Westmont Living

[Name removed] and [name removed] were very informative and pleasant. Outdoor and open spaces were very nice. Meeting/activity areas plentiful. Somewhat limited choice of meals. Very spread out requiring lots of walking to get to restaurant etc. 1 bedroom apt was adequate, but the "studio" was a joke. More like an extended hallway into a smallish bed area. No room for a sofa or other sitting area. Limited closet space. Pricing started off at a fair price but the costs quickly escalated for each and every "option" for service.

I felt that Westmont Living was too large for my father and I was concerned about the care in the Memory Unit. I felt it was geared more towards Independent and Assisted Living. The cost was also a concern for me, as your loved ones care and the needs for that care would determine the cost of their stay there as well. I was also concerned because I would have had to furnish my dad's room and many of his daily amenities as well. It was clean and nice just too big.

My loved one has been living here for several years and it has changed considerably during this time. Although it was wonderful at first, it has gone downhill in several areas. The worst aspect is the food service. They do not consider the dietary needs of seniors and what they serve is completely lacking in nutritional value. Most often the entrees are fried and the vegetables (except for the salad bar) are rarely fresh. Everything is purchased from a food service, and probably a cheap one at that. The food is awful and frequently inedible. The apartments are lovely but the cleaning service is overworked and probably underpaid. The staff is continuously changing; which is extremely confusing and upsetting to the residents. The activities are uneven: they recently began some exercise classes, which my loved one really appreciates, but they have little in the way of anything intellectually stimulating. Recently they cut down on the mindless craft activities (think: kindergarten) and began offering more movies, but the residents have taken it upon themselves to form discussion groups. There is no care. My understanding is that the most the on-site person can do is a blood pressure reading--s/he is not even a nurse practitioner. If anything feels wrong, they offer to call an ambulance. The furniture and many of the doors are heavy, showing a lack of consideration for seniors' lack of strength. They used to have round-the-clock staffing, but that has disappeared as they continue to cut expenses. On the plus side, they have a wonderful library, lots of card games are organized, and sometimes there are musical activities. There is a nice fitness center and an indoor pool, as well as an on-site hairdresser (very 1950s) and manicurist (much more expensive than the local nail shops). If you can live with the horrible food and don't require much in the way of care, it is not a bad place. But the price is pretty steep and the transportation they provide is only to prescribed locations, which limits the possibilities for those who don't drive.

Pros: A very new facility with spacious rooms and some nice amenities including a comfortable movie screening-room with daily movies. Well-designed (walker-friendly) bathrooms and kitchenettes. Convenient to local shopping. Nice views from second-story rooms. Cons: Understaffed, with unusually high staff turnover. Food quality of rotating menu reported to be frequently unsatisfactory. Management (except for the Activities Director) seems very disengaged, hard to get in touch with. Having elevators only in one corner of the building is an unfortunate design choice, given that many residents are mobility-impaired.

It is really clean there. He is really happy at this facility. The food is really great which is why we switched him here.

Sold to a "for profit" company last year. Rates much higher than advertised. Studio Apt. now $2,825.55. Monthly assisted living care is $2,874.35. ($5,647.65 per month). New rooms are nice but older rooms are falling apart. Too much staff turnover, apparently getting cheaper staff is a constant goal. Assisted living residents should only be housed on the first floor! In case of a fire, not enough staff to take disabled/non-ambulatory residents down stairs when elevators are unavailable! 3% rent increase annually! Housekeeping needs to be better and more frequent. When "assessing" resident's needs, some areas and fees overlap so you pay twice. Quality of care decreasing and costs are rising to maximize profits. Sad to see this happening to this facility.

So far they are right in the middle. The room they said would be available wasn't available until a month and a half later. They may have been overly optimistic with their assessment of when it would be ready. Overall the staff is very friendly, and helpful, they seem very attentive. I haven't had any issues with the staff. It's as clean as it can be. I'm a little disappointed that it's taken so long for the room to become available. But other than that, and in the long run, I think I will be very happy with them.

They overlook a lot of things. Even though they’re supposed to be watching over the people there. They neglect things unless it’s brought to their attention – if you want something done, you have to remind them, but then they would do it. The housekeeping staff, in particular, was very lackadaisical.

building is on a steep hill and requires crossing a very busy street to get to shopping.

