Memory Support Center @ Brecon Village #1

I visited my dear friend of 35 years at Brecon Village's Memory Center - staying with him for several hours almost every week for about a year. So you know I speak from long and bittersweet experience. No question about it: Alzheimer's is bitter; but the loving, attentive staff at Brecon made my last year with Phil profoundly enriching for both of us. Painful of course, but very sweeet nonetheless. I recommend the Memory Center without reservation.

My husband of 59 years was in care here for 3 years before his recent death at age 85 and I was almost a daily visitor. I am flooded with gratitude for the loving care he received, for the relationships of trust we formed, for the beauty and cleanliness of the rooms and environment, for the collaboration in care that was made possible. His room felt like a little studio apartment the way we set it up, inviting to friends for visiting. Family members can join for a meal with their loved ones with no problem, get to know the other residents and become part of a new senior community of care. Friends who came to visit were impressed with the staff and the surroundings and always commented to me what a lovely place it was, and some joined in the activities with my hubby, especially the music and movement times, and were impressed with the quality of that leadership. As my husband's dementia progressed, his world got smaller and needed to be smaller. The beautifully planted courtyard became "so big a garden" to him that I no longer needed to take him out and try to stretch his world. Field trips no longer seemed needed, and walking in the courtyards was good enough. The 3 sections, called neighborhoods, each have about 10 residents. All but a few rooms look out onto a courtyard, with a roomy window seat I could lie down on if I needed a nap. Covid challenged all establishments like this, for sure, and there have been more administrative changes than I would have liked, but the front line care did not flag. He was cared for and loved as well, as were the other residents. Staff who are caregivers for our loved ones (and for us family members by extension) are remarkable people whose sources of compassion are often from their relationships with their grandparents. They are unsung heros (and sheros) in our society and worth celebrating and paying well. The activity program is not staffed on the weekend; I wished there would have been a thriving volunteer program, perhaps with even high school students. Because I was there so often, I saw things that could be improved and wished for a volunteer program that could have added activities over the weekend. Some of the grumbles that I had (why couldn't they have cranberry sauce when they had chicken! why wasn't there more fresh fruit) were woven in with the frustration of not being in control of the perfect care I wanted to be able to provide my husband, and the difficulty of letting go. But as I exit the need for this care with his death, all I really am left with is gratitude.

Don't move you family members here!!! Staff covers up a lot of things, such as falls, resident abuse and ectra ectra. Management is HORRIBLE, care givers are over worked, they don't get no breaks nor lunch breaks. Management will hire anyone off the street as long as they can pass a background check but won't have no experience not compassion what so ever. Management expects care gives to lift residents that are in need of a sit to stand or hoyer lift. Care givers does not receive raises, management showed a lot of favoritism to certain staff. Staff isn't trained properly on passing medications, a LOT of major med errors happen. I wouldn't let my dog live here let alone my mother. DON'T DO IT! Linden Square is an awesome facility!!! Always well staffed, and Knowledgeable management on duty, and they always have a nurse on duty!!!! Unlike evh memory care.

My mother-in-law is in residence here. She is doing well considering her condition and is very happy most of the time. She enjoys the daily activities, which keep her involved and active. We live close enough to be able to visit about every other month or so.