We looked at The Atrium at Veronica Drive, which I thought was nice. It seemed like a nice place. The staff was friendly. We toured around a bit and thought it was a nice operation. The inside looked homey. The rooms that we looked at seemed nice. We looked at a couple of different small apartments. The staff who gave the tour was helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly. The dining area looked nice, but there was no one eating at the time. The folks who live there were playing board games, and there was a fair amount of social interaction. My tour was good. It was a little bit tricky to find. If my aunt were to go there, her friends would have a difficult time finding it.

My LO entered the Atrium in 2018 with a diagnosis of FTD (Frontotemporal Degeneration), a form of Dementia that affects a younger population and affects their behavior, understanding, executive thinking and their speech. Upon acceptance into the community, I was assured that they had experienced staff that would be able to provide the care that my LO needed. What I didn’t know is that their approach was “one size fits all” and not a customized approach to my LO needs. Given that there is always a transition period, my LO refused to bath/shower and they assured me that this was very normal. After 1 ½ years of not bathing/showering or even sponge bathing, I took my concerns to the Benchmark corporate offices. They assured me that the staff in Danvers, MA would be better educated on how to handle the behavioral issues that come with FTD. Finally, he was showered after 1 ½ years and with the help of Benchmark corporate office using the “hand on hand” approach! There were many other concerns with the Atrium starting with their housekeeping, (or lack of). My LOs room would only be cleaned when I visited and insisted that they clean and sanitize the bathroom. It got so bad that I started taking photos of what I encountered while visiting, sending those photos to the Executive office and being told that they were understaffed and trying to hire someone. Another concern was their communication (or lack thereof) between staff and Resident’s loved ones. I called every day to check on him and each time spoke with the Nurse on duty and was told that my LO was doing the same, no changes. This included urinating in the common areas of the facility. Their Nurse told me that this is a very common trait of especially men with Dementia. I then purchased a one-piece outfit for him to discourage that behavior and was told that it didn’t help and they would try to adjust the environment instead so I was asked to provide “pet pee-pads” that they would place in the areas that he urinated. Never heard another complaint, until during a scheduled visit with him, I was asked to meet with their Executive Director of Resident Care where I was told that there were two options for my LO, I either hire a one-on-one person to stay with him (in addition to paying the private care of over $8,000 per month) or move him to a hospital or facility that can better manage the FTD behavior. Their staff may understand Alzheimer’s Disease or other Dementias, but certainly were not educated to understand FTD. Had they been honest with me during the application process, I would have researched another facility, but I was assured that they could handle FTD. Thankfully my LO has been moved to another facility that does have other FTD residents, a full staff of Nurses familiar with this disease and he is doing much better. A “one size fits all” approach is NOT ideal, The Atrium should be working with the individual to see what those needs are and customize the approach to their individual needs.

I liked The Atrium, but they did not provide all the things that my husband would need. He's a diabetic, and they did not provide insulin. The place was very pretty, nice, and clean. The staff was very pleasant but business-like. We had lunch there, but I didn't like it at all. They also gave me an apple pie when I visited.

We like the level of care at The Atrium and the staff we met as well. It is the right size. It is very important that everyone is on one floor, which is the case there. The staff is great, and the rooms are small but very workable.

The Atrium at Veronica Drive is a lovely place. The staff is wonderful and it's a very caring environment for my parents. They have a studio, which is very large for the two of them. The food is excellent, and the dining facility is great. They offer activities from 10:00 in the morning to 7:00 at night -- exercise, parachute ball, and bingo. Most of the residents in that facility are low functioning and they need to emphasize that when they bring new people in. My father has Alzheimer's, my mother got mild dementia and they're pretty high functioning compared to most of the people in there. They need to be a little forthcoming on the amount of mixture in the place.

I like The Atrium the best out of all facilities I toured. Now my aunt is a resident there. They have a secured area for people that wander about. There is a lovely garden outside that residents can walk around anytime they want. The people are very nice there. Their patient to staff ratio is okay. I think it is 4 to 1. In their dining room, everybody has their own place to go. I go there a couple of times a week and have dinner with my aunt and the meals are very good. What I like best about this facility is that they take good care of my aunt. They give her a special treatment because she is a little higher functioning than some of the other residents there. They take her out all the time and involve her in a lot of activities that she normally wouldn't be able to do if she was home by herself. This facility is worth telling others.

