nursing supervisor

resident aide

licensed practical nurse

server

director

The Bristal Assisted Living

This is coming from a server who worked here for 8 months with years of prior experience, was praised by staff and many residents, and was awarded employee of the month.

The staff at the Bristal are amazing. It is very easy to connect and make friends at work, especially in the kitchen where we bond over the high stress and fast pace.

One of the many flaws of this job is that the staff are expected to drop everything in their daily life to fill in for call-outs. I myself had to work on my days off many times while managers and leads often opted out. I found this incredibly frustrating as I became exhausted and overworked. 

The job itself is fast-paced and stressful, but not impossible. I often felt very rushed as there is a lot of side work on top of the growing population of residents to serve. We were understaffed most of the time which was extremely tiring.

The pay was low but not terrible. The major issue I saw was we were not paid extra or compensated when we were short-staffed. I found that with even one person missing, I was doing almost double the amount of work in the same amount of time. This grows worse as many times there were two call-outs. This is the one thing that I urge the Bristal to consider implementing into their pay. Additionally, if the pay was higher for servers and kitchen staff, there would not only be fewer call-outs, but there would be more people interested in filling positions so the understaffing issue could potentially be solved.

The hardest part, though, was the residents. At first, it is easy to dismiss their rudeness, but after months of being berated, it became impossible to ignore their callous remarks. They are incredibly demanding and act as though the servers are servants. They have no idea how difficult the job is, and they deserve a lesson on empathy. I was not paid enough to be snapped at by multiple elderly people every day. Not all of them were like this (in fact, many were very sweet and understanding), but easily half of them were very rude.

Working at the Bristal had its pros and cons. Residents could be very sweet and other times downright verbally abusive. there wasn't much that management could do about that considering we were working with people who often had severe dementia and these things couldn't be controlled. There were not many opportunities for advancement and there was close to 0 communication between departments. Some employees were able to get away with anything and others would be reprimanded for just about anything. The managers were hit and miss. Some of them were very gracious and would do anything in their power to be of assistance to you regarding work and personal issues, where a select few wouldn't even hear you out. 
Most of my coworkers had been very pleasant and we formed close friendships and had each other's backs. That being said there were coworkers that had bad attitudes and made the work day very tense and awkward. A lot of favoritism was showed with specific employees who seemed to exclusively get assigned lesser workloads while others were assigned predominantly what we would call the "oh please no" sections. The hardest part of the job was that it could get very redundant and exhausting dealing with residents who had anger issues and could be overly demanding. There were also certain residents that routinely made enormous messes that were time-consuming to clean up. The most enjoyable part of the job was being able to scrounge up a smile out of even the most miserable of the residents. As you can imagine, it was very difficult for some of them to live in a place where they don't have much control over themselves and to be out of touch with reality for the most part. Sometimes you get to see who they really are underneath all of the anguish and the outbursts. That's what made it worth it.

I worked here as a Resident Service Aide, and while I gained valuable experience in patient care, I would encourage anyone considering this job to understand what they're walking into. RSAs are expected to handle a tremendous amount of physically and emotionally demanding work for relatively low pay. The workload can be overwhelming, especially when the facility is short-staffed.

One of the biggest issues I experienced was the workplace culture. There were frequent cliques among staff, and gossip was unfortunately common. If you're a younger employee or someone who works hard, be prepared for people to take an interest in your personal life. I found that personal information often spread around the workplace, sometimes becoming distorted into rumors, which created an uncomfortable and unprofessional environment.

Communication and teamwork were also inconsistent. While there were some wonderful coworkers, there were also times when support from supervisors or nursing staff felt lacking, and interactions could come across as dismissive or disrespectful. This made an already demanding job even more stressful.

The resident assignments were often very heavy, and there were occasions where I felt expectations placed on RSAs extended beyond what should reasonably be expected of the role. If responsibilities outside your job scope become routine, it's important to speak up and understand your facility's policies.

On the positive side, I learned a great deal about patient care, dementia care, teamwork, and time management, and I'm grateful for the experience and the residents I had the privilege of caring for. However, the workplace culture and workload ultimately led me to pursue opportunities elsewhere.

I would recommend working at The Bristal to anybody looking for a job. A typical day at work depends on the time your shift is. If you're on the morning shift, you can expect to be on your feet, but nothing someone properly trained can't handle. If you're on the afternoon shift it's much slower. If you're working security or as an aide, the overnight is quiet and easy, so long as you have the ability to stay awake. The Bristal as a company treats their employees VERY well. You can expect great benefits such as health/life insurance, paid time off, meals with your shift, and more depending on your part/full time status, as well as the pay being several dollars above minimum wage. Management here is definitely the most friendly and understanding I've ever had at any of my jobs and are very willing to work with you on any issues you may have. The majority of the staff are very friendly and always willing to lend a helping hand if possible. Hospitality is certainly a large aspect of any job in the company, as most involve you interacting with the residents, of which most are very pleasant to talk to. The hardest part of the job without a doubt is losing a resident. You tend to get very attached to some of the residents and it can be very difficult when one passes away. Although the most enjoyable part of the job is when you're able to make a change in their lives for the better, because something like helping them tie their shoe or fixing their phone could take a matter of seconds for you, but could mean the world to them.

