Towne Club Windermere Assisted Living

Virginia Porcello

2021-02-01

TOWNE CLUB WINDEMERE! A terrible place to live! THE OWNER IS A TERRIBLE AT LYING DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING HE TELLS YOU BECAUSE HE IS CONSTANTLY LYING: today i got an email from the owner Greg, that he was changing the housekeeping rules and that my housekeeper, who was working with me for the past two months could no longer clean my apartment because she was allergic to dogs! I thought this was strange since she has come into my apartment every week, and played with my dog and has her own dog and why would she say that now? this is the email he sent me: Virginia - I was informed that you spoke with the staff about your housekeeping rescheduling. To confirm what I was told: • We will clean your apartment on Monday’s sometime between 9:00 am ad 10:30 am. • Isabelle is not able to clean your apartment as you requested as she has an allergy to pets (even though Valentine is supposed to be hypoallergenic). • JJ is head of Housekeeping and will be cleaning your apartment along with one other person. Greg SO i just spoke to the housekeeper, who told me she is NOT ALLERGIC TO DOGS, AND THIS MAN NEVER ASKED HER ABOUT IT! So if you are thinking about moving here be careful because i have been lied to so many times by this group. it is not a good place to live. read on: From 3.7.2021 to 3.13.2021 THE BUCK STOPS HERE Part one The owner of Towne Club, has clearly taken an adversarial stance with me, and has been abusive, intimidating and grandiose in this email: THE BUCK STOPS HERE; I am at my wit's end with this place. Every day, they make decisions to change things without speaking with the residents individually to see if the changes will work for them and not only the administration. Ever since Mr. Almquist has come to "take over" for the director who quit (I wonder why), things have been more unorganized and chaotic. He constantly changes things around, which creates more problems, and each day I must deal with one of their new "rules" about my food issues. Here is the last email I got from him, which I will call the BUCK STOPS HERE. THIS IS PART OF AN EMAIL THAT I RECEIVED FROM THE OWNER, MR. GREG ALMQUIST AFTER I ASKED HIM NOT TO COME TO MY ROOM WITH ANOTHER STAFF MEMBER who he uses as a witness when I am alone in the room and do not have a witness for myself to listen to his abusive behavior. In my email to him I asked him to communicate with me via email or zoom but I would no longer communicate with him verbally when I was alone in my room with no one to support his abusive behavior and this is the response I received from him: From: Greg Almquist Sent: Saturday, March 6, 2021 8:15 PM To: Virginia Porcello Subject: Re: Saturday's dinner Virginia – I am at TCW tonight as I have been all day. The CNA came into my office early, almost in tears, when she had to deal with your abuse about your claim that you did not receive your meal. I said that I would handle it for her. She thanked me.: Then I met with five members of the kitchen staff who were cleaning up getting ready to leave. They showed me pictures and confirmed that your dinner was delivered on time and as you directed. I asked them to make you a second dinner, which they did upon my request. Kim and I then delivered it to you. I am the Executive Director. You must deal with me because of my position and because you have harassed and infuriated all our staffs. The buck stops with me. I am your point of contact. Virginia, we can have zoom calls and exchange emails all that you want. But I will not tolerate you intimidating and harassing our staff. I did not want to believe your abrasive nature when I came. You know as I tried to look past that when you and I first met. I will continue to communicate directly with you. You must communicate with me. You will be hearing about our new menu next week. If you do not like it, then we need to talk. Greg Almquist Before you think about moving yourself or your loved one to Towne Club Windmere, or ANY community touting itself as an independent living community," "luxury retirement living," or "assisted living," please read this! I am writing about my experience navigating my rights as a retirement-aged citizen while looking to live in an assisted living community. I have experienced many problems moving into Towne Club Windemere, an independent and assisted living community that advertises a luxury community with a country club atmosphere. I know I am not the only one experiencing the egregious behavior of staff, and it has been anything but a country club experience for me. I am speaking out so that other people do not get trapped into signing a lease without knowing what you are getting into that I wasn't aware of when I signed the contract to live at Towne Club. Let me start with the latest experiences: Yesterday, I immediately began vomiting after taking a few sips of what was supposed to be, I guess, some version of vegetable soup with chicken stock in a vile liquid. After spitting out the few spoons I drank, my stomach was burning, and I was vomiting most of the day. I almost went to the emergency room after that. That was all it took. Once I was able, I demanded to know what was in the soup. A staff member told me that it had Soy Sauce, chicken stock, Rice Wine, Vinegar, and water, along with the veggies, that, trust me, were uncooked. This incident is a culmination of many others that I have endured while living here. It must stop. I moved here three months ago into an assisted living apartment at Towne Club Windemere. When I first met the staff's administrator and members, I listened to all the hoopla about how wonderful it is to live here, how excellent the food is, and how supportive and helpful the staff is. All smiles and lovely comments from the administrator and staff to me. Though I do need some assistance, my mind is still very sharp. I am still working as a therapist, and I see clients—virtually right now—a few days a week. My mental faculties and insight are still sharp, and I can even cook for myself. Everything seemed fine during this initial meeting and walkthrough. But once I signed the lease? Towne Club feels they own me and can ignore my dietary needs, ignore my privacy, ignore health issues, and talk down to me like I am a child, at their whim. I'm a very outspoken person by nature, but I know I am not the only one who currently faces this subtle abuse type. I'm sure of it because other community members here have told me, personally, about their encounters with the administration and staff. But they are too scared to speak up out of fear. Since the day I moved into my apartment, I've been fighting with the administration. It's not