Maple Grove Memory Care

cathy282265

For the month that mom has been at Pacific Gardens Alzheimer's Special Care Center, the staff has been very helpful. They’re very good to her, to me, and to my family. Her room is very nice and a very good size. She has her own bathroom, closet, and bed and I think she’s very comfortable. They try to keep them very busy. They have had visiting bunnies, singers, and musicians come in. They have a craft three or four times a week, movie nights, and gardening that’s getting started. They have exercise in the mornings, and when the weather is nice, they take them out for walks inside the gated community. They have outings on the bus. Their menu seems to be well rounded. Mom has already gained weight. They have snacks for them throughout the day and evening. I’ve been there when she’s finished eating breakfast or lunch where she has cleaned her plate.

Sisters Diana S. Woodruff-Pak and Pamela S. Kellogg

Pacific Gardens has been a lifesaver for us! Our father, a UC Berkeley trained civil engineer, had a very successful life and a wonderful marriage of 70 years to our mother. Her passing sent him into a downward spiral, but he managed in another facility in assisted living for 2 years. When he tried to run away from that facility a few times, they placed him in their locked memory care unit. In that confined unit he had angry, aggressive outbursts that led to his hospitalization. After a month of hospital care, we moved him to Pacific Gardens where his emotional outbursts were significantly reduced and now are eliminated. One of the features of Pacific Gardens that calms our father's mood is the architecture and general living environment. Residents are cared for in 4 pods each of 15 or fewer elderly adults where their rooms open to a shared living room and dining room area. Large windows show the lovely gardens and huge Douglas firs on the property. Residents can walk outside and are totally safe in a large, beautiful area of flowers and trees where they can walk or sit on several patios. Our father does not feel confined in this environment as he did in his previous facility. Another wonderful feature of Pacific Gardens is the philosophy of the staff. They treat residents with respect. Insensitivity on the part of staff at the previous facility had evoked rage in our father. At Pacific Gardens he is redirected when he is unhappy or sad. The Activities Director knows he loves to read, so she brings him books from the Pacific Gardens library. Staff members express their fondness for our father and treat him with care, affection, and good humor. One event especially meaningful to us was the Thanksgiving banquet scheduled the Saturday before Thanksgiving to give families the opportunity to celebrate with their relative at Pacific Gardens and be able to have a regular Thanksgiving at home. A delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings was prepared by Pacific Gardens staff and provided free of charge to all family members and residents in a beautifully decorated large common room. This Thanksgiving event at Pacific Gardens was the best Thanksgiving we have had with our father in some years. We are most thankful that we found Pacific Gardens – a place where our father finds peace and contentment and is treated with dignity.

821

My mom has been living at Pacific Gardens for 1 and 1/2 years. The care has been very good and the staff at all levels has been great. The caregivers truly care and are very attentive. The activity directors are upbeat and involve everyone, no matter what the resident's ability. I feel there are many activities and they address things on many levels. The nursing staff is attentive, caring, and work well with our hospice nurse. I am very happy that my mom is at Pacific Gardens and feel we made the best choice. The outdoor grounds are very spacious and wonderful for walking. Even the maintenance direct gets involved and goes many extra miles to make life better for all of the residents. My mom has always been well cared for here, well dressed, active to the best of her abilities, and has always been respected despite a debilitating illness that has been rough. The care she receives here has been a rescue in her life and in ours. My deepest thanks.

LittleCin

My mother was a resident at Pacific Gardens for about two years. There are four "pods, or houses" in the building. I can only speak to what happened in my mother's "house" and I was extremely impressed with the care she received. The caretakers were patient, caring and loving. I think my mom received excellent care. I came to look forward to my visits, not only to see my mom but to chat with the caretakers and staff as well. Cooking for as many people, with many different diets to consider, I thought the kitchen staff did a pretty good job of providing very adequate meals for the residents. The only thing I thought lacking were the activities. The calendar of activities was not always followed. I was excited to play Bingo with my mom the first time I saw it on the calendar but I soon found out that many activities do not take place. I think they do the best they can with activities. It's hard when you have residents who have lost so much of their former selves. If you are looking for a place for your loved family member, I would highly recommend Pacific Gardens. The staff is welcoming. and helpful.

