Discovery Village At The West End

My mother has been a resident at Discovery Village for over 2 years. She initially moved into an Independent Living apartment after losing her husband of 67 years. Her experience there was quite positive but after a year and a detailed assessment, it was decided jointly by the staff and family that Memory Care would better meet her needs as she was declining both physically and mentally. Of course, we were apprehensive about another big lifestyle change but, yet again, the staff made the transition seamless. Her mental status has continued to decline which has been extremely difficult during Covid and physically she's had numerous challenges. As we have been unable to have live visits, the staff has bent over backwards to accommodate our window visits every time we've asked. Not only that, they have provided her with an immeasurable degree of love and compassion when we, as family, could not. I am a registered nurse and have been a health care provider for many years. Therefore, I view things through a healthcare lens as well as a family lens. As a result, I have NOTHING but praise for her level of care. They love her, they truly love her. She is comfortable, at peace and all of her needs are being met, physically and emotionally. The staff is responsive, communicative and respectful. Regina Trent, the director, goes the extra mile for each and every resident. My siblings and I feel comfortable reaching out to her and know we'll get an immediate response and resolution to any of our concerns. Mother is also in hospice care. The hospice nurse, Crystal, has a strong relationship with Mother and communicates closely with the Discovery staff. She is also extremely loving, caring and keeps close tabs on any changes in Mother's overall health status. It is the very best of collaborative care. We have never regretted our decision to place our mother at Discovery Village. As an organization, they have shown their metal during these unprecedented times and we will be forever grateful. We highly recommend Discovery Village!!!!

See below for an additional thoughts. My mother is at the end of her life and below is a letter I wrote to the director.

As I reflect on my mother's journey from eight months in Independent Living to two years in Memory Care, I have nothing but praise and gratitude. I am a Registered Nurse and view things through two lenses, one as a health care provider and the other as a family member. I honestly choke up when I reflect on the degree of care and compassion delivered by Regina and her team. As I watched Mary tend to Mother's most personal needs yesterday, I commented on her tenderness. Her answer to me was simply, "I treat them like they're my own!" Again, it brought me to tears.

As a family, we feel so blessed and thankful regarding our experience at DV. We have no regrets and know the relationships and friendships we've developed will last a lifetime. Not only has Mom been cared for, but she has been deeply loved. There are simply not enough words to express our gratitude. We will hands down recommend DV to anyone who asks! Regina's phrase that we're in the journey together could not be more poignant.
Thank you,
Mary Carter Dabney (and the entire Pettit family)

Re: My mother has been a resi ... Discovery Village At The West End replied on Tuesday, January 12th 2021

Thank you for your five-star review, Mary. We are so happy your mother is happy and thriving in our community.

Sorry this isn't working out…for residents or employees.
Resident is sold on the place and loves her apt. Employees are not thrilled to be there. That's bothersome.

Re: Sorry this isn't working ... Discovery Village At The West End replied on Saturday, May 22nd 2021

We are sorry to hear this has been your experience. We strive to have the best team members around, so we find this bothersome too. Please contact our corporate headquarters in Bonita Springs, FL as we would like to further understand your situation.

Some of the staff and management are rude to the residents and their families. They do not seem to care for the residents. I caught the nurses, on more than one occasion, giving my mother incorrect medicine doses, which is criminal. The food is terrible, often cold and lacking taste.

Re: Some of the staff and man ... Discovery Village At The West End replied on Thursday, January 21st 2021

We are sorry to hear this was your experience. Please reach out to our corporate HR department so that we may further understand the situation. We strive to employ the best team members because resident care and satisfaction are our top priorities.

My 94 year old mom has lived at four assisted living facilities. Even with the pandemic, the staff at Discovery Village has made her happier and safer than any of the others. Every encounter with management, sales, care and the front desk have always been positive. i used to visit her every day at another facility that shut down at the beginning of the corona virus. During these times that I have not been able to visit my mom in the faculty, I feel so lucky my mom is in such good hands. I love the care, respect and kindness that my mom receives from the excellent workers at Discovery Village.

Re: My 94 year old mom has li ... Discovery Village At The West End replied on Tuesday, January 12th 2021

Thank you for your review, Mark! We believe our team members are the best is the business and are so thrilled that your mother has found her new home here with us.

After my mother's one month stay at a rehabilitation center, I knew exactly what I didn't want in a long term living facility for her. I was very impressed after I toured the Memory Care Facility at Discovery Village. Their staff is kind, caring, compassionate and they treat each resident as if they were their own family. The facility is clean, comfortable and easy to navigate for my mother who suffers from dementia. The seasonal décor in the Memory Care facility is bright and cheery, the calendar is packed full of stimulating activities and the staff goes above and beyond to take the best care of their residents. I couldn't be happier that my mother is at Discovery Village. She has been there almost a year now and I can't say enough positive things about the care team. It is not only their job – it is obvious it is their true passion.