just nit-picking, as the administration and staff paint it. No. I feel that if I were not at retirement age, and this apartment was not billed as a "wonderful community for independent living" in a "luxury retirement community," many of the issues I have with living here wouldn't even happen in the first place. If you are looking for an independent community or assisted living community for yourself or a loved one, let me share some advice:  Do not sign a lease that includes a monthly food package in your monthly rent. It looks good, on paper, to see that there's a "food package" included in the rent. You have all your dietary needs taken care of with meals that you don't have to prepare. What they don’t disclose is that whether the food is good or not, whether it’s edible or not, or whether you order it or not, you are responsible for paying the monthly “meal plan.” They refuse, at first, to tell you how the “food package” costs. It’s “built into the lease,” they explain,” which is such a false statement because if you are running a business, you know exactly what the meals cost. Once I signed the lease, the food delivered to me I wouldn't even feed a stray dog. Everyone complains about it, including the residents, the workers, and the employees. Being a diabetic--who had bariatric surgery—I must eat a high protein diet with no salt, no creams, and fats in the food. They said that would not be a problem. The menu looks good, but no one here can cook. All soups are not freshly prepared. Nope. Instead, it is condensed, canned soups loaded with sodium, creams and not edible for a person with diabetes. Every meal was full of salt and not prepared in a healthy way. Most of the foods served are covered with cream and tons of sodium. They used to serve filet mignon and hamburgers, now they have taken them off the menu, and they mix any sauces or seasonings with tons of mayo. I have photos of the other "freshly prepared" food plopped down on a tray for me to eat. Inedible; totally inedible. I’ve ordered salmon that was delivered to me, RAW! Chicken grilled with nothing on it and so overcooked that it was hard as a rock! I thought I'd be safe ordering a protein drink, at least, from the menu. The "protein drink" presented to me was two 4 oz containers with 49 grams of sugar in each. And when I told the administrator, they hid the drink in a Styrofoam container, so I couldn’t calculate how much sugar was in it. When I spoke to the director about it, she said she refused to buy a healthier protein drink for me or any other resident. You do not give a person with diabetes almost 100 grams of sugar to keep them healthy. I complained, and they sent me the same thing the next day, and on the third day, they tried to hide it in a Styrofoam cup so I couldn't read the contents.  Check the kitchen before you sign the lease Ask whether the kitchen is a full kitchen or half kitchen before you sign your lease. Many “retirement communities” contract with an outside vendor for all or most of your meals. If you are able, and you have a stove/oven in your apartment, request to cook for yourself, but here's what happens when you do make that request: After repeat meals of inedible food, I asked if I could cook for myself., the director informs me that I'll still be charged $450 per month for the "food plan" no matter what Wait a minute. The director told me, flat out, I had to pay for the food whether I ate it or not? So, I still pay at least $450 per month ( they will not give me the correct amount) for meals that I cannot eat. They send them to me, but the food is either raw or overcooked and has so much salt that I am now taking water pills daily. I file complaints with the ombudsman after the administration ignored my complaints for the last three months. Just know that Georgia law dictates that if you have a letter from your doctor stating that you need a special diet, the administrators MUST sit down with you weekly and prepare those foods for you. It has taken them three months for me to get a decent salad that isn’t wilted and gross. In the last three months, I have sent so many meals back to the kitchen—three times per day; you do the math—to at least get a salad and a cup of cottage cheese, which is the only thing I eat because I don't trust them not to put sodium in the meals.  Demand your privacy Isn't it sad that you must demand your privacy in your apartment to stop the administrator and staff from busting through your door without knocking anytime they feel like it? I've had caretakers and med-techs march into my apartment without knocking, even after requesting that they knock on the door first and announce themselves. I'm told, "we can do whatever we want to do. We are in charge." One med tech told me, “she was the nurse, and I was the patient, so they were allowed to do anything they wanted. I’ve had a med-tech put her hand down my chest to reach for my buzzer without asking me if it was ok to reach for it. The level of incompetency here is astounding. We are supposed to be living in a supportive, compassionate environment that is healthy and safe and trust the people who are working here, and they do not seem to care. Just because you signed a lease in a retirement community doesn't mean you have given up your right to privacy. I've had staff barge into my apartment while I am working with clients, interrupting not only my privacy but the privacy I have with my clients. Just because you are a certain age and live in a retirement/assisted living community doesn't mean you lose your right to privacy and common decency. Contact me: Trust me. I've watched the demeaning way the administration treats my community neighbors and me. I've learned so much about how these "luxury independent and assisted living communities" operate. I can tell you that there is no compassion from the administration here at Towne Club once you sign the lease and they start taking your money. This non-caring demeanor permeates the staff as well. Many staff members have quit over the lack of care and lack of management here. I believe it's not just happening to me at Towne Club, but it happens to others at other "luxury retirement communities" all over Georgia and the United States. Contact me if you want to know more about my experiences and see photos describing what I write here. Contact me on face book or look up my name. I will My advice is that this is not a good, healthy place to live for yourself or a loved one. If you want to know how some of the employees feel about it check out https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Towne-Club-Windermere/reviews and https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Towne-Club-Windermere-Reviews-E1309682.htm\so

