Holiday Birch Heights

The staff has been very helpful in accommodating in meeting the needs of my Mother. The dining room and food have not disappointed. There is always something going on there, activities of all kinds as well as entertainment.

My overall experience was positive but one minus was having to park my car outside - definitely a minus in the winter. There are a small number of garage spaces but these are only available if a resident dies or moves and the waiting list is long. Also there are four floors and only one small elevator. Poor planning on the architect's part. Very clean, well-managed facility. Very friendly and helpful staff. This is really a good facility for people who are still ambulatory. I noticed too many people who were moving in when they were really in need of more assistance than was provided. Meals were excellent and dining was fine. However if one needs to have meals delivered to their apartment there's an extra charge. The meal schedule wasn't good for me. Breakfast hours were too late for me because I needed to be at my parish by 7:30 so I had to make my own breakfast. Activities were well-planned and interesting but I didn't have time to engage in many of them. This facility is not a good choice for someone with limited resources. The monthly rent was raised when I lived there and it proved to be too much for some of the residents and they had to move to a different place. I really liked the staff at Birch Heights and the apartment was nice. However I found it a bit too "cliquey" for me. That's not unusual for congregate living but too many people didn't seem to have a group that welcomed them and invited them to share a table or an activity. Birch Heights works best for folks who are ambulatory (With or without a cane, walker or rollator) but might not be good for an elderly person who needs support services unless their insurance covers those needs). That's what makes these decisions so difficult for families trying to make a good choice for a loved one without a support system. I know my experience was different because I was still an employed person. I'm glad that you're there to help people make an informed decision for themselves or a loved one.

Holiday Birch Heights is an excellent place. Yes, I would recommend this community to other families based on our experience so far. My Mom seems content. She also made new friends.

Staff are extremely helpful and friendly. Any problems that arise are handled quickly and efficiently. Apartments are ample in size. Clean and well kept Housekeeping is done weekly. Laundry facilities (2 per floor) are well maintained and clean.

The grounds are beautifully maintained. There is always something going on for activities. It is what you make of it. Many choose to stay in their rooms, but if you choose to participate, there are things to do.

Holiday at Birch Heights has just the right community for our Mom. She moved up here, her home state of NH, from her condo in Florida, where she was close by one of our sisters and her family. With the support of our larger family up here, Mom acclimated quickly! One important note: Mom and I found the ‘happiest’ residents are those who have ‘regular’ family visits.

It's a very comfortable and inviting environment for the value...easy to interact and make new friends with so many different types of age levels and abilities of residents there. Core management & activity staff is amazing and works very hard to ensure residents are welcomed and encouraged to interact and participate in various fun activities. Food service could use some help as they become short handed but this is always an area of need in long term care...the management never hesitates to pitch in and help in the dining room to get meals out as quickly as possible. Also if my uncle needs additional help with individual care or cleaning there are a few very wonderful ladies who are available in the building nearly every day seeing other residents, it's an extra fee, but not unreasonable. Also they have Fox Rehab who has an office onsite to assist folks coming out of hospital who may need additional help to get stronger without even having to leave Birch Heights!

Stay away. Independent living isn't the accurate description. The staff promoted the place as a friendly independent facility that will give your loved one an opportunity to engage in new friendships, continue old friendships and improve their quality of life being free from having to make meals, clean, and do homeowner upkeep. What we realized after starting our mom there is that it is far from the truth in most ways. The folks living there were not living independently and were dealing with mental and physical decline issues that were not healthy for others. There was not enough staff to cover activities, very little activities were engaging and those that sounded interesting were run by residents with control issues who were not kind or compassionate for newer residents to join. Mom didn't fit. People were mean to her and berated her. She was very discouraged. They decided to remodel areas doing away with the chapel. They re-carpeted hallways in the evening hours telling residents to be in their rooms after dinner so as not to be in the way. A man entered my mother's apartment after 11pm, she was sleeping and called out. He turned the light on. He apparently had a key to her apartment. He mentioned he was carpeting outside her door. She told him to leave and he did. The explanation we were given was that they would look into this event. No answer ever was given nor an apology. The 3 months from our contract was coming up so we gave notice as per the contract and gave them a move out date which we had to change. They took rent for the month of August and didn't have the courtesy to pro-rate us when she did actually physically move out. Perhaps it was just not my mother's style of living or her status as independent was no longer valid-she had to have my sister drive an hour to set up medicines for the week or two but started to fail to take them as instructed. My sister cleaned her bathroom weekly and remade her bed. They would occasionally send someone to make the bed but didn't teach them how to put a set of sheets on a bed. They were supposed to clean the bathroom and refresh the towels each week. It did not happen. The food selection was horrible for her taste. She disliked the cliques of residents. For the cost per month it was not what we had been promised. She moved to an assisted living near my sister's home for less per month and has been doing quite well there.

