Top 42 Nursing Homes near Bristol, CT

The staff here really makes me at ease. They are tremendously helpful and caring to me and my loved one. My loved one is transitioning very well. The people always keep me informed about anything or any progression that my loved one has made. They also offer a lot of activities. The food is good, but if there is a meal that my loved one does not like the chef will make what my loved one wants.

When I was 13 years old, my mom told me that she never, ever, wanted to be put into a nursing facility and that she was setting up long-term insurance to allow her to stay at home at the end of her life. So, when dementia made that an impossibility, my siblings and I were overcome with guilt and anxiety about how to proceed. The first time I walked into Brookdale Buckingham, my mind was put at ease. The physical environment was as dissimilar as possible from an institution. It was clean, bright, beautiful and inn-like. More important, the emotional environment was warm and nurturing. Our mom has been a resident at Brookdale for 10 months now. Having her there has not only removed the exhausting burden of trying to deal with this heart-breaking disease in her home, but it has removed the guilt and anxiety we felt about her care. Having once worked in the crème de la crème of local nursing homes, and seen some disturbing interactions between aides and patients, I came to the conclusion that any facility is only as loving as the staff on duty. As a dementia-care facility, every single employee at Brookdale Buckingham receives training in understanding and responding to the unique needs and perceptions of dementia patients. I visit our mom regularly and am always comforted to see the caring, patient interaction between staff and residents. Everyone seems aware and current about our mom's status and the staff’s doors are always open to my questions and concerns. Surprisingly, our mom has also thrived on being in a social environment rather than alone at home. While I can’t minimize the heart-wrenching nature of seeing our mom get increasingly lost into her disease, it is an enormous comfort to know that she is receiving the best care we could have imagined. Although the cost of Brookdale is higher than we will be able to manage long-term, we are comforted to know that we are giving her the best care for as long as possible.

The meals and dining service was a little confusing at times, but they were understaffed so that could of been way. The meals weren't always on time and due to the restrictions our loved one did not always get to dine with the other residents. However, the activities were great and you did get a lot of services for what you paid for.