Our mother came here after being at one of those newer commercial townhome looking, independent/assisted living facilities that had a "memory care area" built in. Unfortunately within weeks, she had a fall and we soon found that cognitively, she just wouldn't be able to stay in the other 2 areas, so we moved her into the memory care section. It was going ok at first, but then a lot of things happened there - constant change of staff and increased pricing, they were going to raise the fee if we didn't move her into a smaller room (which we did and they STILL increased it anyway), she was often unclean, found on the floor by family - not by staff who barely spoke English & constantly on their phones, clothes, Depends and t.p. constantly went missing, no nurse on staff (she quit), we paid for cleaning of the room but had to bring our own cleaning supplies because it was always so sticky & filthy, etc. A venerable nightmare and we went to see her almost daily because of it! At our wits end, we finally decided to look around for a facility that specializes in memory care and finally narrowed it down to Ortega Gardens. Ironically enough, another resident where we trying to leave from was ALSO moving into Ortega so that gave us the push that we needed. It also let us know that we weren't the only ones experiencing issues. From the start, the blended staff was so amazing, kind, compassionate and knowledgeable about what we were going thru. The price was on budget (and better than it was previously) and our mother would finally be doing well planned & thoughtful activities, had structured enrichment, as others mentioned - a beautiful garden area, walking path and a homelike atmosphere where we knew she would be comfortable and safe with others just like her. They separate them into "neighborhoods" which suite their changing cognitive abilities so that you're not just lumped in with anyone, at every stage, which is fantastic! Our dear mother lasted 5 more months in their care with dementia before the good Lord called her home. Not once when visiting was her room ever a mess or unclean, she was always showered, her clothes were clean, put away and never went missing, we saw the same lovely staff & friendly faces working there each time with no turn around that I could see. Don't listen to the fake reviews. There are all matters & backgrounds of people working here! They have the best staff, which may be why other people may have been passed up and the management expects professionalism and dedication to the job. It clearly shows. We never had an issue with the CNA's, nurse, cooks, therapists, cleaning or maintenance staff; who all seemed to be very happy and helpful anytime we were there - day, night & weekends (we visited our loved one a lot). Keep also in mind that this isn't a hospital, it's a memory care facility and in all likeliness, this will be your loved ones last true "home" until they pass away. Dementia & alzheimer's is a death sentence - the best you can hope for is love, understanding, safety and a quick, peaceful passing. Prolonging the inevitable hurts everyone as they slowly decline to the brain abyss. It's hard to watch and even harder to care for. No one or nothing is perfect, but this place is sure close. If you're looking for a place for your loved one with cognitive decline, at any stage, don't wait to move them, this is the place you've been looking for! Our only wish is that we had found this place sooner.