Re: After my mother's one mon ... Discovery Village At The West End replied on Tuesday, January 12th 2021

Thank you so much for your 5-star review. It is our pledge to make every day exciting for each of our residents. We are thrilled that your mother has found is happy in her new home.

(continued from w.n.strauss review)
The staff members themselves were, most of them, very kind, very caring, but not very involved. They were also VERY OVER-WORKED and VERY UNDER-STAFFED and VERY UNDER_SUPPORTED. These failures were a result of upper management. They were not the fault of this particular residence. There was one CNA who was occasionally inappropriate; confiding information that she should not be sharing with patient families, she was often rude, short and even verbally abusive to residents,( She was eventually let go). One male nurse thought it appropriate to date the daughter of a resident, another felt it appropriate to date the grand-daughter of a resident.
The night shift does the resident's laundry. Either they do not care about the residents clothing, bedding and towels, or they simply do not know how to do laundry. In addition to ruining towels and clothing with lousy, careless laundering practice, they frequently lose or confuse one resident's items with another's.
Also, rooms are often left unattended. Things go missing-
The management and administration changed many times in the two years, five months that my mother lived at Discovery Village. In August 2019, the administration changed again. I believe that, this time the changes were for the better, although a personal tragedy in October 2019, and the closing of the facility to visitors due to COVID-19 in March of 2020 kept me from getting the chance to make any significant observations as to what changes there were due to the new administrator, Ms. Regina Trent. The biggest difference that I observed was that the parking situation had gotten better. There were more parking spaces in the visitor parking area due to Ms. Trent enforcing the company policy that the spaces in front of the building were not for staff to park in! I can say that my mother's room was being kept cleaner, although the problems with the laundry continued. I wish I could say more on her behalf, but I just didn't get the chance to really observe what the differences were. Regina did seem very concerned and was very willing to listen to any concerns that I brought to her, and just as willing to act on those concerns. Regina also fought tooth and nail to do her best with the COVID-19 crisis. She and Jennie may have what it takes to turn the place around.
The one thing that needs to be done, can't be done until the top management begins to care more about the residents than they do about yearly bonuses and stock-holders! There needs to be more staff members on the unit to provide a more personalized experience for the residents. The staff needs better pay. This is a hard job, and sometimes a very thankless one. People suffering from dementia can be difficult to work with. It is hard to remain dedicated when your patients are often angry, confused, depressed… The job has a high "burn-out" rate, and a high staff turnover rate. It is impossible to provide a consistently excellent experience if the staff changes every quarter. The upper management in the Boynton Beach, Florida offices needs to provide more competitive pay rates, and show more concern for the mental well being of their CNA's, LPN's, and RN's.
All in all, I rate the Memory Care Unit of Discovery Village at the West End with 2.5 for being a clean, well kept, airy, nice looking facility with okay food; and because most of the staff is very kind and very concerned. I would rate it at 2.5 stars if I were able. Most of the failures are due to corporate greed. Perhaps if Mr. Richard J Hutchinson, (CEO), Mr. Thomas J Costello, (CFO), Mr. Bill Sciortino, (COO), and the other various officers, Presidents and Vice Presidents, were willing to take a significant decrease in pay and use that money to take better care of the unit staff of each residence, Discovery Village might live up to its internet braggadocio! Until then, this "Luxury Senior Living" is no better than Medicaid Facilities!

Re: (continued from w.n.strau ... Discovery Village At The West End replied on Tuesday, January 12th 2021

We are sorry that this was your experience. We strive to provide the best experience in lifestyle and care for each of our residents. Please contact our corporate headquarters so that we may further understand the situation.

(cont. from w.n.strauss review)

(The staffing was also of great concern and disappointment. Discovery Village is a private institution. This chain of Independent and Assisted living facilities its site on Google claims it is "Upscale Senior Living." As I stated above- the facility is quite nice, but that is where it ends. When my daughter and I went on our tour of Discovery Village, one of the first questions we asked was "what is the staff to resident ratio?" We were told at that time that the ratio was better than the "state minimum" of "1 staff member per 5 residents," and that it was closer to "1 staff member to 3 residents." This was not the case! In fact, the "1 staff member per 5 residents" isn't quite the case either! That number can be "doctored" by counting the staff members that "float" from one unit to the next- the Registered Nurse that gives out the medication, (for instance), and perhaps another staff member. Oftentimes, when my daughter and/or I would visit, there would be only two or three staff members actually On the unit at any one time.
To help balance this a tiny bit, we were introduced to a company that does "hospice care." (That is a whole 'nother ball of wax and a completely different review.) A nurse, or CNA, (Certified Nursing Assistant), would visit my mother twice a week for fifteen to thirty minutes. She/he would help bathe my mother and would keep track of bumps and bruises, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, etc. There were many bumps and bruises and some of them were rather severe.
The worst of it was that there was NO REAL SUPPORT for physical therapy and rehabilitation. This is not only a problem with Discovery Village, but a problem with our medical practices concerning the elderly and Medicare itself. If Discovery Village had more staff on hand, then perhaps they could help follow up with physical therapy etc. When my mother was released from the rehabilitation facility, she was walking with the help of a walker. Because there weren't enough staff members, and because the staff members that were there were too lazy- there was no follow through with my mother's physical therapy even though she continued receiving physical, occupational and speech therapy for a few months longer after moving into Discovery Village.
I often observed staff members sitting in the back of the common room, doing a lot of nothing- watching television with the residents, talking amongst themselves, or staring down at cell phone screens. Had they taken the time to walk with my mother for ten to twenty minutes per day, my mother's quality of life would have been significantly better. Instead, due to the lack of physical support, my mother, who had played tennis twice a week, every week until the previous year, who went on walks once a week, who volunteered every week- wound up wheelchair bound, due to a lack of staffing and a lack of caring.

