Alterra Sterling House of Watauga

Pros

• Brookdale Watauga offers a single-floor, small-community feel with all the amenities.
• The staff and caregivers are highly professional and provide peace of mind for loved ones.
• Daniel, the Executive Director, is outstanding, knowledgeable, and deeply attentive to residents.
• Elleya, the Health & Wellness Director, is professional, dedicated, and well-informed about health needs.
• Marianne, the Resident Program Coordinator, is dedicated, personable, and attends to residents' concerns with engaging activities.
• Lena, the Sales Manager, communicates well and genuinely cares about residents' needs.
• The caregivers consistently establish strong relationships with residents and families.
• Brookdale Watauga is a nicely sized community (about 30 rooms) with friendly staff and a sense of safety.
• On-site medical services, including primary care and podiatry, are conveniently available.
• The nursing staff and other caregivers truly get to know residents and their families.
• Families report loving care, dining, and daily activities like Bingo and exercise classes.
• Staff are described as going above and beyond to keep residents comfortable and well cared for.
• The facility is clean, well-maintained, and the atmosphere feels like home with a cheerful, family-like environment.
• Visitors and families commend the facility for its atmosphere, staff, and overall care.
• Many families would highly recommend Brookdale Watauga as a place for their loved ones.
• The kitchen staff and dining experiences receive praise for great food.
• Brookdale Watauga staff remained calm and caring during emergencies, such as power outages.

Cons

• Brookdale is old, dirty, and feels like an old nursing home from the 1980s.
• Housekeeping was terrible and practically nonexistent.
• Laundry was awful; clothes came back wrinkled and unwearable.
• The food was bland and not good.
• Dead bugs were found in a resident's room and there were spiderwebs in the hallways.
• Some residents reported items going missing from their rooms.
• Medications were not given at proper times.
• The director was described as not compassionate, with the reviewer calling it a money grab.

Review

Brookdale Watauga presents itself as a small, single-floor senior living community that emphasizes a home-like atmosphere. With around 30 rooms, it cultivates an intimate, neighborhood feel where amenities are accessible without sprawling halls and elevators. Many residents and family members describe it as a place that brings peace of mind for daily care and safety, noting that the staff are consistently attentive and approachable. The overall impression from multiple voices is that Brookdale Watauga offers a welcoming environment where residents can settle in and feel cared for in a setting that resembles a comfortable home rather than a clinical facility.

Several members of the leadership team receive high praise for their professionalism and dedication. Daniel, the Executive Director, is repeatedly highlighted as an outstanding and knowledgeable leader who takes a special interest in every resident. Family and staff alike describe him as positive, uplifting, and capable of guiding the team with clear, constructive leadership. Alongside him, Elleya, the Health & Wellness Director, is recognized as highly professional and deeply committed to residents' health needs. Her colleagues and families appreciate her thoroughness and the way she helps navigate medications and health questions with patience and clarity. Marianne, the Resident Program Coordinator, is praised for being personable and open-minded, taking time to listen to residents' concerns and coordinating activities that foster friendships and engagement. Activities are a valued part of the Brookdale experience, with Bethany arranging a wide array of games, field trips, and daily exercise sessions that many residents come to anticipate as a meaningful part of their day. Lena, the Sales Manager, is commended for strong communication skills and a genuine interest in ensuring that each resident's needs are understood and met; she is specifically noted for her ability to explain Brookdale's standards during tours and to support families as they make decisions about care. Collectively, caregivers are described as professional and capable of building meaningful relationships with residents, contributing to a sense of trust and security for families.

The day-to-day experience in the community is positively framed by residents and their families through stories of friendship, routine, and compassionate care. The on-site conveniences - such as primary care and other medical testing offered within the facility - are frequently mentioned as advantages that reduce the stress of coordinating external appointments. Residents enjoy the social life Brookdale supports, from shared meals in the dining room to enjoyable group activities and exercise classes that help structure the day. The staff is described as friendly, knowledgeable, and eager to assist, with many families expressing gratitude for the way caregivers relate to residents and foster a feeling of being part of a family unit. The atmosphere is repeatedly characterized as cheerful and welcoming, with residents looking forward to daily perks like Bingo, planned outings, and opportunities to socialize in a warm, home-like setting.

The testimonials also reveal a series of positive, tangible outcomes for individuals and families. Several accounts highlight the meaningful personal connections that caregivers form with residents, from helping with daily routines to supporting social interactions and new friendships. Families praise staff for taking time to know their loved ones, recognizing their preferences, and ensuring that activities and meals align with those tastes. The general sentiment is that Brookdale Watauga offers more than just a place to stay; it provides a structured, comforting routine where residents feel seen and valued. Many reviewers emphasize how the dining experience, exercise classes, and group activities contribute to a sense of normalcy and enjoyment in daily life, while the on-site medical services help maintain a sense of continuity and reliability.

