Wingate Residences at Needham

The entire staff at Wingate Residence at Needham is absolutely fantastic. As you walk in the door you are greeted by Nina at the desk who makes you feel welcome and she also has all the answers to any questions you may have. Then to the Neighborhood where the entire staff starting at the top is Jose the director where he sets the upbeat tone which is carried through with Ali, Freddy Abby and the entire caregivers, and nursing staff. As a family member I am always amazed and comforted by the individual attention to each resident and the happy and well cared for our loved one’s. Thank you and 5 stars are not enough.

This review is long overdue. My mother-in-law (MIL) lived in the Wingate at Needham "neighborhood" for almost one and one-half years during the difficult period after her husband suddenly passed away and her sister soon after. We knew that she could not live alone due to advancing dementia, and that being home with round-the-clock, (sometimes unreliable) care would be the wrong choice for a very vibrant, social person in need of companionship, supervision, and stimulation. We also live out of state and there are very few people left in MIL's home town of Newton, MA. I can't say enough good things about the Wingate Memory Care Unit. We will always be grateful to the Executive Director, Sara Rizzari, for her flexibility in working with our family to help us arrange: first respite care, then permanent housing, then the transition from Wingate to a memory care unit 8 minutes from our home. We are especially grateful for the ever optimistic, joyful, compassionate, and capable Jose Soto, all of his staff (special shout-out to Ally), nursing staff, and kitchen staff for taking such excellent physical, spiritual, and social care of MIL. Especially living out of state, we did not worry about MIL's care and well-being until such time as we could move her close to home. When we visited, MIL always looked happy, healthy and engaged. She truly was able to live a high-quality life at Wingate. Thanks to all. Recommend without reservation!

I am very disappointed with what I witnessed at this facility during breakfast in the dining area. A staff member named Ketly was speaking to another staff member in a disrespectful and aggressive way — raising her voice and humiliating her in front of the residents. This kind of behavior is completely unacceptable and unprofessional, especially in a place that is supposed to care for elderly individuals with dignity and respect. No one, staff or resident, should be exposed to that kind of tension. The atmosphere in an assisted living facility should be calm, kind, and supportive. What I observed was the opposite and left a very negative impression. I hope management addresses this issue seriously, but based on what I saw, I cannot recommend this facility at this time.

Communication is the key in any successful relationship, and in the case with the Wingate staff, they exceeded my expectations in communicating with me about my sister‘s adjustment and her challenges and successes in adjusting to a memory care facility. Jose and his dedicated staff are upbeat, compassionate and empathetic when interacting with me and my sister. What I am most impressed with, is that when things don’t go smoothly for my sister, the staff, including the nursing staff are willing to work with me to find solutions to ease my mind and to help my sister be more comfortable. Their knowledge base regarding dementia is outstanding and most importantly I trust them.

I moved my mother here 2 months ago (April 2023). Everything that I was told (and then some) were all true. The place is beautiful, clean, staff is wonderful, there are tons of activities, and the residents are friendly and welcomed my mom with open arms. On her first day of living there, Amy had arranged a lunch crew for my mom so she immediately had a group of residents to talk with to ease the transition. Anyway, I could not be happier with my choice of Wingate as my mother is very happy and (surprisingly) adapted very quickly to the Wingate Community. -CF