SYMPHONY AT THE WATERWAYS

My mom loves it there.She has actually thrived.Personal care and friendly employees. She loves Brian.Good food and varied menu.Shes kept busy all day and is hard to reach sometimes. Glad we picked it over the one South on Federal.

My mother lived at Meridian at Waterways in Fort Lauderdale for 2 years. The staff were very friendly and always willing to help. The building is kept clean, the dining room is beautiful. There is a beauty salon on the premises. The terrace overlooking the waterway is comfortable and relaxing. I highly recommend this place.

The staff at The Meridian have been absolutely incredible. Initially, we weren't sure if The Meridian was an option for us, but Tina was wonderfully kind and found a way to make it work. We were in a challenging situation, needing to move my aunt directly from the hospital into assisted living, which required us to move fast. Tina was exceptionally gracious, even letting us use an apartment for a few days until we could get her furniture into her own space. The building itself is beautiful, feeling more like a boutique hotel with truly amazing views. We are so happy because she is so happy! Brian, who manages the activities, is wonderful, he watches out for her and has her help him, which gives her a renewed sense of purpose. I couldn't say enough positive things about The Meridian. For a very independent lady who lived alone for the second half of her life, the fact that she truly feels at home here speaks volumes.

We selected The Meridian because of the lovely dock overlooking the intracoastal and the convenient location. They recently hired new staff members who are making life for the residents better and more fun. The new Activities Director has come up with excellent experiences and goes to get those who might not hear the announcements to encourage them to get out and participate. Bringing in musicians and performers makes the residents so happy. Seeing them sing along, tap their toes, and dance to the music is a joy! Bless all the nurses, doctors, housekeepers, and caregivers. It’s such demanding work and we appreciate them all.

Placing your parents or a special person into a care facility, requires many considerations. Think about how independent they can be and their level of function at home prior to the move. Our parents were doing well at home until a sudden health crisis for my caretaker father required a fast track move after short-term home health care was no longer feasible for them. Anticipate frustration because your loved one(s) were used to a certain lifestyle and likely not prepared for a structured environment. The bottom line is... it's just not easy; but you have to make a decision. After touring many facilities, we selected Meridian at Waterways for my parents. This facility has many unique amenities. We felt the Waterways staff showed desirable synergy and friendly demeanor. Since moving them, my family has visited several times and we continue to meet staff that are very welcoming and upbeat. Several structured events are provided daily with periods of scheduled interaction with staff. An added bonus is waterway views of the intercoastal canal. My parents can watch boat traffic out the windows during unstructured times from several windows in the building. Water taxis and many private boats drift by regularly, which is quite entertaining. In the first 8 months of my parents new stay in the Meridian, the Waterways team has shown good effort and compassion for my folks during their difficult transition from their home and then to extra levels of care. I believe many of the staff care about the residents and try to do what it takes to keep the room neat; and my parents well fed, groomed, dressed and active. Several key people actually try to enrich their lifestyle beyond the standard necessities. There is physical therapy available, nurses to provide support as needed, and an on-call doctor available. Of course they contact hospitals for emergencies. The facility does provide pre-planned transport for patients to doctor's appointments within close radius of the facility, services we've used. We felt in comparison to what we were told other facilities would provide, that Waterways is on par with decent providers. Let's face it, as people age and health declines unanticipated surprises happen. So far, staff have professionally handled setbacks and new needs. If you do your homework and know what to expect, it's unlikely that Meridian at Waterways will disappoint you. Meridian at Waterways handled medical issues that occurred on and off through the first months of my parents move-in satisfactorily. The team did what we would have wanted, as far as, contacting internal or external medical support as needed. If a 4.5 rating was available I'd give it. Yet because I'm not able to visit as often as I'd like, I can't dole out a top score until more time has passed and I have a better handle on my parents well being. As newer residents, they have not adjusted to their changed lifestyle yet, and we know it takes time for them to settle into a different routine. Expect to be proactively involved if you have specific requests, and know it takes a village to get things done, so be patient. Beatrice is amazing and several other staff from all the floors are also very helpful. What prompted me to do a review now was that a special effort was put in to make sure my father got to watch part of the multi-day Masters PGA Golf Tournament after our family requested for it him. Sports on TV is one of the few things our Dad still has left that he really enjoyed at home. Unfortunately because he is no longer able to operate the TV system without assistance, he can't watch TV without help. After coordination with several people in advance, staff turned his TV's on the final day of the tournament & a worker even joined him for a bit to shoot the breeze while he remainiced about the art of golfing. I hope support staff continue to help keep the machine greased, Team morale appears to be good at Meridian Waterways & if they continue to provide excellent service it could definitely be a five star rating next review.