Atria Riverdale

Jan 13, 2014 | Reviewed by Atria Riverdale getting worse and worse

I Am A Friend Or Relative Of A Current/Past Resident

We were very hopeful when mom moved into Atria. She's been there more than two years and remains because she has made so many friends among the residents and staff. She loves her care-providers but NOT the facility. The care-providers in general are deeply caring and committed to keeping her happy and comfortable. Her aids have been consistently outstanding and extremely capable and caring. Clearly they are under-appreciated and treated with disrespect by management. We know of at least two instances where care-providers were physically ATTACKED by their violent patients. They were discharged while the patients were simply scolded and their aggressive behavior continued. While the care-providers do the "REAL" (and often unpleasant) work, management regularly implements new policy changes that make their work more difficult. Now, suddenly, care providers are no longer allowed to give out their charge's medication. Rather, the resident must go down to the nurse's office to be medicated. OUR MOTHER WAS MIS-MEDICATED, given the WRONG MEDICATIONS at the nurse's office. Luckily her aid spoke up, putting herself at odds with management. Did they thank her or even acknowledge her action? Did they interact with us? No. They simply tried to sweep it under the rug. The food is also pathetically bad. Frequently they run out of staples like orange juice, coffee, or eggs for breakfast and mom has to order in. Often they run out of entrees at dinner as well or don't have something listed on the daily menu. Luckily mom keeps her refrigerator stocked, but at Atria's prices she shouldn't have to. There is also no allowance made for people who are NOT kosher or jewish. They are forced to keep kosher and during the high holy days mom's non-jewish friends have often gone hungry or been forced to eat out. There are THREE kitchens in the facility. Something could be done to provide for non-kosher residents, even if it were as simple as pizza ordered in and served in one of the other dining areas. Management is unresponsive and disorganized. We have trouble contacting the right person when we need to, and they often don't know what's going on, who's responsible, and clearly think of their residents as commodities rather than persons. Changeover is very frequent ("chronic" is the word) and we are rarely informed of policy changes or certain important decisions we should be CONSULTED on since they immediately effect our mom. We are realizing we need to be much more proactive in order to keep our mom's quality of life acceptable. Housekeeping is adequate and erratic - they often don't show or don't complete their tasks - and mom had underclothing supplies STOLEN from her apartment. Activities are also chaotic. The daily activities calendar is often wrong or out of date, and events scheduled don't actually happen or are poorly run. Now, suddenly, aids are no longer permitted to stay with their patients during activities. Road trips have been cancelled many times because they were mis-scheduled for days when residents couldn't actually go - sometimes due to religious observances. I mean, COME ON! Transportation, although provided for free within a five-mile radius has often been unreliable or late, and the previous driver surly. There is also no venue in which residents and their families may discuss the problems at this Atria amongst themselves and effect positive change. The community is kept scattered and out of contact with each other. We know from our own informal conversations with others that there is a lot of dissatisfaction. We chose this Atria because of its location, the need to find someplace quickly, and because of a positive first impression it has failed to live up to. We were even sent home with a delicious apple pie we were told was "baked on the premises." It was NOT, and we haven't seen it in the resident's dining room since. All in all, a very disappointing experience. We would move mom out tomorrow but we fear it would be too unsettling for her now that she's made so many friends. But we may be forced to anyway as our frustration level continues to grow.

30 people found this helpful. Was this helpful? Yes

Provider Response

We are grateful for your feedback. While we are happy to hear your mother loves her caregivers, we're very sorry to hear about your experience with other aspects of our Riverdale community. We appreciate you bringing this matter to our attention. We strive to continually improve the experience of all residents and families and fulfill the expectation to deliver the highest level of respect and quality of care. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss your experience with us in more detail in order to better understand the situation. Please feel free to email us directly and please include the community name and the specifics of your review.

Jan 2, 2014 | Reviewed by Anything BUT Atria

I Am A Friend Or Relative Of A Current/Past Resident

Executive Leadership turnover at this property is unbelievable. There are a few lone souls who try to do the right thing, but they're hamstrung by senior management. My mom was a resident for almost 4 years and we saw at least 7 Exec. Directors go through the revolving door. Chefs, social directors, nurses, sales mgrs. Few would stay for more than a year. The facility is clean. Decor and finish is more like a Hampton Inn than the Ritz. It would take months to get a light bulb replaced. Elevators often broke down. Promises were made and never kept. Trying to leave voicemail for anyone in management often resulted in getting a "mailbox full" prompt. The property is marketed with very slick comforting images, intimating that your loved one will be well cared for. Be forewarned that Atria Riverdale, like most other "independent" living residences is nothing more than an apartment building with amenities targeted to a specific demographic. Care for your loved one is not included. That costs more. [And a personal aide plan is mandatory, even if it's not needed]. As others on this board may have pointed out, Atria is a real estate company. At their Riverdale property they are much more interested in turning a profit than delivering a quality service experience. Food is okay at best. The dining room staff lumber amongst tables; chatting with each other takes priority over serving their customers. The residents end up helping each other. The assistance offered by the staff is pathetic. Then there was the time when i had to wait extra long for my car because the garage attendant was otherwise engaged "helping out" one of the female aides. Run as fast as you can away from this place. I get nightmares just thinking about management's incompetence -- or at least inability -- to deliver a quality customer experience.

27 people found this helpful. Was this helpful? Yes

Provider Response

Thank you for your feedback. We're very sorry to hear about your family’s experience at our community, and we appreciate you bringing this matter to our attention. We want to ensure that all of our residents are being provided with the highest level of respect and quality of care. Atria is proud of the high standard it sets for its senior living communities, and strives to continually improve the experience of all residents and families. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss your experience with us in more detail in order to better understand the situation. Please feel free to email us directly and please include the community name and the specifics of your review.

Aug 6, 2013 | Reviewed by disappointed Atria client

I Am A Friend Or Relative Of A Current/Past Resident

My Uncle lived there just over a year and paid 16k a month for 24 hr care. The aides left him alone for extended periods of time and he suffered terribly. He also was subjected to two terrible infestations of bedbugs which were not reported to the residents or potential residents as required by nyc law. We had a horrible experience here and my uncle's life ended sadly as a result of the neglect. Would NEVER recommend Atria facilities in any part of the country. Sr Management reacted in CYA mode selfishly. Very sad.

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