Sally Whitlow

2020-09-25

The staff here is really great !! I would especially like to give a big high-five to Christina as she has been VERY helpful to me lately with technology ..

Thelma Smith

2020-09-25

I think Towne Club is a good place. I really love living here. There are so many great people and they always have fun activities for us to do. You never know what silly costume JJ will be wearing.

Ginger Riggs

2019-11-13

we just moved my dad in and everyone has been anazing. from the administrative staff, nursing, activities and the restaurant. He is already feeling at home.

Tracy Almquist Richard

2018-12-27

My parents were in their assisted living area for a couple months. The food was good (I often joined them), the facility was beautiful without any odors and there was always activities to participate in.

Jonathan Wade Meldrum

2017-08-04

Beautiful Community great staff love all the workout and exercise classes they have and amazing great food with at least 10 different things you can pick from on their lunch and dinner menus with an additional two specials.

Maria Robinson

2017-07-22

Very impressed with my first experience at Town Club. I was treated with genuine southern hospitality and amazed at the above and beyond quality service given to all the residents. The entire community feels homey yet elegant and they have a large variety of things to do. I ate at their on site restaurant and the food was delicious and high quality. The pool is amazing and residents were enjoying an activity there. I would definitely consider moving my dad here!

Shannon Stone Parke

2016-11-11

We are so happy with our decision to move my grandmother to Towne Club. The staff is passionate about what they do and have the warmest hearts. The food is great and the activities are more than we could ever have asked for. This community is a blessing.

Janet Sadler Akers

2016-07-29

An absolutely stunning facility. So glad you guys are part of our community. The Grand Opening Celebration was a huge success! TCW sets the standard for Resort Senior Living!

Linda F.

2021-06-04

This place is fabulous.  My mother has been a resident for almost 3 years in the independent living side of the community. This last year during the COVID virus has been challenging for all senior communities.  TCW has met the challenges head on, and has been proactive in all areas where needed to continue to keep the residents safe and healthy.  From delivering meals directly to each resident, ensuring to screen residents for infection, monitoring and  cleanliness, following state mandated guidelines, coordinating that all residents are vaccinated  and working daily to keep each resident engaged in the community during a global pandemic, I applaud the staff.There are so.many outstanding and dedicated staff members that have gone above and beyond to ensure the residents quality of life is the best that it can be.  In a pandemic, that is no small feat!TCW is a beautiful facility, filled with caring residents.  My mother loves this community, the activities, the staff, her lovely apartment and her friends.Just walking in the door, makes you realize that happy residents live here.  Thank you TCW staff for all your commitment.  So glad that 2020 is over, and the virus pandemic is resolving.  You all deserve a metal of honor!

