The Watermark is an attractive, shiny new facility where you will encounter friendly and helpful people to assist you through the signing process. You will be promised all sorts of wonderful services and you will feel confident in your choice of facilities for your loved one to receive care and assistance. For us, that was where the positive experience ended. It took FOUR DAYS and involvement of her MD to get her back on her medications when she moved in. It also took her MD charting negligence before the Watermark began acceptable hygiene practices for her. One of my moms caregivers continued to call her by a nickname she hated, despite being told that. Many of the Watermarks promises were never carried out despite multiple requests. Because of covid restrictions we could not go in my moms room (understandably). That meant she spent her final months without a single picture on her walls, which we were promised they would hang. When she lost manual dexterity and couldnt use her cell, we could no longer speak with her because she never got the land line that was supposed to be in her room. We were told the staff would encourage her to meet other residents and participate in activities, but the only times she EVER left her room was to receive her visitors. In the end, I received a conference call from 3 staff/providers on a Friday advising me of a serious health condition that had been first noticed five days earlier (unbeknownst to me) and that had advanced so far that I needed to make life-or-death decisions immediately before everyone left for the weekend. Within two minutes that conversation went from we are just now telling you what we have known for days to please sign a DNR. I asked about the 24/7 access to medical care she was promised, the administrator responded, verbatim, well you were told that by salespeople. Mom was started on high dose pain killers that day so I never got to have a conversation with her before she died four days later. (During which time two of her nurses so woefully untrained tried to refuse administering her meds once she could no longer swallow pills whole.) Do not place anyone you love here. I will be forever broken by the thoughts of my mothers final weeks, days and hours spent at the Watermark.

When first looking at assisted living facilities we were happy to find Watermark, his room feels like a homey apartment with a wheelchair accessible rooms/bathroom and a lovely kitchenette. The residents were all happy and engaging. My Father in-law is in his early 90s and fully cognizant, but dealing with heart issues. We are very pleased with the easy transition he has made into Watermark one month ago. He always comments about how friendly and helpful the staff is. Lyndsey has been incredibly kind, supportive and responsive as well as Cruz, Keith and Jackie and the rest of the staff have all been eager to help. As far as the food goes, my father in-law is a foodie and has raved about many of the dishes. It’s never an easy decision to make, but one thing is for sure we worry less and know he is in good hands. We live around the corner and have no issues visiting him or taking him for the day. In room visits are now allowed once again since covid restrictions have eased up. But even with restrictions we were still able to see him in designated areas. We’ve had a great experience thus far and we highly recommend you check it out!

My sister and I have struggled to find ways to best meet our moms needs and to keep her safe. After trying on our own, and not doing well, we were referred to Watermark. Lindsey, Natalie, Andrew and the entire staff have been absolutely amazing. Im not gonna lie, the transition is a difficult one, but they took care of her and they supported us throughout. Now, shes starting to feel like shes home in the Memory Care unit. She looks better than she has in a year or more and she seems happier, too. She will continue to struggle with her diagnosis, but the pressure has come off and we are confident she is very well taken care of. Staff matters and this place is the best!

Words cannot express my gratitude for the staff at The Watermark at Cherry Hills.They have gone above and beyond when it comes to caring for my father. They have so much compassion and kindness. You can see their commitment for the health and safety of their residents. My father has been well taken care of by the Memory Care team and the Administration. You can see the team work and everyone is very hands on when it comes to creating a top notch environment for their residents! When you have to make the choice of placing a loved one in a care facility, you hope that you can find a place that will care for them as you have cared for them!

Where do I begin? Both my parents came to Watermark in June of 2020. My mom is able to live fairly independently in assisted living. Unfortunately my dad had to live in Memory care due to his dementia. Most of the staff (Andrew and Cruz) are dedicated to the residents and committed to their jobs. Not so much for other employees, from the director to the chef, there seems to be a pervasive “oh well” attitude.Let’s start with the food. For the fee the residents pay they deserve food that’s star quality. Many, many residents have complained but to no avail. Shame on the chef! Do you eat the food that’s prepped in your kitchen?Then there are the clothes dryers. They don’t work! How many times does one need to hear “we’re working on them” to learn nobody really cares. Again, the residents pay for this amenity and to have the machines operational is a no brainer.Next, my parents both tested negative for Covid several times yet they were denied the opportunity to have in-person visits. I believe with my whole being that because he was unable to be with his wife of 67+ years contributed to my father’s death in December.My father’s death is another subject entirely and I will let my mother address that issue.I gave 2 stars because at least mom has a roof over her head and some sustenance, even if it’s of poor quality.

Natalie and Andrew have been great for my family member and we are thankful for everything that they do! Andrew is very responsive when we have questions or want to talk. Natalie has taken a personal interest in my family member health and needs. They both care about how we are doing as well as my family member. I recommend the Watermark and Natalie and Andrew. I also have high regard for Rebecca and Yami who take care of my family member daily. Kathleen keeps them busy with daily activities and has a great relationship with all the resident. The facilities are the best and the staff are awesome.

Our family member resides in the memory care area of Watermark. During the pandemic the staff have become the family member on the inside since visitations are prohibited by the state. Staff have taken on roles they would have never expected, but extend kindness and compassion. The staff is courteous to answer our questions and help us problem solve. A positive morale is always present as evidenced by energetic employees and friendly, happy residents who make eye contact, smile and who will stop to visit.

The Staff here is amazing. They have managed to keep everyone safe through this last difficult year and have done so with grace and obvious care and kindness toward the residents as well as our family.

