Our family's experience with Brookdale Brookfield Woelfel Road over the course of nearly four…read moremonths (summer-fall 2025) was mixed. While there were some positive aspects, significant concerns about staffing, communication, and quality of care ultimately led us to move our mother-in-law to another facility.
On the positive side, the food was very good. Residents were offered choices and could eat in a restaurant-style setting, which she genuinely enjoyed. Additionally, some staff members were exceptionally kind and went above and beyond in their care. However, there were consistent issues that impacted her well-being. Planned activities were frequently canceled due to staffing shortages. Because she is not mobile and requires assistance to attend activities, she often depended on staff to inform and help her participate. Without regular family advocacy, she was not consistently included.
About a month into her stay, she was moved from a shared dining table with other residents to sitting alone--this occurred on her birthday. Given that she was adjusting to a major life transition and grieving the recent loss of her husband, this change was especially difficult. During her stay she was not consistently being taken to meals and lost a lot of weight in a short amount of time.
We also observed concerns with staff presence and responsiveness. At times, staff appeared disengaged, sitting on phones or eating in common areas, making it unclear whether they were on break. Staffing levels seemed particularly limited during evenings and weekends.
More concerning were issues related to personal care. During her stay, she lost 10 pounds and experienced multiple UTIs. There were several occasions when my husband arrived in the morning to find her still in the previous day's clothes, in wet incontinence garments, and with soiled bedding. While staff sometimes stated she had "refused" care, we were not confident that consistent or sufficient efforts were made.
The call button system was also problematic. It required residents to hold the button down for an extended period before activation, and response times were often delayed. Some staff members were unfamiliar with how to properly reset the system so my husband had to show them how to use it. Although we requested the simple old style call button, we were told none were available, despite observing newer residents being given the old style buttons.
We also encountered issues with missing personal belongings. A gold chain was replaced with a non-gold one, and a new TV remote went missing. Additionally, our mother-in-law reported that a staff member asked her to write them a personal check, which we immediately reported. Another resident nearby also reported missing cash.
As her condition declined due to UTIs, she required the use of a Sara Stedy transfer device. We had to purchase this equipment ourselves and train staff on how to use it, as they had not received prior training. Eventually, we were advised to move her to memory care for more support, but instead we chose to relocate her to another facility.
Since moving, her condition has improved significantly. She has regained strength, is walking short distances, maintaining her weight, bathing regularly, and is consistently dressed and cared for.
While there were some compassionate individuals on staff at Brookdale, our overall experience did not meet expectations for the level of care being provided, especially since we were paying for the highest level of care. In speaking with long-term residents, we also heard concerns that the quality of care has declined over time.