HalyGirl

My brothers and I couldn't have found a better place for Mom. The move to memory care was difficult and emotional for her, and the entire staff did all they could to help her transition. Mom didn't enjoy activities because she didn't want to be considered a "resident". But, she wanted to be involved, to feel that she mattered. Everyone at Pacific Gardens went out of their way to find things for her to do so that she would feel useful, from assisting with activities, folding towels, sweeping floors, to setting the table. These are things Mom always wanted to do when she lived with me because helping gave her joy. The staff felt bad having her do these "chores", but I was thrilled that they were willing to let her do them. I remember one time as I was leaving, Mom followed me to the inner door and began crying because I was going. Just as I opened the door to leave, a staff member came through. She immediately noticed Mom's distress and said "Barbara, we just got a bunch of fresh flowers. Could you help me put them in vases?" Mom stopped crying and turned away from me to follow the staff member. That type of thoughtful concern and quick thinking came through on a daily basis from everyone I met on the staff. Every staff member that I encountered was polite and generous, and took the time to talk with me about any concerns I might have. If I felt that something needed addressing, I knew that I would be heard and that changes would be made if necessary. Every resident's needs are different and the staff is very good about recognizing those individual needs. Mom was at Pacific Gardens for 8 months living her last few weeks there while on hospice until she passed away. I find comfort in knowing that Mom was in the best place and had the best care.

Peggy110250450

Pacific Gardens Alzheimer's Special Care Center looked OK. They seemed to be a little confused and scattered there. The gal that was supposed to be showing us around somehow didn’t have any idea we were coming. She was fussed because they were doing their Mother’s Day tea that afternoon, and that was on her mind. She was having a hard time tending to business, but the facility looked quite pleasant. It seemed like it had better connections among the residents in the way things are set up.

notsohappy1

I observed so many disturbing tings on my many visits. Employees in the evenings would put the residents in their rooms early then lounge on the couches on their cell phones. On one occasion I noticed a worker bringing food home. I was also in my moms room and she went out tor a walk and was told to go back to her room.the activities scheduled happened once in the 27 days my mom wad there. When we gave notice about taking my mom out the staff was very rude to us. We received a bill a month after we took my mom out and we were overcharged.

Margaret Kirk

My comment is brief due to my living on the other side of the country. My mother has been at Pacific Gardens for over 2 years. I have been able to visit her twice. She and I are very close but circumstances led to us living far apart. I am amazed at how wonderful the staff and facilities of Pacific Gardens are. We feel blessed to have our mother with them. You can have complete confidence in having your loved ones there too. Please feel free to contact me for more information.

A Hospital Social Worker

This is an assisted living and memory care facility located in east Portland, next to a church, partially obscured by trees. There is an obscure sign marking it, so the first time you look for it, you may drive by. The building itself is very clean and sturdy, completely free of smells, with homey touches such as flowers all around. The rooms, most of them private, are always immaculate, and of an adequate size that fits a bed and a couple dressers, with shared baths. Outside each room is some biographical information posted about each resident, which seems to help the staff get to know them. The staff seems friendly. The care is good, too"”the providers are very in tune with residents' care and condition. While there has recently been a turnover at the helm, and the new director seems genuinely committed to the residents and takes time to get to know the residents. Most are free to roam around; the staff is present, but not on their tails. And there are alarm systems in place for monitoring and safety. Because the director of nursing and executive director seem so alert, the residents seem safe at all times. In many facilities, the staff seems to forget about the residents' charts and paperwork, but not here. The care conferences are very thorough, with good communication with both the family members and outside caregivers. The scheduled activities include birthday parties, arts and crafts, pet therapy dogs, but nothing aimed directly at enhancing memory. There is music therapy, though, which is wildly popular. Some residents play the piano, and there is a constant karaoke going on; residents frequently forget their family members, but will amazing remember every word to a song they knew long ago. There is also a locked courtyard, where residents can go with some staff assistance. The cost is somewhat less expensive than other facilities in the area.