I cant say enough good things about Watermark! The staff is amazing and take such good care of my mom. She is in a wonderful caring environment and I am always encouraged to call if I have any questions or concerns. When I do call they respond quickly. I am so happy we chose Watermark.

Management is rude and disrespectful, staff is always abusing patience. Massive outbreak of Covid-19 and they dont separate those who are negative and positive.

Our family is so grateful for the support and thoughtful care provided to our loved one. We could not ask for a better environment for our family member. Jessica, Lindsey and Destiny in particular have guided us through both assisted living and memory care so that our loved one is receiving the best possible care. Elan provides a beautiful , serene and committed environment. Our loved one is very happy here.

I cannot adequately express how I feel about the level of consideration and care The Elan provided to my loved one. I had supreme confidence she was placed in the best environment. I highly recommend selecting The Elan for anyone who arrives at point in their life when they need a little or a lot of of extra support.

Beautiful facility...feels like a resort when you walk in. Always clean. Staff truly cares about the residents. Jessica, the wellness director, and her team are awesome. I visited several places before choosing Elan...and I am happy I did. I am confident that my mother is receiving the best care possible!

As a healthcare professional, in assisted living, I enjoy communities that innovate the assisted living model. Elan Santa Monica has developed a model that exceeds the status quo for baby boomers and seniors; specifically its a home where a loved one can thrive, gain independence and socialize in a progressive (and beautiful) environment. The residents are friendly and extremely interactive. The model at Elan goes far beyond a nice building, the staff is personable with their residents. The nurse Jessica and Administrator, Andrea, work relentlessly to assure each residents safety and independence. Happy Living.

I have worked with the staff at Elan for over a year and found them to be compassionate, caring, and professional. Jessica in particular works extremely hard to make sure residents have exceptional care 24/7. Awesome facility.

Run dont walk from Elan Santa Monica. They have lovely exterior facilities but their internal staff and health care professionals are incapable of handling anyone who is not abulatory. Their nursing staff is bereft and if you are persuaded to accept the highest level of care at an additional $1200 a month, you will be promised 3 baths a week. My loved one received three baths in 6 weeks. Dont be fooled by the lovely exteriors or pipped in air freshener. Residents at Elan Santa Monica have formed a coalition to speak to their complaints and Resident Director Jenny and Laurel shut the residents down at every turn. You will regret housing your loved one here.In addition, you will note that senior management reached out to me for further clarification saying that another would contact me directly to help and that person never did. These people are in the business of housing misery. They have demonstrated most demonstratively their lack of dignity and of integrity. Again, run, dont walk, from Elan Santa Monica.

When I think of home and comfort elan Santa Monica comes to mind with a beautiful atmosphere friendly faces great food tons of activities and planned outings not to mention top notch exceptional patient care why would you wanna put your loved one anywhere else..... thank you all so much

I DO NOT recommend Elan in any way shape or form and I DO NOT recommend you put your loved one at this facility. We went to Elan because my family member needed memory care. We met with Kylie and Destiny who were wonderful and completely won us over in choosing their facility. As this was a very stressful situation for me and my family, they answered our millions of questions and addressed any concerns we had. However, we quickly came to learn that things on the front side of Elan, are perfect, and way too good to be true. Once my family member was actually at Elan, thats when things drastically changed. The care my family member received by the head nurse Jessica, was terrible, in that she did not provide care at all. We were told our family member would be checked on every 30 minutes around the clock and any instance that happened would be reported to us immediately, such as any falls, behavior issues. Anything. And we were adamant that we wanted to know what was happening as this was our loved one and this was a very difficult decision for us. Not only did we have family visiting the center daily, we called to check on our loved one at least 3 times a day to see how things were going. Every time we called or asked in person, we got the same answer, Oh theyre doing great! We love them! Nothing bad to report. Come to find out a week later that they were kicking my family member out of their facility for bad behavior such as walking around too much and going into other people rooms, and incontinence issues. This was absolutely ridiculous! For around $6000 a month, they were NOT doing their job of keeping an eye on my loved one or providing the care they promised. We later came to find out that they only checked on our family member about every two hours, if that, and they had fallen multiple times and we were never told. Unfortunately, my loved ones ankle started to swell up and we later found out they had almost broken a bone at Elan and no one there knew what had happened. The nurse Jessica had horrible things to say about our family members behavior, but when we asked why we werent told about things as they were happening she couldnt give us a straight answer and eventually stopped answering or returning calls. I dont believe she ever actually worked directly with my loved one. She manages the techs and aids at the facility but never interacts with the residents herself. The director of the facility is just as bad. She stated Elan would give us our deposit back since they kicked our loved one out and couldnt provide adequate care on their part. We received a portion back, however we NEVER received the other portion she stated we would. She stopped returning our calls after we tried multiple times to reach her. They ended up pocketing thousands of our dollars after having our family member for barely over a week. Obviously they care more about money then their residents.Overall, Elan seems great in the beginning, but the care your loved one will receive once there is terrible. They dont keep to their word, the head nurse really only manages people, and the overall director has horrible customer service skills. And if thats how the director is, then to me thats a reflection of how the place is as a whole. Again, I DO NOT recommend this facility and instead they exceedingly disappointing us.(I do however recommend The Retreat located in Rio Rancho if youre looking for a facility that truly cares about your loved one and keeps their word. Look them up as they truly deserve your business.)******My response to the owners comment on my post: 3/21/19, I am more than willing to discuss all the issues my family had with Elan, with senior management. I have privately emailed the address you listed in your response and I am waiting for your company to get back to me.

Amazing place to work and live. I am so blessed to be a part of the Elan family and to have the opportunity to serve residents and thier families.