Autumn Lake Healthcare at Oceanview Ocean View, New Jersey 08230
My mother was a resident in the Alzheimer's unit for three years prior to her death in 2012. My husband and I visited every week and intentionally did not always come on the same day so the staff would not know which day we were coming.
My mother was always very well cared for, dressed nicely and sitting up in her wheel chair. She was not able to communicate; however, she was always smiling and the staff seemed to adore her. They were always hugging her and were very friendly with my husband and I.
My mother went downhill quickly when the time came for her to pass. The staff were coming in and out of her room to say good-bye, with many crying, hugging her and hugging myself. I am so thankful that my mother was so well cared for as all during her life she was meticulous in her dress. I did her laundry and would return it with each outfit together on a hangar. When they dressed her, they never deviated from the specific clothes that were on the hangars.
The only issue I have is that a good deal of her clothes went missing. I don't know if certain staff stole them as they were very nice clothes, or other residents took them unbeknownst to the staff and they were lost somewhere within the home. I do have to say that quite a few items were lost and I did report the incidents, but it was virtually impossible to find out where they ended up.
One last item was stolen, and this was devastating. Although I gave them a very high rating, there are always people that steal and there is nothing that anyone can do about it if they are not caught. This goes on everywhere, unfortunately. My mother had a 14 karat gold Blessed Mary medal around her neck that her sister gave her for her 75th birthday. My mother was almost 91 when she passed so she had that for quite some time. The last week of my mother's life, someone stole it. Probably because during her last week she was going downhill and was pretty unresponsive and would not have protested if someone was trying to take something from her. That really upset me as my intention was to then wear the medal myself. So having this treasured medal of my mother's stolen is the only reason that I gave a 4 out of 5 rating.
So, in conclusion, my mother received excellent care, the facility was clean, the food was standard fare, and I always felt that my mother was loved. Obviously the stealing was an issue, but there are always people who seem to have no soul and take advantage of every situation.
I feel confident in recommending this facility to anyone in the area that is looking for a place for a loved one.