However, not every note is uniformly glowing. A significant portion of feedback centers on concerns about cleanliness, upkeep, and administrative practices. One reviewer described Brookdale Watauga as old and dirty, likening it to an 1980s nursing home, with housekeeping and laundry issues that affected the resident's comfort and dignity. Reports included wrinkled, unwearable clothing due to poor laundry care, dead bugs in a room, spiderwebs in hallways, and residents reporting missing items. There were also criticisms regarding medications not being administered at the proper times and questions about the accuracy of charges. A particularly strong critique described a perception of a "money grab" at end of life, noting a substantial monthly increase in costs and billing for services that did not seem to be delivered as claimed. The reviewer also recounted a negative experience with communication and tone when discussing moving a loved one out, suggesting a shift from compassionate care to guilt-based tactics and indicating a lack of supportive follow-up after moving out, including an unresolved 6,000-dollar discrepancy. These points reflect a serious concern about resident experience and financial transparency for some families.

Other comments balance the criticisms with praise for the staff and the care they provide. Several families express confidence that the caregivers are kind, attentive, and capable of forming genuine relationships with residents. They recount that the staff, including the director and nursing team, have been supportive and that, when functioning well, Brookdale Watauga delivers a high standard of care and a positive living environment for seniors. There are mentions of storms and power outages where staff remained calm and consistently tended to residents, underscoring a level of professionalism and steadiness during emergencies. In several narratives, the on-site amenities, friendly staff, and the general feeling of being well looked after are highlighted as strong reasons to consider Brookdale Watauga as a place for a loved one to live.

In sum, Brookdale Watauga presents a nuanced picture: a small, home-like community with dedicated leadership and a team of caregivers who strive to build meaningful relationships with residents and support a vibrant social and physical routine. Families frequently cite the leadership, health services, activity programming, and the personal attention of staff as standout strengths. At the same time, some experiences raise concerns about cleanliness, maintenance, accurate billing, and the end-of-life care experience. Prospective families would do well to visit, meet staff, and discuss specifics about housekeeping, billing practices, and care plans to gauge how the community's strengths line up with their loved one's needs and expectations. Overall, for many, Brookdale Watauga offers a comforting, professional environment that emphasizes family-like care and daily purpose, tempered by a need for careful consideration of the areas where improvements have been called for by some residents and their families.

This area of Watauga, Texas offers a convenient and diverse range of amenities for seniors looking to settle down. With multiple pharmacies in close proximity, accessing necessary medications and healthcare services is easy. There are also several restaurants, cafes, and theaters nearby, providing plenty of dining and entertainment options. Additionally, the presence of various places of worship allows for spiritual fulfillment within the community. For medical needs, there are reputable physicians and hospitals within a short distance. Overall, this neighborhood provides a well-rounded and convenient environment for seniors looking to enjoy their retirement years in comfort.

Restaurants

• Burger King (0.4 miles)
• McDonald's (1.1 miles)
• Horizon 76 American Gr (1.1 miles)
• Taco Casa (1.9 miles)
• Maria Cuca's Mexican Cuisine (2.4 miles)
• Sonic Drive-In (2.6 miles)
• Los Molcajetes (2.7 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.5 miles)
• Walgreens (1.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.5 miles)
• Walgreens (1.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2 miles)
• Walgreens (2.5 miles)

Cafes

• Rosa's Cafe (0.6 miles)
• Starbucks (3.6 miles)
• Starbucks (3.8 miles)
• Roots Coffeehouse (4.5 miles)
• Starbucks (4.9 miles)
• Starbucks (5.1 miles)
• The Market (7.5 miles)

Places of Worship

• St Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church (1.1 miles)
• Gateway Church North Fort Worth Campus (2.1 miles)
• Wellspring Church (2.7 miles)
• Gateway Church (3 miles)
• First Baptist Church of Keller (3.6 miles)
• Keller United Methodist Church (4.3 miles)
• Alliance Community Fellowship (5.1 miles)

Parks

• Capp Smith Park (1.2 miles)
• Ridgeview Farms Park (4.7 miles)
• Bedford Bark Park (7.4 miles)

Physicians

• Texas Digestive Disease Consultants: Fort Worth - North Beach St (2.7 miles)
• Kathryn Mandal, MD - Continuum Internal Medicine and Pediatrics (2.7 miles)
• Kane Hall Barry Neurology: Kane Jerome M MD (2.8 miles)
• Altig Optical (3.4 miles)
• Keller Family Medical Center (3.5 miles)
• Cornerstone Family & Sports Medicine (3.7 miles)
• North Hills Family Medicine (4 miles)

Theaters

• Cinemark (3.6 miles)

Hospitals

• Cook Children's Urgent Care Alliance (4.2 miles)
• Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance (4.4 miles)