My aunt has had the priviledge of living at Island Shores for 19 months. This residence has been a God send for her and her family. She is in a safe pleasant environment, is well fed several times a day and has great staff who go above and beyond our expectations. Her room is cleaned daily and her linens changed weekly. The common areas are spacious and easy for those with walkers to navigate. The nstaff provides them with hours of socialization, arts and crafts, kareoke, bingo, travel discussions, movies, current events open forums, trips, etc. Community members provide them with religious services, medical care, beautician sevices, podiatry services and social services. They treat their residents like family. Unfortunately, she recently was evacuated due to super storm Sandy but once again the staff rose to the occasion . They sent us a weekly newletter with pictures so that we could see the progress made. They called and visited residents to help them feel connected. She missed her friends and the socialization but these newletters helped her feel connected. Today, she received a phone call telling her that she could reurn tomorrow. They are ready for her. Her window has been washed, rugs shampooed, linens changed and they are looking forward to her return. She's thrilled!
Senior Isle Inn, Inc. is a subsidiary non-profit of Homes for the Homeless, Inc., which runs a senior living facility called Island Shores in the borough of Staten Island. I visited the facility recently on behalf of an older friend who is ready to move to this type of facility. When the director, Lori Bowen, saw that I use a wheelchair for mobility, she refused to allow me a tour of the facility, while offering a tour to my friend, who is ambulatory. She told me that wheelchairs were not allowed at Island Shores and that, if my friend chose to live there, I would not be allowed to visit while using a wheelchair. I was appalled at the blatant discrimination, which violates both the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act. Ms. Bowen was not kind in expressing her views, either, and I can only imagine how she treats the seniors who have come into the unfortunate position of living under her authority. Also, while Senior Isle Inn's mission statement claims to offer senior housing at below market rates, the prices they charge were comparable to those at the Esplanade, a for-profit luxury senior living facility on Staten Island. I would not refer any friend, human or animal, to Island Shores after this experience, and I believe that funding for Homes for the Homeless should be withheld until this situation is rectified.
Review from Guidestar