Mount Pleasant Gardens — Attraction in Mount Pleasant

Making the decision that I could no longer be the primary caregiver for my sweet mother who took such good care of me was one of the hardest decisions I’ve been faced with this far. After touring 6 facilities, which I had positive things to say about all of them, it was evident that Mount Pleasant Gardens was the best place for my mom. She is still high functioning with Alzheimer’s. At other places she would’ve been placed in assisted living and thought the idea of a little more independence sounds great; she would’ve just isolated. She was starting to have sundowners and it seemed in a short time she was bound to wonder off. The staff at Mount Pleasant Gardens was so helpful and communicative and accommodating to answer my billions of questions and let me visit multiple times to be certain this was the best fit for her. Once my mother was moved in I watched the magic of how they worked with her while staying in contact with me. They kept communicating with me because I know my mom, but they know the disease so with us together they truly personalized her care so she can stay as high functioning as she can be for as long as possible. Leanne is absolutely amazing and she has gone above and beyond not only in dealing with me, but also giving up her own work time and office to be able to watch my mom and other high functioning residents to do some home eck chores. She really connects with all of the residents and it’s obvious by how they light up when they see her! Denise truly cares about her staff and loves them which is so important and a win for everyone. Employees that know they are valued are happy where they are. Judy and the Doctors there have done a wonderful job with my mom’s medical needs. Judy even responded to me multiple times during not work hours. The staff there is wonderful and I see smiling faces every time I am there doing a wonderful job caring for all of the residents meeting them exactly where they are. The facility is clean and pretty. I thoroughly enjoy going and visiting. My children (7 and 9) enjoy going and spending time with their grandmother and her new friends. Most importantly, my mother is adjusted and very happy there. She is thriving with the routine, activities and peers! It is such a blessing to have switched roles. I was not equipped to be a 24/7 caregiver, especially during this phase of life as a mother of 2 school aged children. To now know she is better cared for than I could offer, and I get to wholeheartedly enjoy my time with her again because I’m not constantly worried about the next obstacle that comes with dementia (there are new ones daily) I am beyond grateful for Mount Pleasant Gardens and all of the angels that work there! Thank you isn’t...

My dad was diagnosed with Frontotemporal dementia 3 years ago. We wanted to keep him home as long as we could, but eventually, we couldn’t manage him at home. We spent months visiting facilities to determine which would provide the best care from him. We chose Mount Pleasant Gardens, because we were sold on a family feel and quality care. We are giving 2 stars, because some of the employees and the activities director/assistants are outstanding. The activities people are trying hard to provide a variety of activities for the residents. We knew that no place would be perfect, but we did expect a certain standard of care. In our 7 months at Mt Pleasant Gardens, we saw many things that caused us concern in the level of care being provided. Overall, there is a lack of professionalism and respect for the residents and their families. In addition, it seems that many employees are not properly trained on how to care for residents with dementia and mobility issues. Often during our visits, employees were sitting on their phones and didn’t even acknowledge us being there. We asked ourselves-if they aren’t attentive when we are here, how bad is it when we aren’t? The strict visiting hours concerned us as well. We were made to believe we could only visit during visiting hours, and were not treated well if we came early or stayed late. We now know that we legally have a right to visit 24 hours per day. We brought several concerns to management, but never felt they were truly addressed. We lost confidence in the managements’ ability to ensure quality care and we felt we had no other option but to move our dad to another facility. We are very pleased with the new facility and have seen a huge improvement in Dad’s mobility and attitude. We have chosen not to provide a laundry list of concerns on online review sites, but we have addressed those concerns to the upper management of Mount Pleasant Gardens, and hope that they will be working to improve the experience so that other families and residents don’t have similar...

My mom has lived in three different memory care homes in the Charleston area, and, by far, Mt. Pleasant Gardens is the most welcoming, supportive, reliable, and professional — both for their residents and families. From the moment my mom and I toured with Leanne, MPG’s resident-focused philosophy has driven all decisions regarding Mom’s care. There is detailed and timely communication among the nurse, Judy (whose cell phone number is shared with families), me, and Mom’s doctor. Additionally, families receive emails inviting them to various special events, including the annual fundraiser held to support Alzheimer's research, an event that offers residents an opportunity to run sales and serve their family members. (Leanne is great at sending photos of our lived ones!) This is just one way MPG supports the autonomy and independence of its residents. All activities and interactions among staff and residents reflect the “dignity for all” approach that is practiced every day. As Mom’s Alzheimer’s disease progresses, I am grateful for the MUSC psychiatrist who meets with residents on site and collaborates with Judy and other caregivers; her support of Mom and me is priceless. Finally, I find the public areas as well as Mom’s apartment/room to be the cleanest of all our experiences to date. Whether it is the smile at the front door or the sparkling clean floors that greet me when I arrive, each visit is a positive experience. Expect an open door policy with the director Kristen, the bookkeeper Jennifer, the nurse Judy, and Leanne in sales and all things resident related! This is a team that has been in place for years and is heavily invested in MPG as if their own family members lived there. Alzheimer’s is a difficult journey, and no one understands this better than MPG. I am glad that they walk by my side and Mom’s each...