Burlington - Redwood

This place seems to have been built to dazzle and cater for the very wealthy only. I went there today as I'm looking for a place for my mother who will soon require rest home care. When I got there, I was told that the "rest home care" rooms "had to be bought". Upon further discussion, I found this to mean that you cannot move into their basic rest home care room without first purchasing a Licence to Occupy from around $215,000 for the smallest room - of which up to 30% (depending on length of stay, less for 1 or two years occupation) will be deducted upon the resident relinquishing the room. Daily rest home fees on top of this initial cost apply as usual. These prices were given to me today by a staff member and was told some of the prices are rising shortly. Having said that, the rooms are large and very luxurious compared to the rooms in most other rest homes in the city. Although I think they are too much - too big, too polished, too contemporary and too flashy. The elderly living there looked so out of place and looked like they had been temporarily evacuated into a big hotel. For me, there is nothing welcoming, comforting or homely about the place and the rooms. In other rest homes the residents rooms have their own personal items in them with lots of family photos on display etc but I didn't see this here when I visited. Also I frequently see at other rest homes signs of theme days and art work by the residents on display around the walls but nothing like that here today. It seems to have been designed to dazzle and impress the families rather than to make an elderly person feel at home. I think the directors have missed the mark here and gone overboard instead of thinking what would really suit their residents. And I'm just gobsmacked that these single rooms require to be purchased. I've not come across this in any other rest home in this city apart from the Merivale Retirement Village in Browns Road whose owners recently decided their existing clients had to buy a room in their rebuilt rest home if they wanted to stay there. The licence to occupy are usual for villas and studio apartments but not for the single rest home care rooms. I also looked through the villas today. They were beautiful and very impressive with great floor plans. My one star on this review is for the fact that the rest home is unwelcoming and impersonal and not cosy and homely but most of all for the fact a resident has to buy their room. Also, almost all the rooms have been occupied already by the residents that were at Alpine View. They were moved across while the rest home there is being demolished and rebuilt. It was a waste of time even going to look. Have to say the staff are very nice though.

Fantastic place and amazing staff. Very impressed with the professional care provided for my father during the last week of his life. I can't thank the staff enough for the caring and kindness shown to my sister and I during this terribly sad time. I will forever be grateful to have found Burlington Village and the wonderful people that work there. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. With the warmest regards, Samantha Beazley.

Dad recently passed away and for the last week of his life we came to Burlington Village. The space we had to be with Dad over this difficult time was wonderful. We had a large room and lounge with a en suite and kitchenette and a lovely outdoor area onto a great green space. We brought in Dad's treasured items and stereo and plants so he could feel more at home. It made it easier for us to have space and private time with Dad in his few final days. The staff at Burlington are amazing. Everyone was genuinely caring and did whatever they could do to help Dad and us. They have an amazing team. They kept Dad comfortable, clean and pain free. I'm so grateful to them and feel really lucky to have found Burlington Village.