Very nice staff and beautiful grounds. The only room available was too far from the dining and living area. Felt she would be confused. Room was nice, but carpet in one area was frayed and edging around it was up. Didn't look safe.

Westmont of Brentwood is probably OK for seniors who require an independent living situation or small level of assistance. The facility is clean and well-maintained, and the food is good. However, Westmont is the corporate operator for an independent owner. There have been three executive directors in a year, although the current director is very good and committed. On the care side, much leaves to be desired if the resident is moderately impaired mentally or physically. Family members should carefully understand how much authority and trust they are giving the facility for medical and care decisions. Personal care assistants are minimally trained and turnover in staff is frequent. Medical technicians also receive little training, but have the authority to contact the residents' medical providers without the knowledge of the family. Ambulances are called for minor falls and illnesses, resulting in unnecessary emergency room visits, increasing the stress and costs on the families. Once at the hospital, the resident is on their own to figure out how to get home.

Communication with administrative staff is abysmal. They do not return phone calls or emails. They have difficulty keeping staff. But the facility is clean and well kept. The service staff and the front desk staff are fantastic. The recommendation for pine park medical was not beneficial to my parents' health. But, the medical response staff is terrific. They've had a difficult time keeping g a chef, the dining rules are somewhat confusing, and the food is often only mediocre. They have few activities focused for men, and very few for those who are visually impaired. But they are constantly trying to improve. My parents have been happy here. There are some concerns about assisted living pricing and services, but overall it's been a positive experience

The care staff really does care and tries but the lack of good, supportive management works against their efforts.

Since moving here we have had services reduced and fees added on in addition to rent increases above the cost of living. The latest fees being added are landscaping charges and trash pick up. The reason we moved into senior living is to reduce our overhead and stress. Instead, we are being accessed with added fees every year we live here with reduced returns. The middle management is friendly, but the ownership does not seem to care about anything except the dollar. Do not believe everything you see on their website. Hiking trails are maintained by the residents, not Westmont. Same with the Dog Park.

We have been very disappointed in this facility. There is no transportation available which has caused a lot of problems. The food is inedible and both my parents have lost a lot of weight. A care giver hit my father but was not fired. I would move them out but it would be a very difficult task.

Overall the Westmont of PInole community sold us on care they are not providing. Poor food and understaffed. I would not recommend to others based on the experience we had with them.

I felt very sad for mom, staff would just sit on their cell phones staring and when asked a question would act put out. Nurses like [name removed] were amazing though. So lovely and just a warm person. And the woman who worked at the salon went above and beyond for mom Mom was hospitalized for 3 days and nobody from The Oaks ever called to tell me. I was sick myself so didn't know. Stephanie Sanchez was condescending and mostly unreachable. At moms new place I'm constantly informed of what's going on and with kindness. They also left foul diapers in mom's closet and when asked to remove it was the same rolling eyes of the staff. Just not what I was expecting for [fee removed] a month. We have lived here for over 30 years and I have made sure to spread the word about The Oaks

There is no internet or signal when it's windy which is most of the time. The food served is too spicy. There is a bad selection of activities and they rarely add requests. Good/helpful front desk staff members. There is NO view of the ocean so false name. I would tell others to go visit it first and ask to see the activities list. It is hard to get to know other residents there.

I did a lot of research with my mother to find her this location. The building is nice and for the most part the staff is quite good. Unfortunately, the food service has been extremely disappointing for her. In the 2 1/2 months she’s been there they’ve lost their chef as well as other key parts of their kitchen staff. Instead of table service, it’s often Buffet. This would be occasionally workable, they have run out of food periodically and the quality of the food has been poor. Tough chicken, dried out ham and small portions have become the norm. Many of her neighbors have taken to cooking their own meals and she orders from grocery stores for supplemental snacks. Needless to say in an aged community, the dining experience is a big part of the experience for meeting new people and staying active. Westmont knows this, they sold their kitchen skills and dining experience as a big plus. So far, it’s not! After 2 1/2 months she’s just now able to schedule a meeting for PT.

The sales person made it sound why better than what we've experienced. The benefit was they have their own medical team and a skilled nurse facility.Find another facility. I wouldn't recommend anyone.