Virginia P.

2021-05-20

Heart healthy nightmare!I have lived at Towne Club Windemere for the past 7 months. I live in assisted living and pay $5500 a month rent and cannot get a decent meal to eat. I am diabetic and have had bariatric surgery, so I have some dietary needs which the owner here has tried to get me evicted because he calls them "EXTREME"! let me tell you how extreme they are. I ask for a diet with no salt or sugar or white flour or fried foods. It is called a HEART HEALTHY DIET"" which is extreme here to get. I have had to buy my own food to cook since I moved here and spend over $150+ a week in addition to the money they charge here for your meals which they claim is included in the package of $5500. I do not want to spend money on food, but this place serves the worst food I have ever eaten. Yesterday they came out with a new menu, which was supposed to have a 'HEART HEALTHY MENU' with it, and it is the same old fried foods, with creams, salt, and sugars in it. This morning I ordered an omelet with feta cheese, spinach, and onions, and it came up uncooked inside, the feta cheese was still cold from the refrigerator! Today I asked for a cup of soup (HAVE NOT HAD A CUP OF HEALTHY SOUP SINCE I MOVED IN) because they do not make healthy soup, its filled with sodium, salt, and cream. So tonight, I asked for the same thing and this is what I got, FRIED mozzarella sticks, cream of SOMETHING? SOUP FILLED WITH SALT AND CREAM, and instead of "guiltless" dessert, they sent me key lime pie!Please, if you want to live here or send your loved one you need to know that they will charge you for this terrible food whether you eat it or not. They will not give you any credit for the food if you do not order it, that is how they make their money. They have the nerve to show pretty pictures of food on their website, but you will NEVER see that food on your plate. For $5500 a month, I should be getting gourmet meals! But the biggest problem they have is the cooks are terrible and they do not have a chief like most places have, so they pay them little money and they cannot even make an omelet. Before you think about moving in, make sure you understand that they will charge you for everything, even if you do not get it. I did not have housekeeping for 5 weeks, and they tried to charge me for it. This place is the worst place I have ever lived in, the owner is abusive towards me, and lies all the time. Beware! THIS IS NOT A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE

Alexa N.

2018-01-04

My grandmother recently had to move into independent living due to a brain aneurysm that took some of her independence away. We chose Towne Club because of how amazing the staff seemed and how many great things they offer to their residents. The place itself is also extremely nice. We couldn't have imagined a more amazing place for her to live! The staff genuinely cares about their residents and go above and beyond in everything they do. They are so friendly and loving. The food is also amazing! Our grandmother absolutely loves living here!

Janet S.

2016-07-28

Absolutely stunning!  The Grand Opening event was very successful and done first class.  The facility is beautiful.  It's like moving to an all-inclusive resort with all the amenities.  This Resort a retirement Center is a game changer in the industry.  So proud its in our community and opened at the perfect time for our family.  Every person we have dealt with at Towne Club is friendly, professional and treats residents and their families like royalty.  The food is fabulous, and the social calendar is packed!  Even though we were looking at Towne Club (and we looked at lots of them) for our parent - my husband and I decided we need to live there too!  It sets the standard for senior living in luxury!

virginia porcello

2021-05-01

The food here is terrible every one complains. I haven’t had a housekeeper for 5 weeks because the owner is being vindictive toward me. He has been arrogant and nasty to me accusing me of doing things I haven’t done. If you have a family member who had any special needs or can speak up for themselves you really don’t want to come here.

