying there would be no changes, only that resident's long term care insurance would now cover the costs...BUT... they started firing the nurses and cutting the hours of the aides and servers...they spent a lot of money redecorating the facility in poor choices of colors and patterns for the elderly...no one there seems to have a clue and are in the wrong business and even put the residents in danger by mistreating the nurses so that they have a high turn over rate...when asked about how long my Father who is incontinent would have to wait for an aide to come and help change him, Heather would said they would not commit to any time frame... so he could lie in his filth for who knows how long... one of their 'activities' is the old movies on TCM on cable...why pay their expensive rent to watch cable TV... DO NOT GIVE THIS FACILITY YOUR MONEY OR beloved family member under any circumstance....

Provider Response

New York State

Rent is quiet expensive (goes up year after year) and the home health aides do NOT do there job. I noticed several bed sores on residents. Activities only include bingo where only a few residents play. Fish sits at room temperature for several hours before being cooked. Food is also microwaved instead of being cooked, noticed on several occasions

Provider Response

Frank12

Wynwood of Niskayuna seemed okay. It was a nice place and it was in a nice location. The staff was very knowledgeable. The rooms were nice, but for the size, it seemed quite expensive.

Janice7

My dad was at Wynwood of Niskayuna a couple of years before and he did fine in there. I would rate their service a five because they were really compassionate.

Laurie10

My father had a stroke and will be in Wynwood for a while. He's not going to be there permanently because we're bringing him back to our house. The staff are very nice and very professional. They do have a lot of activities every day. Although my father is not really in good condition to participate in most of their activities. They have memory activities where people participate in group trivia games. They have music, and I know my father has enjoyed some of their musical programs. They also have a library where they talk about different authors and books. They have a very large jigsaw puzzle, bingo, billiard table, which my father actually used.

Kara 1

Wynwood is a lovely place. My parents share an apartment and home health workers would come to them. It's an "assistive living" instead of assisted living. It's all under one roof. And for the price, I could afford to have them in one place and all the services come to them on a la carte basis. The place is lovely. It shows Ethan Allen decor, the staff is very friendly, and they really try to engage with the people. It's also one of the places where they allow people who have mobility issues. My father improved greatly. It all worked great.

Jay1

The facility was beautiful, with spacious rooms, and a very welcoming feel from the staff and the other residents. We were both impressed with the building and the grounds themselves. There was also a great schedule of activities for residents, if I recall rightly. I'm a nurse myself, and discussions with the nursing staff showed them to be both competent and caring. I asked to see the system of med passes and organization, and was shown how they did it, while at the same time they kept the patients names and information completely private. I value this discretion and adherence to HIPPA regulations by the nursing staff. While we went with another facility due to travel times for myself and other family members, this would have been a great place for my grandfather.

TJ2

The facility was very nice and homey. The staff was friendly to the visitors as well as the residents. It was a very clean, neat and organized place.

SandwichGeneration

We chose Wynwood because my mother was able to bring her beloved cat with her. The head nurse gave us nothing but trouble about it, making up stories, changing stories and I even caught her in a bold-face lie. The cat was gone in less than a month even though we had paid for it to be there and had chosen this place just for that. We were pushed and pushed to sign on with the doctor that visited this facility/was the house doctor. The doctor never touched our mother, talked to me over the phone and that was it, no exam, no talking to my coherent mother (an RN for 44 years.) The doctor prescribed medications without tests, my mother ended up in the hospital... The aides, granted, they are probably paid peanuts, are not helpful, can barely speak English and make fun of the patients (I have witnessed it.) This place is not cheap but it was a NIGHTMARE. My mother went from being a one-assist senior to being dead within 6 months of moving into this place. The doctor and head nurse are THE WORST!

Provider Response