Westminster at Lake Ridge a CCRC

Westminster is great, even better than we expected and we had high expectations. Westminster has been an excellent choice.

After being on the WLR "wait list" for approximately three years and enjoying all the perks associated with that -- meal vouchers, social events --we received a call in late November 2019 informing us that some apartments had come available. "Were we interested in looking?" Having lived in the split foyer house that we had built in 1966 and keeping up a 1/2 acre yard, we knew that the time was right. We came, we looked, and we chose and moved into our apartment on [date removed] Moving to Westminster was the best decision that we have made in recent years. From the day we moved, even though it was in the midst of the Covid lock-down, we received a warm welcome from our neighbors and staff. One neighbor even brought us delicious bread from a bakery in Occoquan! Leaving a home and community that has encompassed most of our adult life was not easy. But moving to Westminster has opened up a new community and a new and exciting chapter of our lives.

We are new residents and already feel at home in at this wonderful community. Our cottage was redone to our specifications and all personnel were extremely helpful in the planning and pcompletion of the process. WLR personnel made sure our move in went smoothly. Activities are limited because of Covid 19, but, considering the restrictions, the staff has done an excellent job in this area. The residents are very friendly and welcoming. We are very happy we made the move.

Over the holiday I went to visit my aunt at Westminster. She is in the memory care unit that is called "The Neighborhood" - no idea why. When I walked in I could not find any staff. There was an elderly patient sitting in a wheelchair, slumped to the side, almost slid off the seat. This person obviously could not get out of the wheelchair, and did not have the strength to correct their sitting position. While I checked around for help, the patient continued to call out Help, Help. Finally I went to the person and said I would help, but the poor thing was obviously terrified. I made sure that a fall was not imminent. On my continued search for my aunt and some staff I encountered more people confined to chairs, in various places in the center. Someone was beating on the locked door to the neighborhood. Over the years my aunt has received good care in Assisted Living, and I have met very kind people working there. The problem is nursing care and memory care. There is not enough staff, and what they do have are barely able to keep up. They are severely understaffed and it is a chronic situation. Recently, it has become dramatically worse, there have been cutbacks, and I am very worried about her future. I also discovered that the Executive Director, head of HR and a significant amount of nursing staff are now also suddenly gone. The marketing department does a great job selling people on the amenities of this place, but I think if more people took an unscheduled tour of the assisted living and memory care areas, the last beds they will be provided there, they would be afraid to give control of their last days to these people. I was horrified and brokenhearted at the conditions in which I found my aunt and the even worse conditions in which I found her fellow patients. I honestly have no idea what to do. I need to share this, if only to remind people to dig deeper into the future of care here.

Over the holiday I went to visit my aunt at Westminster. She is in the memory care unit that is called "The Neighborhood" - no idea why. When I walked in I could not find any staff. There was an elderly patient sitting in a wheelchair, slumped to the side, almost slid off the seat. This person obviously could not get out of the wheelchair, and did not have the strength to correct their sitting position. While I checked around for help, the patient continued to call out Help, Help. Finally I went to the person and said I would help, but the poor thing was obviously terrified. I made sure that a fall was not imminent. On my continued search for my aunt and some staff I encountered more people confined to chairs, in various places in the center. Someone was beating on the locked door to the neighborhood. Over the years my aunt has received good care in Assisted Living, and I have met very kind people working there. The problem is nursing care and memory care. There is not enough staff, and what they do have are barely able to keep up. They are severely understaffed and it is a chronic situation. Recently, it has become dramatically worse, there have been cutbacks, and I am very worried about her future. I also discovered that the Executive Director, head of HR and a significant amount of nursing staff are now also suddenly gone. The marketing department does a great job selling people on the amenities of this place, but I think if more people took an unscheduled tour of the assisted living and memory care areas, the last beds they will be provided there, they would be afraid to give control of their last days to these people. I was horrified and brokenhearted at the conditions in which I found my aunt and the even worse conditions in which I found her fellow patients. I honestly have no idea what to do. I need to share this, if only to remind people to dig deeper into the future of care here.

We have visited a few places as guests of residents but had always been pleased with Westminster when we visited a cousin of my mother many times over several years. She had an apartment that was very comfortable and we enjoyed our meals with her in the dining room. When we started thinking of our own future we discovered Westminster was going through a major renovation and liked the plans that we saw and the staff's care and accommodations for the present residents. We also liked the size of the facility and the activities within Westminster and in the neighboring community. Westminster's continuing care plan is also and important consideration as we get older. We can make our move when the time comes without mourning what we leave behind us as it gets more difficult to keep up with a house and yard.

We decided several years ago that a Continuous Care Retirement Community (CCRC) was the best life plan for us. After reviewing many choices online and visiting a couple of locations, we selected Westminster at Lake Ridge. We wanted to live in an independent cottage with easy walking access to onsite amenities such as a gym, dining, and recreation, all of which we found at Westminster. The health services offered are varied and will provide us with care through any stage of our life. Once we made our decision, the administrative staff has stayed in touch with us and is always available to answer any of our questions. We like that there are opportunities to talk with those already living there as well as to meet others on the waitlist through social events or informative sessions. That Westminster is close to family is an added bonus for us. We look forward to becoming a permanent member of the community when the time is right for us.

Loved it. The size of the community is perfect and the staff are friendly and welcoming. The size of the apartments makes them quite lovely.

The staff all have been very helpful with the move and we are just about settled in. The community is very friendly and there is always something going on. There are many scheduled activities to choose from. They have a wonderful Sunday brunch with many delicious choices. There are a variety of options to choose from for lunch and dinner. If it wasn't for A Place for Mom we wouldn't have found this wonderful place!