The Watermark at Bellingham

We had a very frustrating experience with The Watermark at Bellingham. I would not recommend to anyone and tell others who are looking to go elsewhere.

I was a resident from 2016 to 2018. Good food - Excellent activities, especially the choir director - Slow maintenance - Poor security.

My family member was taken by ambulance to Paoli Hospital twice, and Bellingham did not notify me either time. How does that even happen? He liked the place, but admittedly, he did not have high expectations. People there were friendly.

Lovely location and very nice people. Rooms are good size, limited closet space, good kitchen, modest bathrooms.

I did not like it. I felt very uncomfortable there.

Nice community. Not as new as some of the others, however they are remodeling and painting in some areas to give it a more modern look. A very historic residence. Have quite a full activity list and residents seem to be busy. They were getting ready for music and a Happy Hour while I was there.

WARNING !! to any family member who has a person in the Park Lane side of Bellingham ! I had to get my mother out via 911 for a fractured leg when the nursing staff and administrators did nothing to help her after several requests. I reported them to the Pa Health Department, so they retaliated with the administrator stating " I am sorry HONEY you are no longer a daughter your a trespasser" when mom came back after three days in the hospital. They had threatened me and my mother prior to this to stop reporting them or "We will make sure you two never see each other again" I even gave them a cease and desist letter the harassment got so bad. When I reported what was going on there they retaliated making empty accusations targeting me . They are mandated by law to report unexplained injuries, they are mandated by state and Federal regulatory law to keep up the standard of care and prevent injury and diminishment but failed to do so so they were cited. They are also mandated by law to allow the resident access to family. This corporation instead of admitting the now cited deficiencies, isolated my mom for three years now and then again INJURED her by spiral fracturing her leg and again in the same pattern and practice not EVEN investigating or reporting it, the hospital had to report it. So even with others reporting them they hold their ground fraudulently calling the targeted family member an EMPTY adjective "disruptive" I was told I had to adhere to their "culture" (while they don't adhere to the law) The Pa Health Department cited them stating " Based upon clinical record review, review of documentation provided by the facility to the State Agency and review of facility policies and procedures, it was determined that the facility failed to implement its policies and procedures regarding injuries of unknown origin for two of two residents reviewed" SO IT WAS NOT JUST MY MOM. I would challenge a cognitive response from this corporate giant to why your "culture" attacks people who report you and does not take inventory on the internal patterns and practices that DID FOREVER HARM my mother and me. In addition how do you plan to return three years of our lives? Your nursing staff went out of their way to cover themselves at the expense of your resident and family. I have called your office and was hung up on MULTIPLE times, is this the "culture" your nursing staff refers to?

If we had known what a difference it would make for my mom's emotional well being, we would have moved her to Bellingham sooner. From the sales staff that helped us to find the perfect apartment to the service staff in the dining room, all have worked daily to make Bellingham my mother's "home"! The residents have all been very warm and welcoming; their ambassadors program is a wonderful way for new residents to get the lay of the land and meet other residents. My mom also really enjoys being seated with different residents at mealtime, which has enabled her to greatly expand her group of friends. Speaking of mealtime, the food is fabulous! While my mom very much enjoys the independence of her own apartment with a full kitchen, she loves that she doesn't have to cook and can just stroll down to the dining room for a good meal (if she's not feeling well she can have dinner delivered to her apartment). We're ecstatic that she's eating better again; proper well-balanced meals. It's also a great relief to know that she's being checked on daily. My mother had many falls in her house due to health problems; falls that left her alone for hours before she could get help. When she had a fall at Bellingham she was quickly attended to and the staff were quick to contact me to alert us to her accident which required hospitalization and several weeks of skilled nursing. Because my mother was a Bellingham resident, she received priority placement for a bed at Parklane (the skilled nursing unit at Bellingham) and the Bellingham staff worked to ensure a smooth transition to and from Parklane. All in all it's been a very good experience thus far at Bellingham, and it's wonderful to see the constant improvements that they are making to their facility.

It looked a little run down and also had a very unpleasant musty smell. One of the residents was walking around in her bare feet and the other residents were just sitting around really doing nothing. The staff was pleasant but I really was not that impressed.

Was ok, rooms a little small, didn't like as much as the others

[Name removed] is a great spokesman who represents the community as a warm caring facility. Found it to be a bit dark, needs more lighting. Well-maintained but hows its age. Personal care dining room seems sad. Very warm, air not effective in some rooms.

We went on a tour here and the staff was nice and very personable. She actually talked with my Aunt. They answered all of our questions. I really liked this place it was very clean. The room was nice and up to date. I would recommend people tour communities before they make a decision.

This was a different community. What I called assisted living was actually considered independent living which as very nice. When we were there they were having "happy hour". Everyone was friendly and it was a nice facility. However the Personal Care (memory care portion to me) was darker, smaller and I didn't care for that portion.

Just a quick note about Dad's stay at Bellingham. Both Park Lane and Brandywine buildings are both very clean, nicely decorated and well maintained. Dad spent the first three weeks in the Park Lane at Bellingham skilled nursing unit after a hospital stay. The care was top notch that Dad received. All of the staff was very professional and friendly. Dad was not feeling well at all when he arrived. The nurses, aides and therapists were all very patient and compassionate with Dad. Often times Dad can be a picky eater but with the many meal choices available he was very happy with his food. The physical and occupational therapists worked very well with Dad and he made great progress during his stay. When Dad was discharged this week for the skilled unit, the nurse explained everything in detail and made the transition smooth to Brandywine assisted living next store. The social work director [Removed] was especially helpful even when she was home on the weekends making herself available to answer questions and help out. We never had the feeling that we had to wait until Monday for an answer to a question. Earlier this week Dad transitioned over to a beautiful apartment in Brandywine assisted living next door. The staff at Brandywine has been great never making us feel pressured during the process. [Removed] were very accommodating with all of our concerns and needs. The maintenance worker AQ is also very friendly. He helped us out when we needed an adjustment or question. When someone told us they would call us back they did as said even on the weekends and evenings. They have made Dad feel very welcome to his new home. I had not heard of Bellingham prior to Dad getting ill a month or so ago. We are so glad we found Bellingham and are looking forward to Dad enjoying his new home.

It has been absolutely perfect since we moved in! Move in was simple and went so much smoother than expected. I especially love that we can go out our sliding patio door to take our dog for a walk on the beautiful property.

I like it very much. I enjoy everything they offer for me. Everything from the meals to the staff are very good.

Loved everything about the place. Very open, spacious and warm. I intend on doing everything I can to help my parents realize how well this facility will fulfill their current needs.

Happy this is my home. Lots of friendly, outgoing staff and residents!

I love Bellingham for many reasons. I love its intimate friendly atmosphere, and the beautiful park like surroundings. The food is excellent and I always enjoy the numerous activities to choose from.

"I love my apartment!" My view is gorgeous. I overlook open park land and love watching all the wildlife, and my cat loves watching all the beautiful birds. Great staff and residents!