Discovery Village Reviews: Part 1 of 3

I will be reviewing the Memory Care Unit at Discovery Village in the West End, (of Richmond, VA), where my mother lived for the past 2 years.
Overall, I was extremely disappointed with Discovery Village in the West End.
The parking lot for visitors is small. There are only four spaces for handicapped parking, and oftentimes, nurses and staff park in the front parking lot which is meant for visitors. I asked for help with this matter several times. Of course, with COVID-19, parking isn't an issue, but expect it to be so once things return to normal.
The facility itself was very pleasant looking and well kept. The entry is a long, covered porch with benches and rocking chairs, and when weather permitted, residents would sit outside. There were two courtyards: one being an outdoor kitchen/BBQ area with lovely picnic tables that have umbrellas in the center. The second courtyard is in the Memory Care side and is closed in on all three sides. There are two tables, two benches, several chairs and lovely rhododendron and cheerful Gerber daisies! The lobby and common rooms were clean and had no discernable odors. The furniture was in good condition. The common areas were well lit and airy. There are windows everywhere, letting the sun in. Every room has a window, whether facing outward and away from the facility, or inward towards one of the courtyards. Both dining rooms are quite nice, however, the main dining room on the Assisted Care side is the nicer of the two since there are fewer logistics involved with the dining experience on that side of the building. (With COVID-19 there are some minor concerns about the entry way: There are tables in the hallway, {on which packages and mail are being left}, to the lobby which could, in the event of a fire or emergency, hinder egress from the building!)
The food was okay. It is institutionalized food- pretty much the same as cafeteria food anywhere. In the main dining room, (on the Assisted Living side) there were more choices as to what one could eat, including a burger which was pretty good!
The worst concern/problem that I faced was with the doctors prescribing unnecessary medications!!! I had to take my mother to a dentist appointment and took a copy of her medications with me. I kept that copy and looked up the various medications on my own later in the day. Most of them I knew about and understood, but one of the doctors that visited patients at Discovery Village on a weekly basis had prescribed a new medication for bladder control. One of the most common side effects of this medication is "confusion and short-term memory loss." My mother never had a problem with her bladder if she went to the bathroom on a regular basis. I had informed the nurses of her toileting schedule when we moved Mom into Discovery Village. When I asked about it, I was told that the doctors prescribed this for ALL residents. This was a matter of making it easier for the staff. This way, the staff doesn't have to take the resident to the bathroom as often, they don't have to clean up occasional accidents, although most of the resident's wear adult diapers.
I insisted that they stop giving my mother this medication and instead take the additional time and energy to take her to the bathroom more regularly. Once they did take her off the medication, there was a marked difference in my mother's awareness. She was less confused, and her memory, while still significantly changed, was so much better than it had been!
I WOULD STRONGLY ADVISE FAMILY MEMBERS OF RESIDENTS OF DISCOVERY VILLAGE TO CHECK YOUR LOVED ONES MEDICATIONS ONCE MONTHLY AND CONSULT WITH THEIR PREVIOUS PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN AND PHARMACIST AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE MEDICATION YOUR LOVED ONE IS TAKING IS THE RIGHT MEDICATION FOR THEM TO TAKE!!! Please note that it is extremely important to educate yourself and to supervise your parent's/loved one's care while they are institutionalized!!

I'm a new associate at this community and everyone has been so welcoming and kind! The residents are active and very engaged in the community. We ask for their input and ideas, and the staff work closely with the Resident Council to help make improvements. The team is always positive, helpful, and caring when it comes to the community and the residents. I am proud to work for Discovery Village!

Re: I'm a new associate at th ... Discovery Village At The West End replied on Thursday, October 29th 2020

Thank you for your review! We are happy that both our residents and team members think Discovery Village At The West End is a great place to live and to work.

Preslie Mauk opted not to leave a text review of Discovery Village At The West End