Brookdale Dickinson Avenue

Jane

I started my visits with Brookdale Dickinson Avenue three years ago because of change in my health status. I've been in touch with them since when they do gatherings or parties. I go up and during the virtual year, they had drive through connections for people who were interested. You would drive through, and they would give you a new information pamphlet. It also would be a drive through celebrating a new vegetable crop or something, and you get two or three things for your fridge. They are a very active community. The good thing about them is it's only three blocks from where I live now, so it would be accessible to the same friends I've made here. When you walk in, there's a beautiful entryway. Four people could be in there at a time; it would never be crowded because of walkers, wheelchairs, and other mobility assistant devices. They have a beautifully covered area to walk in to the living center; there's never a worry about parking your car and walking in the rain. They have a nice living room center when you walk in first thing to greet your guests if they don't go directly to your room. When you come in, the receptionist knows everybody. There's always a sunny, warm reception there. I chose Brookdale because it is pet friendly. I have a small dog and the room is open seating area. I'm thinking of maybe putting a screen behind my settee. It would just block you from being able to see my bed from the door, but it's an open area. If you rent the 200 square foot, you can have a bathroom that you walk into a square. If you get the one that's a little more square footage, the bathroom is sort of stylishly at an angle. There's access to the patio. You have to have the passcode or have your I.D. card with you; security is good. There's a call button in four places in the room. They accept it if you already wear a fall monitor. You don't have to give up a plan that you might already be enlisted to. The fall monitor that I already have will just transfer there. You can rent medical equipment as needed. They have it within the network, or you can rent it from a local health supplier. If I didn't want to maintain the bed that I have that's already raised, I could get a sort of a semi-reclining bed or a full hospital bed if I needed it. Their staffing is good. Their ratio is like 13:1. Their outreach director is just the best I've ever seen. She's a very involved young woman, dedicated to senior care. I bonded with her a lot of times. The personal connection that you find somewhere not only encourages you to prefer that place, but sometimes it inhibits you for liking another. I hope she stays and just advances within the network. You have laundry, housekeeping, and three meals a day. I have been up for lunch, and it was a nice salad lunch with a very good pudding cake dessert and your choice of beverages. They have all the juices, and there's table service and room service. They have folks that come and do outdoor activities. They have therapy animal visits, daily bingo, reading club, a group that gets together and reads their mail together, a computer interest group, senior bowling, chair yoga, and a lot of different things. Also, they have a bus that will take you to the senior center if you're enrolled at senior center activities. I would rate it a 5 and with the communication and virtual visits that I've done with them, I would keep it at a 5 even though I've been communicating with them over a three-year space.

Lisa

We saw the assisted living care hall at Brookdale Dickinson Avenue. We could not go in the memory care wing, although that's what my stepmom would need. I loved it. It looked like a great facility. It was very clean, and the first thing I noticed when I walked in was that it actually smelled nice. Everyone was friendly, and even the lady that was vacuuming the floors was very friendly. Everything was explained and all of our questions were answered.

Ken

Brookdale Dickinson Avenue has nice quality, it isn't dirty, the staff is very nice, the room is very clean, very nice, and my mother seemed to like it. The living atmosphere is positive and very interactive. She said the food is fine, they have bingo, and they have transportation services. The building is new and in good condition.

Jane

Brookdale Dickinson Avenue was very nice. The person who accommodated me was very nice. The room was nice as well. The activities were very good. The residents were out and about doing volunteer work when I was there. It was really good.

Melody

My mother-in-law has been diagnosed with dementia and Brookdale Dickinson Avenue accepts dementia patients. However, she couldn't afford it because it's $8,000 a month. It was very nice and very well kept. We went in December and looked at it and their grass was very green. She said they have to cut the grass every week so they have lawn or yard maintenance every week. It was beautiful on the inside as well. The tour guide was very helpful and she has reached out to us several times since we visited. They even went to Tarboro to observe her to make sure they put her in the correct facility. They had set up a Wii in there and one of the staff members was playing with them. It's very nice. The day we went, they were eating filet mignon. They asked if we wanted to stay and eat with them, but we couldn't.

