Five years of investigative journalism curiosity, and concern exercised at four different senior…read moreliving places from fall 2019 until now, gave me the incentive to move into one with a shining"star" award in Senior living. what a relief to move away from that which is fraught with negative negligent and inexcusable behavior directed toward our most precious assets: our seniors. U.S. Senior living offerings are pandemic with misbehavior directed toward our elder humanity, which often has the effect of nullifying their existence . I was privy to NIC meetings, and I taped extensive meetings where investors clarified the meaning of what senior living really is , simply "real estate" with a steady stream, guaranteed by the inflow of walking talking gullible seniors and outflow of their bodies to whatever place they have prearranged their final disposition, if they have even done that! So I escaped senior living and fled to downtown Phoenix where I reinvented myself as JK Emerson Smith, my nom de plum, lived in a 24 story, high-rise, surrounded by ASU students and young professionals for almost a year and a half? While living there I was infused with their energy and vigor..... I felt desperate to never ever again live around "old people" and then what do you know? I landed on a 40 acre piece of property that feels like it was transported directly from heaven: a nonprofit, basically resident/volunteer run, operating with a likeness to an HOA called the GCA, and is not dependent upon squeezing every dime out of every Senior on limited to moderate incomes. In addition, this campus is staffed, with what I can only call caring, dedicated individuals, infused with the deepest desire to support, help, care about and look out for their senior residents. While I'm not easily impressed, I am not easily fooled..... except for not realizing that Senior living communities have a habit of over-promising and Under-delivering. One example might be the promise of "three chef prepared meals daily", while failing to explain the chef works at Stouffer's! Here where I live the Casitas are cozy representatives of the individual taste and style of the residents living within, and thankfully not the type of exterior that resembles a mental institution or prison. If you see a Community, which displays repetitious likenesses, for example, gravel instead of grass, no flowers, simply a sterile atmosphere and appearance, take note immediately and run like hell! I can almost guarantee that what you see on the outside is indicative of how leadership will act internally; that's institutional, thinking and I no longer live in an institution. I found a home ! Indeed, a home that respects my prior experience enough to give me a TV talk show weekly to interview the residents on the campus here so everyone can meet their neighbors and have the opportunity to present their previous skill sets, accomplishments, and successes, as well as perhaps talk a little bit about the failures that led to them being successes . When I vetted those NIC meetings, never once did I hear anyone mention concern for the quality of life of a senior resident. Pay attention when analyzing where you think you want to live . If the leadership decides that they want to turn everything into a low maintenance residential institutional type epicenter that simply caters to the famous revolving door of seniors with wallets, run the other way!! If you decide to run my way, you can appear on "Stories from the Porch", or better yet Google that title and add JK to your Google search and have a look at the stories told by the residents who live here and how they differ from the smiling artificial seniors in the ads for other senior living "facilities".... partially because this isn't a facility. This is your home! in closing, I can only tell you that I love my housekeeper. She spends an hour here paying attention to how clean things are. I love the food the choice of restaurants on the campus I love the staff in the fact that no matter what kind of a problem I may face I don't have to face it alone because there's someone here on this campus that I can talk to . You have the rest of your life ahead of you. Make sure you spend every single day wisely! You are now a human ATM machine in the eyes of the FOR-PROFIT "retirement industry" and don't give anyone your pin number.!! Furthermore, (and because when I say "closing" I'm never really close to closing) lose the title "Senior citizen" and when you move here I'll award you a V-POW badge....."veteran, vintage or valuable person of worth". Just move in and ask for JK. Everyone knows what the term "bang for the buck" means and you'll be shocked at clearly you'll come to understand that phrase when you do business with a nonprofit.

They feed the residents garbage. Tiny portions and poor quality food. Worse than literal prison…read morefood. The definition of putting profit over people. Their emergency call buttons don't work half the time when the residents press them. It is a known issue. I have reported it multiple times, but nothing changes. My parents are too old to put up with the stress of moving to a new place, so they're stuck. If you care about your loved ones, find a different place. If anything changes, I will gladly retract/change my review.

