I toured Brookdale Canyon Lakes. It was very good and very informative. They told me that if my parents didn't fit in there, they would help with other assistance, and that's all good. The staff worked hard to figure out the cost element. They were very good and very willing to work with us. The staff were excellent. The facilities were very clean, very neat, fresh smelling, and updated. They have a good selection of physical therapy programs including water aerobics, which a lot of them don't have here in the Tri-Cities, so that was very nice, too. They have quite a good selection of facilities. They take you from independent care through end-of-life care. Their willingness to help you go through the different stages, and get you the right paperwork and into the right facility based on your needs is outstanding.

We lived in Brookdale Canyon Lakes two years ago. It wasn't what I expected, and after living there for two years, it really didn't provide as much as I thought it was going to for the amount of money that we had to put out. There were certain things that were beneficial, but they divide everything between the assisted living and independent communities. We were still able to use the pool and the exercise programs, and go to any of the things, but there was no real support for the independent living, which we kind of needed for that time. The apartment that we were in was nice, but tiny and old. It needed to be updated, but that didn't happen while we were there. It was painted, and I think they did put new carpeting in before we moved in, but it just wasn't worth $4000 a month. Some of the people who worked there were good; some were not good. As far as following through on things that needed to be updated, completed, or maintained, they never would get around to doing those things, and they only had two maintenance people. The fewer staff they had, the worse things were. The food was atrocious. It was not good, and pretty basic at that. They ended up having to renovate the kitchen. The training for the staff was not there. I liked the people; they were really nice, but nice doesn't get the job done. For seniors over seventy, I suppose it was fine, and some of the things were good -- basic salad, and stuff like that. I had a kitchen, and I just did my own cooking pretty much, but we would go up and eat lunch every so often. I would go up with my neighbor. I had taken pictures of the food, and it looked horrible. It wasn't appetizing. The facilities needed upgrading, and the pool was horrible. That facility was pretty old and needed updating.

Brookdale Canyon Lakes was excellent. They had an exercise area, a pool, a big dining room, and a big central area where they gather and watch TV. They also had cottages where the residents didn't need as much care. The assisted living part was inside the big community area where they had apartments. The outside included cottages. You can get a one or two-bedroom cottage and you can walk into the facility and still get your meals, and they also check on you once a day and clean the cottage up once a day. The staff was good and answered all our questions. The only issue is that I put down money for the maintenance fee and I'm waiting for them to reimburse me for that because we never did get my mother or father in there.

My mother moved into Canyon Lakes Manor (Brookdale) over 4 1/2 years ago, in March 2015. I live 4 hours away, and have been visiting her one weekend a month since that time. Mom continually tells me how happy she is with her choice, and I certainly agree. It's been a great fit for her! She's in a 2 bedroom apartment, with plenty of closets for storage, and a balcony with view of the gardens and pond. Mom brought her small dog with her, so she is out on the walking paths daily. Luckily, the paths and grounds are well-tended in all seasons. The staff have been amazing! Mom, myself, and my siblings continually find the Canyon Lakes Manor staff to be kind, friendly, and very helpful: the front desk and office folks, her apartment weekly cleaning person, maintenance staff, restaurant servers, recreation coordinators, van driver, etc. Mom eats lunch and dinner in the main restaurant/dining room, and we both really appreciate the variety of choices that are served at each meal. She rides the van to church, and sometimes to shopping or day trips. Mom enjoys the library, the group puzzle, and at times she also joins in on Friday happy hour, the numerous celebration parties, karaoke night, movies in the lounge, ice cream socials, crafts activities, and discussion groups. There are an endless number of activities to choose from, including a beautiful pool, a walking group, exercise classes, etc. We are so happy that Mom is at home at (Brookdale) Canyon Lakes Manor!