Sunrise Assisted Living of Shelby Twp.

We were displeased with the aggressive and presumptuous sales tactics of this facility. My husband phoned to ask a number of questions about care for his mother. He spoke with Stevie.The questions were answered, and then written communication followed. The sales person, Stevie, provided a quote that was based upon her assumption of the level of care that would be required; this quote was provided before an assessment was made; thus, it was an estimate based upon the lowest level of care offered by Sunrise...a 'best case'. At no time did my husband communicate an intent to proceed, as he was gathering information on several facilities. The next day, another woman surprised my husband with a phone call saying that they have scheduled his mother's assessment for 1pm that day, please make $3000 payment now. And they can move her in Monday, Inappropriate! First, why would anyone pay for an assessment? It is only after an assessment is made that one can know the price. This is not a normal procedure, and I base that statement upon several experiences with my dad. Second, why would they presume he had chosen Sunrise? It was as though they had an empty room and wanted to snatch her up! We were pretty shocked by this tactic. So, of course he said no. He then wrote an email, again saying no. We then emailed several more questions. Questions were pretty standard stuff .... examples: please send a blank contract, what is the ratio of staff to residents, how often are they check on, what is the shower routine and frequency, etc. They responded by asking that he call to discuss. This gave the impression that they don't want these things to be documented. Needless to say, he removed Sunrise from consideration. The other comment that I will offer is to be careful about being nickel and dimed. For example, if a resident wants their meal brought to their room (and what 98 year old wouldn't?), it'll cost you $10/meal. That's another $900/mo. Also be sure to ask about wifi, cable, phone, furniture, TV mounting. Best wishes on your journey finding a suitable care facility for your loved one. We ended up going with an all inclusive facility nearby for a much lower cost. So far, we are very pleased with our choice.

I interviewed a few places before Sunrise. I was the one made to feel welcome here immediately. *PAY ATTENTION… when choosing that special place for your loved one, DO NOT let them pressure you to sign right away, be adamant you want /have other options to explore AND ask this question!!… “What (not if!) agency do you use”? Watch the face of your facility manager and needing information on the agency first. Or feel at ease knowing Sunrise hires their own staff. No one comes or goes without staff assistance AT the door or you’re issued a keycard because your loved one lives there. I found it so much more, at considerably less and exceeding my expectations. I was positive I made the right choice for my mom without hesitation. I was looking forward to having her ‘apartment’ set up before she arrived. I was given advice since mom had mobility issues combined with dementia that I didn’t think of. My mom took a sudden turn for the worse and before I could so much as put the key in the door she was in hospice. I notified Sunrise. It was sad to hear of her condition but there was genuine care for me and my well being. Not a hint of an agreement just “if you feel the need to talk to someone, we have people here”. I don’t think I would’ve gotten that ‘somewhere else’. This probably isn’t the kind of review you expected. Possibly, it became the review you needed. I wish you the best in this time struggle.

My family was impressed with the level of professionalism, caring, thoughtfulness, understanding and empathy of the entire staff at Sunrise. My father, unfortunately, had a short stay there before his passing, but we felt as if he'd lived there for years, as the staff knew our names almost immediately. We felt comfortable and welcome there everyday. Additionally, we loved the resident dog.

I toured the facility. It was a hard pass for my family member. On the day I toured the memory care had on a show about the passing of Ozzy Osbourne. Just what the elderly need dark, dreary and ominous versus light and airy! Who approves the activities at this place? Who thinks mortality shows are appropriate? How about a craft or a sing a long? Something! Someone at the top should be watching the daily/weekly activities here!

Making the decision to put a loved one in a memory care facility isn’t an easy feat, particularly when you thought they would be coming home from that hospital. However, the people at Sunrise of Shelby made it easy. I had the pleasure of working with Ryan and he put our minds at ease. He said Sunrise’s role was to be the caregivers, giving you all the freedom to be the family. The entire process was seamless, from the paperwork to the move in. The facility is always clean and the staff is the best! I’ll admit, my dad hasn’t been the best patient, but Sunrise didn’t blink an eye, so to speak. They just took care of busy and kept us in the loop, as necessary. The nurse, Physician Assistant, admin, receptionist, caregivers…all great. Plus, Pinky, the resident dog, gets along with our pooch who gets to visit. We can go back to being the family. I would highly recommend checking them out.