In a time of great anxiety I was touring multiple facilities looking for a place for my mom. This…read morewas our first place and quickly became the standard I set for the rest that I toured! Yvette took me through the whole facility. It was warm, welcoming and so peaceful. Mom would be staying in the memory care. It was so safe, quiet and very intimate. It's set up almost like a Montessori school. They only take around 20 residents in the memory care. I was so grateful they had an opening for her! They have a ratio of about 1 care giver to 5 residents. They had amazing safety systems set up for caring for their residents! We had superb gentle nurses and caregivers like Arrietta and Delores! They looked after mom like she was their own. So protective! There was Pablo who at nights would stay close and talk to mom's room/door so she would feel comfortable and sleep! From the moment she arrived at Orchard Point earlier than expected, Yvette and Patty the Director took such amazing care of her. Even answering their personal cellphones late late at night on our first night there. I was expecting voicemail but they took my call and jumped into action! They quickly helped with any accommodations she/we needed. They helped us as her family find support for her! They and all of the staff in the Memory Care are a family! It felt like home. The residents mom spent time with were so happy. Everyone was active, clean, needs being met! There was not one single resident who wasn't being loved and cared for! Orchard Pointe was such a blessing for us in a painful journey! They took care of us! They took care of us so we could set back and breathe! Orchard Pointe is a Home and a Family! My mom has passed but we will be eternally grateful to have found Yvette, Patty and everyone at Orchard Pointe! They truly love and care for their residents and their families! Thank you everyone at Orchard Pointe for taking care of Mom and me to!

As a professional photographer, I work with a variety of senior living facilities and by far,…read moreHeritage Communities and all of their Orchard Pointe locations, including the one here at Arrowhead are at the top of their class! There is so much JOY in the residents and the teams that work with them and there is a true sense of comradery, family and connection. As seniors age, mental and physical capacity may become diminished, but there is still so much spark in the residents I have worked with here and I truly believe it's because the teams working for the communities foster such a wonderful spirit of love and togetherness. They speak hopefully, lovingly and faithfully and it really reflects in the faces and eyes of those who live here. They are committed to loving the residents and you see it! I am not just saying this because I have worked with them for several years doing marketing photography, but because I truly do see a special difference in these communities. Heritage is truly top-notch and a place I've already started comfortably recommending to family friends, because I believe they have something truly special.

This place is a dump. They make you think they give a shit but the will stab you in the back so…read morefast. They broke my wife femur when doing pt and then kept me from seeing her and she died alone. Rebecca and Eric will get what the have coming to them. I wouldn't give it any stars but I couldn't leave it blank. Smells like piss as you walk in the door.

Amarsi's care staff was amazing. We couldn't have been more satisfied with their care, beyond…read morethankful for their team of professionals.

The food quality is inconsistent. Sometimes excellent sometimes inedible. Today we had navy bean…read moresoup that contained no actual beans. Hot foods are frequently lukewarm.

I've lived long enough to know that no place is perfect, but what I've been seeing around here just…read moreisn't right. The food is rarely cooked properly. Half the time it's tough as leather, doesn't taste very good, and some of the meal combinations don't make much sense. At our age, eating shouldn't feel like a chore. Many of us look forward to our meals, and it's disappointing when they're consistently poor. And then there's Scott. My friend asked him one day why he puts cabbage on just about everything. Instead of giving a respectful answer, Scott said, "Because it's delicious," in a smart-aleck sort of way. It was rude and dismissive. Why is someone who talks to residents like that still in charge of the dining room? Today I waited nearly 30 minutes for a simple sandwich. Thirty minutes. That's ridiculous. The care staff aren't much better. During an activity, a lady politely mentioned that they were being too loud. They were carrying on, laughing, and making so much noise you could hardly hear what was going on. Sounded like a bunch of cackling hyenas. Instead of showing some respect, they told her to hush up. I heard it with my own ears. What bothers me most is that many of the staff seem lazy and uninterested in helping residents. Too often they're standing around talking while residents are left waiting. We pay a lot of money to live here, and we deserve better than that. My wife and I have been here a long time. This is our home. At our age, packing up and moving isn't as simple as people think. We shouldn't have to consider leaving just because nobody wants to listen to the residents. The Executive Director needs to spend less time listening to department heads and more time listening to the people who actually live here. We're the ones paying to be here. We're the ones experiencing these problems every day. All we're asking for is decent food, respectful staff, and the quality of care we were promised. A Concerned Resident

Thank You, Inspira Caregivers!…read more Huge appreciation and special recognition for two amazing aides in the memory care unit at Inspira: Sandra, Hazel (originally from Philippines), Wuyatta,Damien & Venice. The care and support they give our parents every day is a difficult job, and they do it with such grace and kindness. Inspira truly provides the comfort of knowing our parents are cared for in this next chapter of aging. We are so grateful!

My mother was in memory care here and it was terrible. They had very little staff and residents had…read moreto wait too long to get care. The food in memory care is different than the restaurant and it was disgusting. A hot dog and chips with no ketchup or anything for 9k a month. We moved out.