Dr. P

2021-03-01

Before you think about moving yourself or your loved one to Towne Club Windermere, a community touting itself as an "independent living community," "luxury retirement living," or "assisted living," please read this!I am writing about my experience navigating my rights as a retirement-aged citizen while looking to live in an assisted living community. After moving into Towne Club Windermere, I have experienced many problems with this independent and assisted living community that advertises a luxury community with a country club atmosphere. I know I am not the only one experiencing the egregious behavior of staff, and it has been anything but a country club experience for me.I am speaking out so that other people do not get trapped into signing a lease without knowing what you are getting into that I wasn't aware of when I signed the contract to live at Towne Club.Here are the lowlights:I moved here three months ago into an assisted living apartment at Towne Club Windermere. When I first met the staff's administrator and members, I listened to all the hoopla about how wonderful it is to live here, how excellent the food is, and how supportive and helpful the staff is.All smiles and lovely comments from the administrator and staff to me. My mind is still very sharp. I am still working as a therapist, and I see clients—virtually right now—a few days a week. My mental faculties and insight are still sharp, and I can even cook for myself.Everything seemed fine during this initial meeting and walkthrough. But once I signed the lease which has a built in cost of $450 per month for a "meal plan," Towne Club now feels that they own me and can ignore my dietary needs, ignore my privacy, ignore health issues, and talk down to me like I am a child, at their whim.It's not only happening to me.99 percent of the time, the food is inedible, and I have asked and demanded a specialized menu, as I am a diabetic--who had bariatric surgery. I must eat a high protein diet with no salt, no creams, or low or no sugar and fats.I've been met with hostility by the revolving door staff, administration, and administrator.After eating something that was supposed to be, I guess, some version of vegetable soup, I spit out the few tablespoons I drank; I was vomiting the rest of the day. I almost went to the ER. When I demanded to know what was in this so-called "soup" from the kitchen staff and administration, a staff member told me that it had Soy Sauce, chicken stock, Rice Wine Vinegar, and water, along with the veggies, that, trust me, were uncooked.This incident is a culmination of many others that I have endured while living here. It must stop.I'm a very outspoken person by nature, but I know I am not the only one who currently faces this subtle abuse type. I'm sure of it because other community members here have told me, personally, about their encounters with the administration and staff.But they are too scared to speak up out of fear. Many community members fear speaking up about the food, yet they are PAYING a lot of money to live here.Since the first day that I moved into my apartment, I've been fighting with the staff and administration about the food. I can cook for myself and have no issue doing so. I approached the administration about a refund of the money spent on the "monthly meal plan," since I cannot eat any highly salted, highly creamed, and often under or overcooked meats, vegetables, and fish.I know this is happening to many who, like me, still have mental acuity and cognitive abilities but just need a little help, period. I feel if this was not billed as a "wonderful community for independent living" in a "luxury retirement community," many of the issues I have with living here wouldn't even happen in the first place.There's so much more to say, so if you consider living here or if you consider placing a loved one here, please contact me. Personal rights don't go away once you reach age 65, so don't let Windermere Towne Center buy them from you. The personal cost is much too high.

Joan Poole

2021-01-01

Prior to COVID -19, the TCW activities team, JJ, Christina and Susan, did an excellent job planning every day fun, healthy and educational activities both on the property and bus trip outings. Their costumes for all occasions brought much joy and still do. Even with the lockdown changes brought by the virus, they never lost continued focus on mental and physical health tirelessly creating safe activities to accomplish this for all residents of Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care. They have decorated carts including music for delivering special treats much like an ice cream vendor. A Farmers Market Cart, wonderfully designed, brought everyone an excellent array of fresh fruits and vegetables. We are all very thankful for these three wonderful, hard working, loyal employees and the love, care and attention they have bestowed upon all the residents at Towne Club Windermere.Richard and Joan Poole

Bert Schock

2021-01-01

I just want to tell you JJ and the activities teams here is the best very creative out of the box thinkers to keep us entertained the last thing they did was bring in the Farmers Market to our doors and got to pick out fresh veggies we still get to play Bingo safely 6 feet away with masks but they're doing everything in their power to keep us entertained safe:)

Jean Watson

2021-01-01

The staff is always helpful with a smile. Donna established rules which we followed to avoid the virus . Apparently it worked. We were so lucky to have great servers as our delicious meals were served in our apartments.

Therapist “Therapist”

2021-01-01

Horrible place management is so incompetent. They deserve zero star.

Brian Walls

2021-01-01

A beautiful, well run, friendly place with my mom's thumbs up 👍 She's so happy here with her independent living lifestyle. As her health care needs possibly increase, they have everything she could ever need. I give the entire staff including chef 5 stars!