Concerned Care Giver2

As long as the resident has NO dementia or issues, this place is probably fine. However, just be aware that they are out for money first and foremost. They will say anything to get you in there (with the non-refundable $2500 activity fee) and then if there are any problems, they don't have any hesitation kicking someone out. We went there to tour it and told the lady who spoke with us (a salesperson, who received a car for selling the most rooms that year) that my father had dementia issues and would try to come on to women. We were very upfront about his issues and did not hide anything because we wanted to be sure this place would be appropriate for him with his dementia. She insisted that this was not a problem, said she'd had a resident grab her breasts and they were trained to deal with this kind of thing. Once he was there and started exhibiting these behaviors, all of a sudden, the manager claimed she knew nothing about his dementia. Then it was about how fast they could kick him out, sadly informing me that the $2500 activity fee was non-refundable, even though he had only been there a few months. We were given a few weeks to find somewhere to move him, and finally found a place in Windsor that accepted him and were actually trained in dealing with dementia patients.

Provider Response

Terry112124250

They were very depressing. It used to be Carolina House, and now it is called Brookdale. I had an appointment with the director, and she was not there. She left me a welcoming package, and the head maintenance man gave me my tour, therefore I cannot talk finances or anything else with him. I did not think the place was very well-kept at all.

Provider Response

May3

Carolina House was very professional. They were doing a good job. However, cost wise, I couldn't afford it. The staff was very good. If we could afford it, we could have gone with it. They showed us the room and answered all our questions. They gave us the tour of the facility, which was very nice.

Caring84659750

Mom is in Carolina House. The staff is attentive, responsive and knowledgeable. The room is spacious and well maintained. However, you can smell urine from some of the rooms. Also, they are sending the bills to her attention, although they have all the information where to send it and we never received the bills.

Betsy Lou

While this is a clean facility, their attention to patient care is poor. I know two people that are there. Both have issues with getting assistance when pulling the call bell. Either they wait for over a hour or no one ever comes.

Provider Response

justcare

Based on our tour, we were very impressed with Carolina House. It is a pleasant atmosphere. I was not pleased with the lack of attention and care. If you are able to speak for yourself and ask for what you need, then Carolina House is a great option. If you are unable to articulate your concerns, then this residence is not for you. The staff to resident ratio is not sufficient for optimal and quality care of persons who require anything more than minor assistance. The memory care area resident to caregiver ratio is generally 20 to 2, which is insufficient to effectively handle memory care needs.

Caring9675650

My father was in Carolina House for six weeks but we took him out. The place is great for persons that could still do pretty much for themselves. It was nice and clean and the workers were nice. For someone who had issues with balance and was not able to get up and down or move around, there was just not enough assistance. Even though they charge you based on the assessment, they don’t really give that much extra time. He needed someone every time he tried to get up and he fell several times. I took him out because they would not allow side bed rails and he rolled out the bed constantly. They also have a dementia unit and I viewed it. They have around 20 patients in that unit; they only have two workers and they still wouldn’t let me use the bed rails there.

Provider Response

Caring8619

My mom was at Carolina House and it was small but all her things fit there. I had not tried the food there. It would be better if the staff paid more attention to the residents.

MariaMaria

I visited this facility to see if it would be good for my ailing aunt. I found that this facility was a great place for my aunt because they had great services, great staff, and a pleasant place. I felt comfortable about leaving my aunt there. I found there staff to be very caring, empathic, and easy to relate to. My aunt has been ailing and needs help since I can no longer take time off from work, and she does not want a home health aid. She does not want to be at home with just the home health aid, she would rather be in this facility. The amenities were great and much better than the other places I had seen. The Carolina house of Greenville was clean, quiet and had a great environment, it would be a great place for my aunt to spend the rest of her days. From what I have seen, I would recommend this place for anyone looking for someone who needs an assisting living provider.

Doug

What impressed me about this facility was the concerns of the staff members on medical assistants. A lot of the residents at this assisted living facility can do for themselves, but from the conversation with one of the staff members, they are ready 24/7 to deliver a high quality professional help support to assist on any issue. When i was walking down the hallway i saw a resident dancing to a music video that was on TV. It made me feel good to see someone of that age dance just as good as me and I'm 25 years old. Even though the facility mostly have older residents, I can tell that they still have a long life a head of them.