The management and the staff here are great! The rooms and the facility are very well maintained,…read morewith an enclosed outdoor courtyard space that is well groomed. There is a great number of activities art games and even trips away from Brookdale for everyone's enjoyment and entertainment. There are two TV lounge/activity rooms to enjoy playing cards or watching whatever you want on TV or movies. Being that food choices are cafeteria style I do add some ingredients to make it better but most people enjoy the food here very much. I just read the other reviews. I disagree with Sherry's review in terms of treatment and maintenance. Her review was from 4 years ago and upgrades have been made and I can attest to management and the care that is given here big first rate. My opinion is Sherry had exaggerated expectations. A number of improvements must have been made in the last 4 years as I find it comfortable safe and secure to be here. No it is not a five-star resort but for an assisted living facility which I've been to a few this one is nice. There is the definite difficulty with so many of us in our senior years that need to feel comfortable and well cared for and a paramount necessity for feeling safe.

This place is horrible! Dirty, understaffed and full of negligence. The staff has no credentials to…read morenotice a medical emergency. Personal items are always missing and you will get the same answer every time by staff " I don't know, I wasn't working that day" The director Dora has zero communication skills and doesn't follow up or follow through when asked about an incident that occurred. They are all about the money, not the care of residents.

Too much micro management from the top, under staffed, disconnect with marketing staff and…read morepotential residents. They say one thing to get residents in but do another. No 24/7 nurse available. Lots and lots of miscommunications.

So disappointed in the disconnect between the marketing staff, management, and intake as to what…read moreservices they provide. We clearly laid out my mom's situation, were strung along, plied with wine, fresh baked bread, and a song and dance. When it came down to intake, the intake nurse knew nothing about dialysis (we would take her out for that and told them we didn't expect a facility to provide that service). She spent literally 30 seconds reviewing my mom's file and said they could not accommodate her. End of discussion. Never talked to or met my mom. Which in hindsight is probably a good thing we didn't put her through that ridiculous trial. Don't waste your time! Response to management: It is almost laughable the grief and distress they feel after the fact. They are the cause of that grief and distress. They saw one word in my mom's file and judged her unworthy. They made promises to reassess the error they had made in their snap judgment. "Oh, she was on that medication in error?!? We will see how she is doing in 48 hrs off that medication." 48 hrs = 30 minutes at Morningstar. The doctors and nurses who actual spent time with my mom were flabbergasted at their snap judgment. "Why would this cause a red flag? What criterion are they using to reject your mom??? She is the model patient for that type of care!" They want to hide behind HIPAA but the truth is they found they might have to work for the $7000 a month and made a decision based on paper rather than actually meeting my mom and treating her like human and not a statistic. Your assessment that "no one will take her" was completely inaccurate and cruel to a family who is new to this process. I hope no other family has to go through what you put us through.

Royal Oaks has almost completed its renovations in their main building, where nonresidents can…read moredrop in to their coffee shop, grill, and dining area, so I went to investigate. The coffee shop is named Thrive, the old Acorn Grill is now Wild Cactus, and there is also a lovely dining area with cruise ship sounding daily special menu items and a regular menu too. The bar renovation has not been completed yet, but these other areas are open for business and look fresh and appealing. I haven't eaten there since the renovations, but will be doing so soon. Before getting into the campus, you'll have to pass through the gates, telling the guard you intend to dine. Take time to look through the changing art exhibits in the hall gallery too--many are available for purchase at prices far below their worth.

ROYAL OAKS SUCKS, worst place to work at, no good pay. Shitty benefits that don't even promise you…read morenothing. I wouldn't work here I wasted to shitty years working here and all for a stupid policy they left me on my second warning not even a third time or anything. Ip half the time is dirty barley any work to do over there. Machines hardly work half the time. So I don't recommend it to be living there at all. For those senior People who want to live there, don't its a waste of money by the way. 5k + for rent to just be sitting on your death bed.

My comment is regarding Alec at Avista. He handled a big issue in my brother's room today with…read moreprofessionalism and compassion with as little effect on my brother as possible. Quite an asset to this facility. Thank you Alec. Job well done.

My mother is a resident at this place, she is 81 years old and has pretty severe cognitive issues,…read moredementia. She lives in the memory care unit; you have to have a password to use the elevator to get to her floor. I forgot to mention, they have a tablet that you use to check in- you enter your phone number and then it asks if you're seeing your person. It takes your picture, then it prints out a label. You have to use it to check out too, security is important. I went to their Thanksgiving buffet, everyone went to the first floor and got their food. The whole dinning room was open, so family could come visit their loved ones.