Castlemere Senior Homes

Name: Michelle Johnston
Rating: 4
Review: My mother spent about 18 months at Castlemere Senior Homes. Veronica is a lovely person and very communicative and helpful! She works very hard to make sure the home is clean and staffed with competent caregivers. They were especially skilled at medication administration and always greeted us with a smile. The home is bright and airy and the backyard is especially lovely. I was mostly happy with the care provided, but my mom was always put to bed very early (5:30 or 6:00 at night and left completely unattended until about 7:00 or 8:00 in the morning - that is more than 12 hours - which is way too long for any resident. They discouraged using the bathroom at night and relied on diapers which led to constant UTI's for my mom. Ultimately, this schedule proved too problematic for my mom's physical health so I had to move her despite me making repeated requests to have a regular bathroom visit during the night - they only obliged a few times and seemed to make my mom feel guilty about pressing her button to use the bathroom during the night. It was obvious the caregivers, after working during the day, wanted their evenings uninterrupted.) Although my mom had a private room, there is no private bathroom for the residents. The bathroom used by them is inside a shared bedroom down the hall from my mom's private room. There is a private bath in the hallway but that is for caregivers only, which is unfortunate. My mom felt uncomfortable using a bathroom in two other people's bedroom. I also wish there had been more organized activities to keep the residents engaged, of which there was little to none. But, overall, I appreciate Veronica and her staff because they were caring towards my mom. It was just not the right fit. My mom is alert and social and enjoys interaction so perhaps at a different stage of life things would have been better.
Date: 8 months ago