Brookdale Asheville Walden Ridge

We are so thankful we found Brookdale. The staff is caring, engaged with the residents, and knowledgeable about health issues. They ensure your loved one is included and comfortable. Staff and caregivers are always available to answer questions, listen to concerns, and you are treated like family.

Our mom has been at this facility for almost 2 years. As difficult as it is for families and residents, Brookdale has worked to make living with this situation as good as it can be. Have there been issues that we needed to address?…Of course. No facility with this type of care is perfect but any time we have addressed a need the nursing staff and or director has responded and tried to correct or help. We have built good relationships with staff and after trying to care for our mom at home which was difficult, we have been very appreciative to all who help with our mom’s care.

Brookdale Asheville Walden Ridge is at the top of the list for care, enrichment, and a safe space for anyone whose family member needs the specialized care for Alzheimer's.  This facility has a small number of residents and a high number of caregivers, allowing for one-on-one interactions, focused care, and enrichment opportunities to maintain a healthy balance of client freedom.  I am a volunteer who spends time speaking with the residents from morning to night.  Each resident has a beautiful story that they may not be able to share due to this debilitating disease that takes their precious memories away.  It is the caregivers who love and nurture these beautiful people when their families cannot be due to location.  I challenge anyone to come and spend a few hours (not just 30 minutes to say you were there for a visit) with the residents to see that their care is outstanding, before passing judgment.  I am appalled at the misleading review below about the condition of the facility. I volunteer because my mother-in-law was an Alzheimer's victim; now my future holds a loving father who is heading down the same road.  I would not hesitate to have my loved one be a part of this community in the future.  Thank you, Brookdale Asheville Walden Ridge, for allowing me to give back, support a forgotten community, and nurture the minds of your residents, who may not work as they once did but still have something to offer.

I would NOT recommend this facility for your loved one due to physical safety concerns and lack of resident care that we witnessed. While very expensive, we were glad to find a place we felt would be socially healthy for Dad. Several of the staff are absolutely wonderful human beings making a difference in the lives of the residents. However, we began noticing that personal hygiene was not even being attempted. For one example, we would leave his toothbrush and toothpaste in very specific ways to see if they moved and they never did indicating no attempt was being made. Our concerns were shared with management but no change was witnessed by us. Next, we began noticing a number of bruises, some quite large and dark, almost entirely on his torso. Researching this, it appears to be quite a strong sign of potential abuse which unfortunately affects about 10% of residents in care facilities is rarely reported. Having taken pictures of the bruises, I brought up my concerns with the Executive Director of the facility. She immediately dismissed my concerns as probably just accidents. This is unlikely as they would likely be numerous on his arms and legs if he was clumsy or imbalanced (he is not either). However, we were told by staff that a newer resident had a history of violence. That resident had come into my dads room and there was some kind of scuffle between them. The director showed absolutely no interest in investigating or preventing bruising and whatever was causing it. When I told her that if she would not look into it, I would ask the state to, she made threats and retaliation (on a voicemail) and warned me that Brookdale is a large corporation that does not deal kindly with threats [of going to the state]. I brought up concerns with Brookdale corporate who seemed to just tell me what they thought I wanted to hear. I have reached back out to them after many weeks for follow up and have heard nothing.

In the most challenging season of a loved one’s life, the family searches relentlessly for a haven offering security and love with assistance and care. Brookdale offers all of these qualities and more. We all love the bright and inviting spaces of sitting and walking, the “outside yet inside” courtyard, the accessible floor plan and the everyday activities planned to encourage uses of senses and skills. The atmosphere is low key, friendly and inviting. Thank you, Brookdale!