Benchmark Senior Living

When we first walked in there was an aid just sitting around on a sofa. When she saw me walking with the sales person she ran up and ran away. The place was clean but the residents did not look happy. When I asked one if she liked it there she said yes. The rooms are ok. I ididnt hear the staff call any of the residents by their names. The staff are trained monthly. They do their own inspection once a year. In addition to the state health inspection. The sales woman said the the care givers /resident ratio was above state standards. I then asked if and what were the state standards and she didn’t know. I pretty sure Massachusetts doesn’t have state standards.

The assisted living area of this community is wonderful. The people I met were nice and knowledgable. The memory care unit was not what we were looking for as it seemed dark, tight and not as clean.

The person we met that was supposed to take us on tour was very prickly. When they found out about our finances she was not willing to even show us around. This community is more expensive than what we were looking for and they turned us away.

Nice environment - expensive apartments - one bedroom is very small.

The community was clean and the staff I met were friendly and helpful. This community is a little more expensive than what we were looking for. They do charge a fee for each service the resident needs.

We found that though Bay Square was very nice it was just too much like the current living situation. We really need to have more focus on dealling with memory care and we did not like the Harbor area as much as at Avida. Plus the tour guide was not as informed about our situation so the experience was just OK.

[Removed] was very very helpful. No openings at this time. Smaller units however like there level of care they offer.

[Removed] was very informative. I liked the facility and the level of nursing care they offer.

As I drove into the community I from the main road, the sign is broken and in need of repair. When I toured the community I didn't like it as much. It was not comparable to another community I also toured. I also observed and could tell they had a new manager that is inexperienced.

My brother is still adjusting to this community, but we do feel he is in a high quality community. It is a work in progress due to his condition, but they are taking good care of him, and his needs. A place for mom was great with directing us in the right direction.

I wish this community was a more upfront about the level of care that were able to provide my sister in law. I do not feel she is getting the level of care she needs. Every time I bring up my concerns, they give me plenty of excuses. She has only been showered 3 times since her move. I feel this is an independent community, or for someone who doesn't require much care. It is a good community. The staff is kind and helpful. This is a nice community, but not the one for my sister in law and her needs.

I toured this community for my mother and her needs. The tour went well, and everyone was very kind. The community looked neat and tidy. The staff was very nice. The issue I had was the memory care. It felt very cowered. I would felt comfortable with my mother living in the tight space like that. It was a good experience, but not the community for us.

I was not impressed with this community. They start the resident off in assisted living and then move them to memory care. The staff I met were nice, however they did not seem very acute to my mother's care needs during the evaluation. It seemed like they forced all the residents to participate in the activities.

The staff here was really nice and helpful. I really liked the tour. I just felt like the place was an institution. It felt like a nursing home and not like a home for my family. The community did look nice and kept up though.

This is a nice community. The staff is friendly, but they do not follow up on family information. My mom has had to wait for medication. They do offer good activities for those who want to participate. I would advise other families to look into other locations.

This is a nice community. The staff is nice and caring. The food seems to be appealing. A little more communication is needed with the staff members where they discuss things with each other. Activities are offered. I would over all recommend this community.

The Village at Brookfield Common was a very nice community and had a beautiful setting. They offered many activities and transportation for activities. The staff that gave me the tour were very informative and addressed all of my concerns. I was offered a small sample of food and it was enjoyable. This community was not the right fight for my wife because we required twenty four hours nursing care.

The Benchmark Senior Living at Ridgefield Crossings was a nice community. It was decently clean and well kept. The staff were friendly and answered all of my questions. The residents seemed to be busy interacting with the activities offered. We would consider Benchmark if the time comes for my loved one to move into assisted living.

Most of these folks are correct in their criticisms. The apartments are cheap. The cabinets and kitchen layout pathetic. Few need such a large kitchen, but if it is going to exist, it should be of descent quality. The carpeting is cheap and marks easily. The fake wood floor in the entry area/kitchen is ugly (it looks old and worn although they tell us it is new) and doesn't clean up easily. At least it is slip-proof. The bathroom is not well planned and aging in such a bathroom will be difficult. The shower is a joke. No place to put soap, shampoo, bath sponge or washcloth, or anything unless you put it on the seat in the shower. The shower-head is not handicapped accessible. It can barely be reached although it is supposed to be able to be hand-held. The exterior deck is not maintained unless you complain that it is dirty. Then eventually someone comes to clean it. The facility itself is fairly well maintained unless you use the back stairs which are not cleaned very often. The very best part of this place is the layout of the facility, the plan. Most of the places we looked at had narrow corridors. These are wide and brightly lit. Very friendly as opposed to cavernous. There are no bends and turns- everything is directly off the central atrium where the lobby is on the 1st floor and the dining on the second. There is lots of light so the atmosphere is heads-up over the competition. The staff is great on an individual level but the coordination within each grouping is horrible and the organization between departments (areas under one person's supervision) is terrible. The structure is so obtuse that it is impossible for family members to really understand the chain of command. What is needed for family members is a clear guide to "which group does what and who" in that group is responsible for specific tasks. The information supplied during the sales pitch is misleading as someone else pointed out. We had specifically asked if there were a lot of outside caregivers coming in and were told that most care and everything else is supplied in-house. NOT true by a long shot. Keep an eye on your bill. You'll see lots of family members complaining about the charges/overcharges. The other comment about lack of imagination in resident programming is very true and it seems that bingo is the fall-back activity. There is a lot to do there but it gets tiresome and most activities are not very stimulating. More trips and stimulating activities are much needed. The atmosphere is great and the air is clear as the place in near the shore. The grounds are lovely but it would be nice if there were footpaths with benches so the residents didn't have to walk on the street. The footpath leading to the road to the beach has an enormous chasm in the middle of it, so forget going down without supervision or using a roller, walker, or wheelchair. If you plan to send your "loved one" as they call your family member, be aware that you have to either get really involved to help organize the care or just give up and sit back and let things be what they will be... Many families have experienced the same billing problems and in general have the same complaints about organization and structural problems with the administration as we have experienced so I know we are not unique in our disappointments. Nonetheless our family member seems happy enough and this is the only place we looked at that had people roaming around, sitting together, talking together- the best for this we think of all the places that we considered.

This is a nice community,and they are caring for my mother in law very well. We do have minor concerns, but we do have family meetings with the staff to resolve issues we have. They are doing very good job caring for her, but I do wish their responsive time was better. The staff is very caring and helpful. The food is pretty good. We know she is safe and in good hands. I would recommend it.