The Pearl at Five Forks

Our stepmom has been a resident at the Pearl at Five Forks for over a year now. Our family is thoroughly impressed with—and confident in—the care and genuine love she receives from the entire staff. In full transparency, the first few months were a little bumpy while dialing in her medical care and needs from out of state. However, a few closed-door sessions and open, honest communication resolved the problems we encountered. Ever since those first transitional months, she has done incredibly well there— even thriving. The open communication and willingness to listen to our four-plus years of experience caring for our loved one at home is not something often found in many dementia care facilities, and it was greatly appreciated. While we looked at many local facilities near us, most required an appointment to tour the facility and discuss options. After a recommendation from a family friend, we showed up at the Pearl unannounced and received a tour on the spot. There was no attempt to “hide” anything, and nothing felt sanitized or rehearsed. It was welcoming, clean, and incredibly well laid out. We returned a few weeks later—again unannounced—where we re-toured the facility and discussed care options. Our second impression was the same as the first: this was the right place. As mentioned earlier, advocating for our loved one’s care during the first month or two was the most challenging part, though not necessarily difficult. It simply required time and communication. Developing relationships with the staff and remaining present in our loved one’s life and care—even from states away—made all the difference. The willingness of the staff to get to know and develop relationships with both residents and their families reassured us that resident care is deeply personal to them as well. Perhaps because our family is very realistic and understands the human element involved in caring for someone with dementia, it made it easier to work collaboratively with the staff to

This is one of the best all Memory Care communities in the area. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a place for their loved one. The community feels warm and inviting and the staff care about the residents that live there.

At first, I was really impressed with the facility and thought it would be a good fit for my father, who had severe Alzheimer’s. The facility presents beautifully on tours, it’s cleaner than most (though smells of urine), welcoming, and some of the staff truly seem to care. I especially appreciated seeing staff who knew the residents by name and had worked there for years. Those individuals were kind, attentive, and gave me hope that my dad would be well cared for. It is such a hard decision to place your loved one in a facility but my father was no longer safe at home. I have 3 young children and work full time and was not able to care for him at the level he needed. I liked that they had cameras and an open door policy, they did outings and have individual resident rooms and bathrooms. The things you see when touring these different facilities when making your decision is heartbreaking and I felt this was one of the better in the area. Unfortunately, after my father moved in, I began to see a very different side. The staff-to-resident ratio is not adequate for the level of care that many of these residents need. The ratio is typical and even slightly better for this population, yes. However, the greed of this corporate industry keeps the ratios at an inadequate level and continues to underpay their staff, which affects the quality of care. While some staff members work hard and show compassion, others spend time on their phones or ignore residents who need help. I witnessed residents left soiled for long periods including my dad, and at times I saw staff mock or verbally lose patience with residents, something that was extremely upsetting to see. I even reported a few concerns to the director. I typically would have to shower my dad myself because if not it wasn't getting done most weeks unless one certain staff member was present, and was actually good with this population. The biggest issues began when my father started showing signs of agitation. Instead of wor