I see a lot of negative reviews about The Bristal. I have to say I have worked for two other well known Assisted Living companies and The Bristal is not bad quite good compared. They expect a lot from their employees but, they also give you a lot in compensation.  Health benefits are excellent, you get one FREE meal a day (I don't know any other Assisted Living chain that does that) there is a lot of room for growth. They give away an all expenses paid vacation to one employee from EVERY building EVERY year & an all expenses paid vacation for one director EVERY year. I think that is pretty special.  Are they perfect? by no means. Does the corporate office care about you as an individual no not really but what corporation does. It's a business. As far as care aids go this company does it right. Some assisted livings have their care aids not only giving care but serving in the dining room, running activities "the universal care manager" this is basically just a way for the company to save money. It serves only their bottom line not the staff or the residents. The Bristal has a separate staff for the dining room and a separate staff for activites. This allows the care aids to focus on caring for the residents. The working environment depends on who you boss is each building is different and that is something you have to deal with. No matter what job you have there will always be poor managers and people who you don't get along with.

Where to start...the first day I walked into the building I felt that wow factor. I was very excited to be working at such a beautiful place and what seemed to be like a perfect match according to what administration told me prior to me excepting the job. DAMM I was so wrong! The Executive Director initials MM was the worst administrator I have ever met. Extremely rude, calling people stupid, ignorant, many racial remarks and all this in front of residents, families and doctors. The Director of Nursing was just as bad. Never stuck up for the nurses or caregivers. All she cared about was her pay check, gossip, talk about the ED, talk bad about the company and do her homework while on the clock. Caregivers and nurses worked short on a daily basis, but no one cared. Corporate was aware of everything going on but obviously didnt care at all. Families here pay a ton of money without knowing that there loved ones are not receiving the care that they deserve. The bristal started with a great team but quickly started losing there best employee's. So if you want to lose your license, be treated like a slave or add some stress to your life. Join one of the fasting growing assisted living corporations in the tri state area The Bristal where you will be treated like an animal, lose your license while getting belittle in front of residents and peers.

I was so excited to work for such a beautiful looking facility. From the moment I started working the place was a nightmare. Short staffed constantly. Nursing staff being hired and leaving right away due to management. The director or resident relations was rude, unprofessional and drove many people to quit. She would actually yell at staff constantly, she was the worst person I have ever had to deal with! Not only dealing with being disrespected on a daily basis in nursing, the administrator and office personal did not know how to talk to staff in an appropriate manner. Constantly being reprimanded and not appreciated for hard work. Talked to like we were incompetent. no proper orientation was given. You were just expected to know everything. Educating staff never happened, just quick to discipline. Many family member could see the frustration in the nursing staff. For the amount of money the residents pay they should not have to deal with not being cared for in a timely manner due to lack of caregivers or one nurse or cma giving out meds to the entire building!!! Nurses were expected to do it all and it was entirely impossible at times. They put all the nursing staff on salary without our knowledge so we would work extra hours and not paid for them. Be smart. Don't even bother stressing yourself out by working here!!!! Would never recommend to my worse enemy.

It's really not that bad a company to work for. The problem is organization and very poor management of staff. You're overloaded with work enough for three people and you're expected to complete it before your shift ends. Certain things or ways to do things there make no sense at all. It's a place where common sense is far from common. The pay is bad, I've made almost twice as much working the same position elsewhere but in times like this, beggars can't be choosy. As I said before, it's not a bad company to work for, but very low stars because it needs A LOT of improvement and much better pay. I wouldn't recommend this job at all to anyone who isn't a student. This is more a job for people going to school who just need to put a few dollars in their pocket. But I wouldn't recommend it. As much as the responses that I've read here say that there is room for growth, it's a total lie. I know people who've been working at Bristol for more than 2 years who haven't moved up who ended up quitting and people who've only either lasted weeks or months. So I don't know what to tell you, but if you have so many people quitting left n right, that should tell you how disorganized this company is. 

I started in this company in June 2019 as a Coordinator and by listening to a wonderful team of mentors and colleagues and truly learning the ins and outs of our industry,  I was promoted to a Director in January 2021. If you work hard and smart and listen to your bosses you will get promoted! 

If you are empathetic by nature, enjoy people of all ages and enjoy putting a smile on someone's face this is the job for you. Our seniors all have stories and whether you are a Housekeeper, a Cook, a Care Aide , a Nurse or work in Recreation, it is a true gift to be able to learn from the Residents and I feel that their stories are an added bonus to the job.  

We have an amazing benefits package, 401k, PTO and they even give you special bonuses from time to time. 
Fun ones like a back to school bonus for school supplies for the kids. When I got that for the first time I knew Engel Burman and The Bristal Assisted Living truly cared for their staff and residents.  
If you are looking to work for a company that truly cares about their employees, The Bristal Assisted Living will be your home away from home.  


The Bristal would be a much better place to work if only they hired the proper people to manage. The culture isn’t too bad. Depending on who you are; you will have a sense of belonging. They offer their staff an annual bonus. Although it doesn’t equal the amount of work you are expected to do. The health insurance is sub par and the cost is too high. You only have one choice in plans. My time there was challenging due to the nepotism within the culture. If you kiss up to the ED you have a preferred standing. It would be a much better place if the owners and/or the investors commissioned themselves to work in one of the communities for a week or so. The workload is just too heavy. The RSA pay is way too low. And some of the salaried employees feel that their salary does not equal to the pay they receive. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Nursing supervisor 71 salaries reported	$35.94 per hour
Resident aide 109 salaries reported	$19.57 per hour
Licensed practical nurse 12 salaries reported	$36.54 per hour
Server 46 salaries reported	$17.55 per hour
Director 10 salaries reported	$75,700 per year

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