Aegis Gardens Newcastle — Local services in Newcastle

Had a really bad experience with Aegis Newcastle, specifically with the care received. Aegis is on a points system where you pay based on care needs (example: showers, toileting, etc.). Unfortunately, even though we paid for care, it wasn't actually provided.

Examples include: call button response time upwards 30+ mins. This is a long time if you need assistance with toileting. On one occasion, one caregiver came and turned the call button off (as if responding to the call) then walked away once she realized my grandmother needed a diaper change.

I was told by the sales person response times were 10 minutes or less. Had I would have known it was much longer, Aegis wouldn't have been a viable living option for my loved ones.*

showers which we paid 2x a week for, often wouldn't happen. I would have to remind staff, which isn't great for residents who don't have family around to advocate.

once a caregiver who was escorting my grandmother to the toilet was on her phone and wasn't paying attention. My grandmother fell backwards and hit her head. The caregiver was very apologetic, but obviously this wasn't great as she spent 1 month + recovering in the ER/ skilled nursing rehab. (meanwhile we're still paying for rent on a 1 bedroom room).

Finally, the worse fall/issue occurred in the middle of the night. My grandmother lay on the floor after falling backwards and hitting her head on the corner of a wall. I had a Wyze camera and had saved the footage to the cloud. It showed her laying on the floor for over 30 minutes before someone showed up. When I enquired about this the GM at the time (Deepa Hall) lied and told me via email that it was 10 minutes when someone responded. Thinking she was mistaken, I told her I saw something differently with my camera's timestamps and she immediately (1) removed the cameras stating it's a privacy issue (2) Deepa Hall blocked me from coming to visit my grandmother and told all staff I was not to come into her room.

After Deepa Hall no longer worked there, another GM Lori Stiff came into the picture. Thinking we would be getting better service after I set up a meeting and explained how they aren't giving my grandmother showers and had unacceptable response times to residents, Lori Stiff didn't address or do anything to move the needle and provide at least the service we paid for via the points system. At the end, Lori Stiff then suggested my grandmother needed a higher level of care (due to the fall that that never should have occurred if the caregiver was paying attention instead of on her phone) and ask that we pay more. I was confused as to why we would pay more for care, when we weren't even receiving the care we agreed to?!

Looking back, I wish the sales person (Cindy) was upfront about the availability of caregivers. I spoke with one of the caregivers talking about how understaffed they were. 1 staff person per floor + a floater. Most of the time, they said the floater and 1 other person would be "sick" so they were often working at half staff.

One caregiver was so overwhelmed and was going to help out to resident calls during a daily AM staff meeting Deepa Hall set up, and Deepa told them to ignore the pendants and "let them wait".

For those looking at Aeigs, just know that you'll be looking at an upfront fee (non refundable entrance fee: $15k - 25K). This locks you in as once you realize they can't provide the care they agreed upon due to staffing levels, there's no recourse for a refund if/ when you leave.

For those wondering, I did try another facility not as "high end" and they provided better call button response times because they were appropriately staffed.

My advice for those that can afford it, consider having a loved one live with you, it might actually be less expensive w/much better quality of life for them. You can hire CNA's or HCAs to come to your house for in-home care for the hours you need. It will require patience though and setting boundaries for the family.

Best of luck to those looking at this...

Where do I begin …

We are so thankful for this wonderful brand-new community. Without a doubt this is an impressive five-star facility. We moved my Mother-in-Law (MIL) Trudy to Aegis Gardens mid-February. I cannot express how impressed we are with the facility and staff. From the first moment we walked through the door the management and staff has been supportive, caring and compassionate. They have gone above and beyond to make sure my MIL feels welcome and cared for. They treat her like family. It’s obvious that the devoted management and staff genuinely care for the residents (and family).

This facility was built with the residents in mind. They offer so many amenities such as on-site beauty and nail salon, movie theater, koi pond, indoor water fountain, swimming pool, workout room, tea rooms, barbershop, game room with actual slot machines (no you can’t win money 😉 but you can win prizes), lounge with a lake view. Daily resident trash pickup. Resident outings, exercise classes, etc. Tenants also receive toilet paper, paper towels and soap. The list of amenities goes on and on.

Aegis Gardens also provides outstanding culinary offerings! Meals are prepared by their Chef who offers Asian cuisine as well as made to order, cheeseburgers, sandwiches, fish and chips, etc. They also have a noodle bar. Coffee, tea and snacks are available during the day.

The décor throughout the facility reflects an opulent Asian theme. Aegis members flew to China and handpicked the wall coverings, beautiful artwork, wall dividers, furniture etc. and had it shipped to Aegis Gardens. They also have multiple flat screen LCD’s hanging on the walls that show activities and residents enjoying the activities. They also won a well-deserved prestigious National Award for Best Architecture and Design in the senior living category. They offer studios to 2-bedroom apartments. Some of the apartments have beautiful lake views. There are safety rails outside the apartments. Their attention to detail is phenomenal.

They even offer perks to family members such as: the use of motorized bikes to explore the nearby trails and parks, monthly family meetings, wellness profile emails (basically this is a report that tracks activities and a general assessment of the resident and it’s sent to family members), attend lecture series, family movie matinees and classes with residents.

The feeling I have when I walk through the door is not of an assisted living facility but the atmosphere you would feel at an upscale 5-star hotel. The environment is positive, and the residents seem very happy and content.

Although Aegis Gardens emphasis is on the Asian community every nationality is welcome. If you or your love one is looking for a place to call home I highly recommend Aegis Gardens.

Thanks to Meng, Ellie and Morgan, for your help with the orientation and move-in process! Thanks also to Nicki, Nancy, Margaret, Chris and the rest of the staff for all that you do. Thanks to everyone for making this...

I'll start with the few positives. The building is very new and has nice Oriental touches. Some of the staff are excellent and really care about the residents. While the food is hit-or-miss, they at least try to cater to various palettes.

Several factors made us pull out of Aegis. I urge prospective Aegis residents/families to take heed of the following.

Staff: The nursing aids and helpers are underpaid, overworked, and taken for granted by management. This can lead to them taking out their frustrations on residents. The Asian front desk lady is particularly gruff, dismissive, and combative.

Points System: Like many nursing homes, Aegis charges residents based on a "care points" system. And, like some nursing homes, Aegis leadership will manufacture excuses to increase point totals in order to charge more. Aegis is particularly talented at nickel-and-diming residents. There is considerable turnover in management and nursing staff. When new staff come on board, it feels as if their first task is to figure out how to charge more points. They will try to charge for services that they don't provide.

Call Buttons: All residents wear a call button that they push when they need assistance. The first problem is the variable wait time: residents may have to wait up to 20-30 minutes for someone to come to their room. Moreover, the most alarming problem of this system is that the call buttons do not have any voice function or receiving function. Staff cannot ask what the problem is or talk to the residents remotely. Thus, nursing staff have no way of "triaging" call button requests. The woman requesting a coffee will have the same priority as the man needing an ambulance. Is this what you want for your loved ones?

Management: When not trying to extract every last penny from residents, management will rebuff any valid complaints and blame residents. Mom complaining about a nursing aid being rough with her? They'll say Mom is "an old lady" and being dramatic.

Overall, if the facilities and Oriental touches are important to your family, Aegis is worth consideration. But if you are wary of predatory pricing, incompetent management, some rude and unmotivated staff, then look harder for...