The Internet is absolutely horrible, and my mom barely gets any hot water in her room They need to be more mindful of those with special dietary requirements.

the availability of the bus is great, but more trips would be so much better. like shopping at a mall, where you can go and do things. i personally would like to see something after dinner like an easy game.

Birch Heights gets all 5 stars! We have been very pleased with the experience. I have heard nothing but great things about the place and the employees from my loved one. I would definitely recommend this facility to those looking for independent living.

All of the staff at Birch Heights were wonderful and patient. Sometimes the cleaning ladies did not show and there were no substitutes Overall I would recommend this facility to others.

You really need to visit Birch Heights to appreciate it!

My aunt was struggling to maintain her home and the stairs were getting harder for her to maneuver. The nieces and nephews were getting burnt out from trying to manage our own families and trying to keep our aunt in her home. We did some research and found Birch Heights for her. She was really pushing back but we had a calm and constructive talk with her and convinced her that if she wanted to remain independent longer that her home was doing her (and her family) a disservice. She reluctantly agreed to move to Birch Heights, but within a couple of weeks she settled in, had new friends and was socializing...which she was lacking being isolated in her home. She needed to stop driving and now she can just hop on the shuttle bus for errands and field trips. We also like that all meals and housekeeping are included and if things change with her health we can hire private homecare aides to support her as well.

I moved my dad to Birch Heights from Florida to be closer to family. At first he was resistant to the idea of being with the "old folks" but soon realized how much he enjoyed the conversations at mealtimes with the "like-minded" people who shared his interests and had gone through the loss of a spouse. He says he "fits right in" with the "old folks" because he's realized he's one of them.

My mother is currently a resident at Holiday Birch Heights and overall things have been great for her at this facility so far. However, three weeks after she moved in, major updates and construction started. This is still ongoing and is disruptive. Thus why I rated the value for cost at a three. The staff and the housekeeping are very good. Any problems appear to be handled promptly. With the exception of the construction going on, I would highly recommend Holiday Birch Heights to others. The food, according to my mother, is very good. The staff is very friendly and welcoming. The move in process was very smooth and easy. the only problem is, there's only one elevator and it gets tied up at meal times.

We picked this community because of the location, price and resources. Check it out.Thank you so much for your help. I am recommending your agency!

We moved mom to Birch Heights after my father passed away and she sold her house. It sounded like a great community to join with 3 meals a day, light housekeeping and laundry provided with her monthly rent that would leave her time to join in on the many and varied activities offered every day. We found that this was not the case after she had been there a few weeks. During her 4 months there she had her kitchen floor cleaned just once and the bathroom just once. Her bed linens were washed and bed remade approx 3 times. No vacuuming ever done and laundry maybe twice. I now this because I had to go over on weekends and take care of all of this for her all while she was paying for this to be done. Again, private paying for this to be done as part of her living agreement at Birch Heights. Extremely high turnover rate with staff. Would not recommend to anyone.

Birch Heights was the only facility that we had to look at, it had everything we wanted. Location in Derry, meals, transportation options, activities, laundry service, good price etc. I think they do everything here very well and I get a good feeling overall. I would recommend Birch Heights to others!

We decided to place our loved one in a care facility so she wouldn't feel alone and would have more opportunities for socialization. That has not been the case at Holiday Birch Heights. Also they are short-staffed, and their communication is poor. What we have experienced is not at all what was promised.