Brookeville House

On December 23, my partner, 83, was moved from the hospital to Brookeville House II in Sunshine, Md. Before his move-in day, we were required to pay three fees: the upfront “community fee” of $6995, a prorated monthly cost for December of $2069.73, and the cost for January, $6995, for a total of $16,059.73. At Brookeville House, my partner’s health declined rapidly. He was sent back to the hospital on Dec. 29. He died there on Dec. 31. The Brookeville House owners refused the request of a partial refund for January, saying that no money that has already been paid is refundable, per the contract. They refused to consider the extenuating circumstances, even though his death meant he had spent only one week in the facility, and had paid in advance for a month when he was not there at all. His one-week stay cost over $16,000. Greed won over compassion.

My family and I have been so happy with our choice of Brookeville House as my mom’s residence for the last year and a half. The staff is so caring and attentive to every resident’s needs. One of the exceptional qualities of Brookeville House that I found other assisted living facilities do not have, is that they have a full-time nurse and part-time physician’s assistant attending to all of the resident’s care on a daily basis. They know every resident intimately and are quick to respond immediately if there are any needs. They call the family immediately to bring them up to speed. The nurse also makes herself completely available to family members and responds quickly to all calls. I visit my mom every day at Brookeville because I am fortunate to live so close. I see firsthand how attentive the med techs and aides are to each of the residents and how they know what each resident would like and need. They get to know each resident and care to make their life as comfortable and enjoyable as possible there. When I see a huge smile from a resident interacting with a caregiver, that warms my heart. They trust the staff and they feel like they are family. The house that my mother is in is a beautiful 4,000 sf home in a lovely neighborhood surrounded by large lawns. The home is decorated beautifully so that the residents feel like they are in their own home. It’s very warm and inviting, and the staff keep it exceptionally clean. I would highly recommend one of the three Brookville House Assisted Living homes to anyone. I don’t usually write recommendations, but I feel so strongly that I wanted others to know what a great place this would be for their loved ones.

Of course deciding to move your parent from their own home into an Assisted Living facility is a difficult one - full of emotional and physical challenges. However, when we visited the Brookeville House after a thorough review of other Assisted Living homes in the area, we felt more at ease making the decision. The home is well taken care, clean and orderly and my Mother's room is spacious and comfortable. The care providers strive to create a relationship with my Mother and they do their best to make her feel at home. I have had the opportunity to stop in unannounced many times and I am always pleased to see that my Mother looks well, has been taken care of and that she is in a safe environment.

Brookeville House allows my mother her independence and privacy, yet the staff are always nearby to assist. Brookeville offers opportunities for our family to participate in her life and feel comfortable knowing she is safe. Thus far, whenever there have been issues, which inevitably there will be, the staff and management has been quick to react. The home is beautiful. I have mentioned to my wife that when it is my time to move into assisted living I would like it to be someplace like this.

I couldn’t be happier about Mom’s new situation! It was tough to move her; but after being at Brookeville House Assisted Living for a month, she became quite content. They go to the library every few weeks and to other nearby events occasionally. There are monthly “Family Nights” where all the relatives of the residents come over for dinner and entertainment. We are welcome to visit any time. The food is great! Evelyn Hiatt, the co-owner, gives me frequent updates by email. She quickly found local doctors who specialize in elder care for Mom and we transferred all of her records to them. Someone from the staff is on-site 24/7. A registered nurse visits regularly and is “on call.” I never knew about assisted living group homes until I visited Brookeville House. For comparison, I looked at others and found them to be cramped and kind of depressing. Brookeville House is beautiful inside and out and is staffed with compassionate employees. I think Mom would have just vegetated in a larger assisted living center. Instead of just staying in her room, she comes down for meals and activities every day. I am confident she is in good hands. I was lucky to find Brookeville House for my mother. I hope I am as lucky when my husband and I need assisted living! Jane Clarke