Heritage At Gaines Ranch

Moved Mother to assisted living from independent living when she started to need more care. Fighting with these people everyday. If they want to get in touch in with you they send an email. If you email them back a question no response. I am ordering my Mother’s meds instead of them. The person in charge will NOT tell me if my Mother is out of meds. Mother received a wound not from them but it needed tending to. At first they said they would until I got in to see a doctor. Then I was told later they were tending to her wound only as a curtesy and I really needed to get that dr. apt. I got HH for my mother so they would not have to be bothered. HH called to say she would be over 2 – 3 times next week. I told her the orders were for once a day for 7 – 10 days. She said she didnt want to step on any toes at Brookdale. If you complain the executives they act daft and pretend you have lost your mind. Not at Brookdale! Then they spew worth the corporate bs answer out of both sids of their mouth and nothing changes. All of this for $ 5300 a month for a studio, meals and meds. It is frightening. Brookdale is buying up up all of the facilities so there is NO place to go but to them. Be very aware… independent living… might be fine but if your parent moves to assisted living on the second floor visit often and keep your eyes peeled and your ears sharpened.

STAY AWAY FROM THEIR ASSISTED LIVING FLOOR!
My father was a resident on the independent living floor for just under three years and I cannot say enough positive things about his time. With the medical services, such as in home MD visits and 24hr. staff, we were able to keep him happy, safe, and out of hospitals. This says a lot since my father was 89 when he arrived.
However, my family and I were very disappointed as well my father, when we moved him to their assisted living floor. The monthly rate increased approximately $ 2000 and the services were sorely lacking. While he was sufficiently alert and taking his own medication before moving, that was no longer permitted on the assisted living floor. On more then one occasion I found his medication knocked to the floor after being left by the LVN. No one observed him taking them, although the staff documented them being given & taken. His hygienic care was also terrible; he slept in his chair for two months! My sister, my family, and I visited him daily and on more then one occasion found him half clothed and sitting in soiled garments, not to mention the full urinals, trash, etc. left out around his apartment. My family and I complained on multiple occasions to the director and we were met with disbelief, defensiveness and an overwhelming effort to deny any problems with his care. After three months and a very significant decline in his independence we moved him to another facility where he was bathed, shaved, tucked into a real bed, and slept on his last night with us; he died the next morning.

Read Karol M’s review, I cannot add much of anything else. I am thrilled Mom is in such a beautiful place and that she is being cared for with the up most respect. Her memory is slipping a lot and they have taken extra care to work with her cognitive skills. I lived here for 4 days and enjoyed the food, the happy hours, the swims.
When the time comes I only hope that I am lucky enough to find such a nice facility.

People who think living in a retirement center equals heading down to the end of the dusty road need to visit The Heritage at Gaines Ranch. This place looks and operates like an upscale hotel. Just walking into the spacious, beautifully appointed lobby will clue you in that this is no ordinary retirement facility. High ceilings, marble floors, upscale furniture, a fully stocked hard volume library to the left, an extended double living room to the right (complete with a giant tropical fish tank, a posh seating area, and a billiards table), and a great room with a grand piano straight ahead that regularly transforms to host a live music party, or happy hour.
Around the corner to the right is the restaurant, which offers chef-​prepared meals selected from a menu throughout the day. Down the hall past the elevators is the indoor pool, hot tub, and exercise room, and farther down the hall is the deli, beauty salon, and crafts room.
A close relative of mine lived here for four years, and I kept telling him it seemed like he was on permanent vacation at Club Med. I ended up spending a lot of time with him there, it was such a pleasant experience. We always had plenty to do together.
The Heritage offers a packed calendar of classes, day trips, club meetings, parties, and other special events. Most activities are included in the monthly rent, but some cost extra. Four of the five floors consist of independent living apartments, with the other floor being dedicated to residents who require more assistance and want a smaller, quieter environment. That floor has its own dining room and additional activities as well, though residents may choose to eat or attend activities downstairs. They do offer assistance on an a la carte fee basis for residents in the independent living apartments as well.
The staff is overwhelmingly pleasant and treats all residents with extreme care and dignity. At the time my relative was there, they offered residences for independent and assisted living, but not for nursing or dementia care. It was expensive, but not out of line with costs for similar services in the Austin area. And I think it stood head and shoulders above those other places as far as quality and value.