The New Homestead Home — Local services in New York

My 100 year old Holocaust survivor mom, Rosa, with all her faculties, just moved into The New Homestead, an enhanced assisted living/adult home on Sunday, April 16, 2023. She was very reluctant to leave her home and move into a strange and new place away from her family. Prior to visiting this facility, I made a 25 point spread sheet with specific points and questions that I needed to be sure would give my mom the best place for her to live. Of all the places I called, Steven was the only one who guaranteed that everything my mom needed (which is a great deal) would be provided, so I decided to see for myself. Steven Schonberger, the owner, welcomed me when I came to visit, showed me around, and answered all my questions and concerns, and assured me this would be an ideal and reasonable place where my mom would get everything that she needed. So I went home and explained how impressed I was by the room she would have, the staff, and all the things they would provide. My mom, of course was very upset and still didn't want to leave home, but at 100 years old, money was an issue. Plus she told me she would never leave her room and participate in any activities. Steven called that very same evening that I visited and spoke with my mom and she was so very happy and impressed, and he promised her, that what she required she'd get. Then came the day we visited The New Homestead, and then the following week she moved in! Her room is decorated in lavender (her favorite color) with all her favorite things to make it feel as homey as possible. While she told me that she would never partake of any activities, they took her to the entertainment room the first day where they had a wonderful singer who sang for two and a half hours. My mom loved it and sang along and then spoke to the singer after. My mom sang and made a few records in her time, so she recognized a quality singer. She has had a manicure, games, music, and so much more. She has only been there for five days and she has gone to all the activities and is loving it. At home she only had family and at The New Homestead she now has made a few friends. She is even eating different pureed foods and even "hailed the chef" after enjoying a very delicious meal the other day. I cannot thank everyone there for their attention to my moms needs, the care they show her, how well they treat her, and the way they get her involved in all this wonderfully planned activities. However, none of this could have happened without the kindness of the staff. My mom has taken a special liking to Ragin (administrator) and it is mutual. She speaks French with my mom, and my mom and her have a special rapport together. She has made her introduction into this place a very special one with her love, kindness, and compassion. I cannot thank her enough. She stops in every day to say hi and see how she's doing and if there's anything she needs. Steven, the owner, always comes by to say hi and gives her a big hug and kiss and makes her smile. He has gone above and beyond to make my mom feel welcomed and loved away from her home. He made sure her room had all the many requests she asked for and for that we are both so grateful. The many other staff that we are just getting to know from Camilla, Shamenie, Felicia, the med techs, all the wonderful aides that treat my mom with such respect, to George, Garmin, Nepal, Carlos and so many others we are just meeting, a big thank you to all! I cannot say enough about The New Homestead.I recommend it highly to anyone who wants their loved ones to get quality care. It's truly a place where people care and go above and beyond!

Rosa (mom) and...

I don't even want to give this establishment 1 star, but they give you no option to leave ZERO stars. I was looking to get my Father into this assisted living facility because he has Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis on 24 hour oxygen and currently lives on a fourth floor walk up. He can no longer manage those stairs, and is currently using a motorized scooter to get around. My Wife and I met the owner, Stephen, who told us anything we wanted was possible, nothing was a problem. So we brought my Father there in a wheelchair and Stephen asked numerous times if he could walk with a walker, which we told him no. My Father asked him outright if his scooter was allowed in the facility and Stephen replied "Yes, that's no problem". The room he showed us had a lot of twists and turns to get into, and he assured us that he would work hard to find a room that goes straight in for easy access with the scooter. Asked us to give him a couple of days and handed us the medical forms needed to be accepted. We had them filled out the same day by the doctor. A couple of days later, I had left a message for him and so did my Father, three days later, he called my Father back and asked AGAIN if he could walk with a walker and how much his income was, making a comment about his income being high. My Father again told him, he could NOT walk with a walker. Stephen said he would get back to my Father in a few days. A week later, my Father was taken to the hospital for an infection in his lungs, which is being treated. Now we are scrambling to get in touch with Stephen to get the room ASAP, so that straight from the hospital my Father wouldn't have to get up the fourth floor walk up again. I left a message for him at the office, two messages on his cell phone and went to the facility to speak with him. He was not there and didn't return any of my messages within the past two days. My Wife and I, go there again and speak a man named Jacob, who tries to call Stephen. Stephen tells him to tell us, he will call us when a room is available, but would not return any of our calls. We find out later in the day, that assisted living facilities cannot by LAW take a resident who cannot walk on their own. Electric scooter or wheelchairs are NOT allowed. Had Stephen told us this three weeks ago, we would not have wasted so much time and energy. I personally, do not know this information as this is the first time I am going through this situation. I believe that Stephen was VERY UNPROFFESSIONAL and downright rude for not being honest from the beginning. Wasting our time at such a delicate and stressful moment in our lives. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND anyone even attempt to put their loved ones in a place where the owner does not care...

The best part of The New Homestead assisted living facility is its exceptional staff, whose friendliness and dedication made a significant impact on my aunt’s experience. We consistently praised the aides, medical technicians, and other staff for their warm and attentive care, creating a supportive and engaging environment that helped us feel our aunt was valued and well-cared-for. Their genuine interactions and proactive approach are standout features, contributing greatly to the facility's positive atmosphere.

However, it’s important to note that the facility itself would benefit from renovations to enhance its overall appeal. While the staff's exceptional service provides a comforting and supportive atmosphere, updates to the dining room and gathering spaces would further improve the overall environment. Despite this, the friendliness of the staff remains a major asset, making The New Homestead a welcoming choice for those seeking a caring and personable residence.

Another thing that is really worth mentioning is that someone has always been available to answer the phone whenever we called the main number. We checked on her very often, and we were not left hanging whenever we called. They quickly connected us to her room whenever we called.

We must give special recognition of one of the aides there named Pam. She was my aunt’s one-one-one/ private-pay aide for several hours per day. She was incredibly compassionate and caring, and she absolutely went above and beyond. She not only provided for my aunt’s basic needs, but she also provided comfort and support, and treated my aunt like she was her own family. We are truly thankful to her, and we couldn’t ask for more.

Ultimately, we chose The New Homestead because they were able to accept my aunt with her limited mobility, they were very kind and welcoming to her, and the location next to the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) train was very convenient. The outdated decor was just not that important. The most important thing to us was for her to receive care and compassion. We believe she enjoyed her stay, thanks to the caring and...