Brookdale West Orange

Reviews

• MB

  Maria Bellamy

  Oct 20, 2025
  5.0
  It was a difficult decision to move Mom out of her home and into a senior residence, but Brookdale West Orange made the decision easier. The property is lovely and well-maintained. Her apartment is spacious, bright and cozy. She loves the food and activities and has come to love her fellow residents. This is a friendly and lively community. Always something good going on. We are very thankful to have found Brookdale West Orange.
• LL

  Leslie

  Jun 19, 2025
  4.0
  Editing this in response to the response from owners. The phone # they left is not correct: it goes to an orthopedic office! I apologize for my review, it was far too cynical: I was in a bad mood. I'm revising it and may simply delete it. If you would like to speak to me, please leave a correct phone #; it seems there was an error. I have a friend in the Memory Care unit there and I feel like it's not working for her very well. It's a small unit and very dull and there is not enough physical activity. I know they have to be safe but it's more like a cage and it's heartbreaking. The staff are lovely for the most part but they are not many and a couple of them seem mean, though I know they need to be firm and handle memory care residents a certain way and also within a set amount of time. But they are not sensitive to the needs and feelings of my friend, in my opinion. I want to be there more myself but I can't right now. It's a hard job to care for the residents there, and really the staff are remarkable. Stellar, in fact: some of them. In fact, I take back what I just said, because several of them know very well that simply smiling at my poor friend does wonders, and this one caregiver had a brilliant, genuine smile and wasn't afraid to keep it on her face and brighten the day of my friend and anyone else. Yes, most of the staff were really good - even great - and they did a great job in physical caring for my friend as well as emotional. I don't feel that residents are treated like "mindless zombies," as I wrote. And I certainly take back the other thing I said, especially since the replyer below assures that they care about their clients. My friend is in need of extra care, it seems, and it does Not seem that that was provided, at least not as much as the family is paying for! There are activities, and they're mostly appropriate for the level of abilities of the memory care folks. I Still feel that there could be more physical activity somehow, but perhaps it's not feasible. I also still feel that my friend's intellectual needs as well as her physical needs are not met. Her interests do not coincide with what is available, though it's not as bad as all that. I do feel that my friend has declined more rapidly than was necessary. There were Not the outings advertised when they were in the main part. I still feel that the water is not fresh or frequent enough, that giving them Kool-Aid or soda pop at lunch and dinner should be less emphasized and that fresh fruit could be offered instead of ice cream, although if a person is at the end of their days, maybe they should just have ice cream. The main purpose of the response to my review is probably to get rid of the bad review rather than really address concerns, so I might just delete or rewrite this in time, since I probably don't understand or appreciate all the ins and outs of memory care. Brookdale at West Orange is a clean and nice-looking place. There is no neglect. The staff are very competent in their medical care and all their care, and many the same care-givers have been there for the whole time I've seen the unit (about 1.5 years), so that's a very good sign as it's very important to have that stability. So they Must care: I think Brookdale works hard to find caring and capable staff. I am just sad and frustrated for my friend. So maybe if you really want to talk to me, there could actually be some improvement or at least understanding on my part.
• RH

  Richard Holler

  Dec 28, 2020
  5.0
  My mother has lived at Brookdale West Orange since 2014. She has been very happy there and likes the food as well. The staff is wonderful and are always very helpful and supportive. Jay Brooks, the current director, has been one of the best directors she has had since she arrived. He has made this very tough time as bearable as possible. He treats the residents as family. All of the workers do the same. My brothers and sisters and I are very happy with the care our mother receives every day.
• CM

  Carmen Murphy

  Jun 22, 2019
  1.0
  Trying calling facilities at numerous times with no answer and call hanging after numerous rings. I am advocate for Seniors and my friend who resides there have in multiple occasions mentioned the poor response for service that she receives. After over 6 months hearing her and me trying to contact the facility several times during the past two weeks with no answer I see that this facility is not a customer friendly to say the least. Today, She contacted me after several attempts to contact the office for assistance and no one responding. I called the office several times and the phone rings until it disconnects. You cannot talk with a life person nor can leave messages- I wonder how the safety of the residents is taking into consideration.
• LS

  Lynn Stephens

  May 31, 2017
  1.0
  My Uncle was at Brookdale of West Orange for approximately 2 1/2 months from March 2017 to May 2017. At first we were happy with his care. They insisted we hire a 24 hour aid because he was a fall risk. They connected us with the agency Caregivers; looking back at it, I wonder whether they were getting a kickback. The total charge for the aid was $15,000/month and Brookdales' was about $6,000. We do not live close, so we only were up there a few times in those 2 months. He lost weight while he was there and the last week was a nightmare. He fell 2 times and had to go to the hospital to get stitches. That's when I pulled him out and took him to Job Haines in Bloomfield. Such a vast difference in his care. Be warned about Brookdale, I wouldn't let them take care of my dog. The hallways smell like urine and the people are all sitting around in wheelchairs. My Uncle was in a diaper within the first week! These people are great at selling and sucking the families in because they are vulnerable, but the care is sub-par. We are so happy we moved him , he is very safe and have people around him 24 hours/day. Good Luck with your search, but stay away if you care for your relative. I wanted to update anyone looking for care at Brookdale. Three 3weeks to the day that he fell at Brookdale , he passed away. I wish that I was more aware of what to look for when we decided on Brookdale, I would have never sent him there. :(

Frequently Asked Questions About Brookdale West Orange