Woodside Senior Living

Cynthia

Brookdale Springfield Woodside's food was good. They had ice cream socials, games, shopping, and sightseeing tours on a bus. They also had lunches out. The rooms were all satisfactory. They had studios and one-bedrooms. They were all nice and well-maintained.

Bob

The lady who runs Brookdale Springfield Woodside was very nice. It looked like there were really nice grounds outside. The dining room was spacious and clean. The staff seemed very quiet and efficient.

Kenny3

Brookdale Springfield Woodside (Formerly Emeritus at Springfield) was fine. The food was fine as well. Keeping the room clean was not there. They were also not clear about the cost. We went from $3600 a month to over $4000 a month. They may have addressed some things with the new ownership.

CindyC.

My parents have been in Woodside for 5 months. I was so very relieved after visiting for several weeks this summer. I was very happy with staff and the over all condition of the facility. They were in an adult foster home for a month prior to going to Woodside. They were not happy and were not treated well at all in the foster home, so I was very happy to see how well they were doing. It was a BIG relief to know they were well treated and cared for. I have nothing but great appreciation for all the staff. Thank you for taking such good care of my parents and all your smiling faces.

oregondaughter

It's still a nice place to live, but the Woodside has been having some concerning staffing problems since Brookdale took over. My family was not aware of the impending Brookdale/Emeritus merger when we were shopping for an assisted living apartment. I was optimistic, but within a few months of the official transition, the Woodside had lost or let go many of the wonderful, caring employees who were there when my parent first moved in. I've noticed a large amount of job postings for the Woodside and other former Emeritus locations since then. Directors and management were some of the first to go, as is often the case with a merger. However, drastic changes in shifts, hours worked, positions, tasks, workloads, and policies were apparent, even to the casual visitor, and didn't seem to set well with employees. In general, the staff seems rushed, over tasked, and frustrated, whereas they seemed pretty happy and had more time to spend with residents before. I can tell that they're caring people who are trying to make the best of it and stay cheery around the residents, but they are being stretched pretty thin. They are always very friendly and accommodating when I visit, there's just an underlying tension. Residents complain (more than usual for older folks) about the steady stream of new staff, their constant training, and the increased time it takes to get meals, laundry, assistance, and medications when staff leave abruptly. Many of the residents have memory issues like my parent, and have lost the comfort of having familiar faces who who know about their individual needs helping them. Even the nursing and med tech staff turns over frequently, so they don't know much about my parent's medical situation at any given time. I have to repeat a lot of information. I remind them of upcoming appointments just prior to the time because the staff I made the arrangements with are often not there, and no one else knows what's going on. It's difficult to get a slot on Thursdays for them to handle appointment transportation, and we haven't had much luck with them getting my parent ready for a pickup by public transportation, so I always have to come early and accompany. Communication about family events has never been great, so we miss out on activities. Woodside is otherwise a very good facility, well priced for the area, and is generally very clean and pleasant, with a casual environment. They have a lot of fun activities both on and off site. The smaller size makes it easy to get around and get to know people (note that the picture posted here is actually the larger Briarwood building next door). My parent likes the large apartment, and says the food has improved since they got the Brookdale menu and a new head chef a while back. The grounds are pretty and well kept. We plan to stay and weather the storm. I hope Brookdale and the new management can work it out. Transitions are always hard.

A Little Common Sense Please

Extremely frustrating and incompetent staff especially after Brookdale took over. Raised prices twice without 30 day notice, and med staff always waits until last minute for Rx refill reminder. Even when I've asked when meds are low, I get a phone call 2 days later saying meds need refill. There is no protocol for smooth communication with staff whatsoever. Sorry but I absolutely do not recommend.

Provider Response