The Atrium at Veronica Drive is an assisted living facility in Danvers, MA. Danvers is one the safest towns in northshore area of Boston. I visited this facility in January after my patient was admitted to the Atrium due to memory loss. The Atrium's buildings look like well maintained single homes and the gardens are lawns are beautiful. The Atrium is well secured and visitors are required to log in and out. The room designs and decor were well suited for patients with memory problems. The rooms were also clean and spacious. Staff was available to assist me with locating my patient's room. I accompanied my patient to the dining room and noticed that there was a chef that prepared delicious home cooked food. I noticed that staff engaged senior residents in recreational activities such as playing bingo and bridge. I would highly recommend the Atrium at Veronica Drive to families of seniors with Alzheimer's and other diseases that cause memory loss.

For the most part, I really liked to Atrium. I have friends who work in other nursing homes and I've seen elsewhere cases of severe under staffing and consequent neglect, and I'm glad to say that the Atrium doesn't have this problem. Also, the staff were very friendly and helpful. I will say that I often worried that people weren't being engaged enough, but a lot of that probably has to do with the nature of dementia rather than the activities department. Certainly, many activities were offered everyday, and live entertainment would come in about twice a week. Also, the layout of the Atrium was very nice. It was private or double rooms off of three hallways with a wide open area in the middle (a dance floor). Rather than staying in their rooms all day, most residents choose to spend time in the main area listening to music or doing activities. A nice courtyard and dining room as well. Unfortunately, the reason it was so nice way because it was so pricey. If you can afford it though then it's definitely worth it if home care is no longer and option. Very friendly to visitors and the staff were always willing to answer questions or address concerns.

Atrium is a small facility exclusively devoted to memory care, housing about 50 residents. It's in a somewhat odd location"”easily accessible by major arteries, but it is in a turn off the highway"”and those visiting can easily end up at the nearby Marriott or run-down strip mall. The outside grounds are very pretty and the facility as a whole is well maintained, with nice artwork on the walls inside. A small reception area at the front is nicely furnished and provides coffee and cookies. Also, the reception desk is staffed by lovely, caring, attentive women who know all the residents by name. The dining hall is adequate and the food is excellent, with a good chef who prepares several choices daily. But the service in the dining hall somehow seems chaotic, and there are frequently dishes piled up and left on tables. There seems to be no organized process to how and when people get their food, and residents complain about that. There are several nice touches to the design and detail inside. For one thing, there is a big board with monthly happenings posted on it"”everything from food and activities to awards for staff. The two hallways housing the residents are hung with huge black and white photos of many of the residents, which are absolutely fabulous. When they walk by, they notice them"”and for those who are able, they become talking points. Another nice feature: Little stations are set up in the corridors with sewing machines and clothes, military garb, and a baby doll and changing table. The displays, which are changed frequently, are meant to be evocative and engage residents. They look great and encourage interaction. I see a client who loves hats"”and he often wears those he's picked up around the facility. A woman proudly takes care of the squishy baby doll. Housing is divided into two parts, according to the level of care needed. The rooms, which are of ample size, are all well maintained and residents are encouraged to decorate them with personal items such as family pictures and books. More than most places, you can learn a lot about the residents at Atrium by looking around their environs. Shadowboxes outside each of the rooms also identify their interests and sometimes provide good talking points for visitors, staff and residents. Many residents spend lots of time walking the hallways"”and there is also a lovely secured garden area and yard and path that they can use for walking. There is a TV and music room and activities on both wings include art projects, flower arranging and cooking; there are also some nice outings with van transportation provided, such as forays to a nearby dairy farm for ice cream. The one thing that gets most people involved seems to be any game involving a ball. There is often music playing"”of varying styles and types. As for staff, the admissions staffer and financial officer are terrific, although the director does not seem very hands-on. And there is a new activities director who's dynamite and very experienced"”and very committed, with her heart and soul in the right place. And there are several CNAs who seem to know their stuff; staffing ratio is about 4 or 5 to 1 resident. The staff is unusually diverse"”by race, ethnicity and gender, which is a good thing. But this is the most unclear staffing structure I've ever seen. It is very unclear who's in charge of what. If anything happens, such as a resident falling, they all rush over"”and all other activities stop. It can also be difficult to find a staff member when you need one. There is no social worker, and they could use one. This confused staffing structure leaves some feeling that all of the residents may need more care than they're getting. Recently, Atrium has switched the staff more to work on both sides of the building, so that they know all of the residents; unclear whether this is a good change"”especially for residents who prize routine and prefer to deal only with those they know well.