My mother lived at The Montera in Assisted Living from May 2024 until she was forced to leave in…read moreMay 2026. I want to acknowledge that many of the caregivers and staff were kind, compassionate, and truly cared about her. My concerns are with the administration and management and the newly hired director, Karinna.
My mother has dementia, but she is high functioning. Not only was this my opinion, but numerous staff members commented on how independent she was compared to other residents. She has poor short-term memory and occasional confusion, but she was significantly more independent than every Memory Care resident and even most residents in Assisted Living.
The Montera announced that care level pricing would be increasing but never informed me that my mother's care level had been changed from Level 1 to Level 2. I only discovered this after seeing a document I had to sign with an unexpected increase of approximately $600 per month. There was never a meaningful discussion with Karinna explaining why her care level had changed or what additional services she would be receiving. In reality, nothing about her care changed--only the cost--along with having to deal with this dismissive and patronizing new director.
The justification given by Karinna was that staff administered her medications twice a day. However, this had been her medication schedule for the entire previous year and was already part of the care they had been providing. In an effort to reduce costs, I worked closely with her physician to consolidate her medications into one daily administration. Unfortunately, that change was not medically appropriate and did not work well for my mother. As soon as I began the process of returning her to the medication schedule that best supported her health, management showed no patience or willingness to allow time for the transition. Instead, I was told by Karinna that she would have to move to Memory Care or leave the community.
Memory Care would have increased her monthly cost by another approximately $2,200. More importantly, I strongly believed--and still believe--that moving her to Memory Care would have been detrimental to her well-being. She was thriving in Assisted Living, remained socially engaged, and functioned at a much higher level than residents in Memory Care. Unfortunately, management seemed far more focused on administrative policies and money than on what was actually in my mother's best interest.
Families deserve transparent communication, thoughtful collaboration, and individualized care decisions. Instead, I experienced poor communication, unexpected cost increases, and an ultimatum that left our family with no reasonable option other than to move her. If you are considering The Montera for a loved one, I encourage you to ask detailed questions about how care levels are determined, what specifically triggers changes, how those decisions are communicated, and whether those decisions truly reflect a resident's needs.
The Montera I experienced in 2024 was not the same Montera my family experienced in 2026. Since the change in executive leadership (Karinna), the culture appears to have shifted away from individualized care and toward administrative policies and financial decisions. That change ultimately cost my mother her home.
I would like to end on a positive note because there are truly exceptional people who work here. Jackie and Brianna at the front desk were always incredibly patient, welcoming, and kind to my mother. Melody always brought the fun, laughter, positivity, perseverance, and genuine compassion into my mom's life, and I will always be grateful for the difference she made. I also want to recognize Aileen, whose knowledge, guidance, and willingness to help us through difficult decisions meant so much to our family.
These remarkable women are the reason my mother had any positive experiences and WHY they get a second star at The Montera. I sincerely hope the administration recognizes and values employees like them, because they are the heart of this community.
