Riverbend

Perhaps, things have changed.... My wife and I placed her step mother, afflicted with dementia, in this facility in November of 2019. Given the negative reviews, we weren't inclined to even visit the facility, but we did. Most families have few options and that's our situation. But we didn't observe any of the offenses documented in other reviews. That's not to say they aren't accurate. The comment from 'Elizabeth G' about the courtyard might be true as we didn't see one. And as for the events, we observed movies, a church service, several meals and an evening of bingo. Of course, most of the residents, including my mother-in-law, don't benefit from the events due to their condition. In speaking with the staff, everyone has been professional and friendly. We live 600 miles from Riverbend, and have only been there five times since November. However, since Christmas, we've hired my niece, a nurse, to visit weekly for checking up. She would generally concur with this positive assessment and my mother-in-law seems to be happy and enjoying her new neighbors, even if she can't (sadly) remember names.We did visit other facilities and the only thing where Riverbend is a bit lower than their competition is cosmetic. Many areas could use new paint, wallpaper and carpet. But the little kitchen and bathroom are in fine condition and the housekeeping staff do a fine job. We also found the rent to be competitive.All this to say that maybe some of the negative reviews of the past are worth ignoreing.

Staff is very rude and not helpful at all.

Be aware when it comes time to place a family into a care facility. My sister and I did our research. We toured the faculty. We talked to family member of previous residents(most from many years ago)When we met with them we were told of all the wonderful activities to keep their minds active. Of the lovely courtyard where they could enjoy some fresh air and they even sometimes planted flowers. After she moved there, what I saw was very little I interaction with the residents by staff. The staff sit in a room and observe the residents through a glass wall, as if they were in a prison. They say there are activities all day for the residence to keep their mind active. This is not true. They have a calendar of events but these are frequently canceled.The say say they there a courtyard for the residents to enjoy and even garden. But it is almost always locked. When my mother would ask to go outside, they refused. Telling her that the didnt have the staff to accompany her. They would give my mother a sleeping pill at 7 pm and put her to bed when the sun was still up. When I ask them to do that later in the evening, the response was I will put it in her chart but nothing changed. She was frequently up wandering at 2-3am because she went to bed too early. I ask that when there was actually an activity, for them to let her know and show her where to go. I again got well put it in her chart. But nothing changed. My mother constantly complained of being bored. Eventually she started having attention seeking behaviors. Instead of working with her to keep her entertained they wanted her medicated. I wrote an email to the management about my concerns regarding her care. I told them that they were not providing what we were promised before we moved Mom there. The response was they would look into it and get back to me. They never did. They gave medication, they insisted on, one day to work . When it didnt they insisted(we initially refused) on sending her to a geriatric psych unit to adjust her medications. There her care was even worse. She only lived at Riverbend for 2 months.Before she moved to Riverbend she was physically fit and active for her age. She was always going to activities and exercise classes when she lived at Westminster. All her problems stemmed from Alzheimers. Which is why we moved her to a facility that specializes in memory care. Now we are burying her on Thursday.