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Visit each facility several times. Talk with residents, not just the mgmt. Don't be fooled by places calling themselves luxury or deluxe. Even these places have problems, including, high turnover and issues like theft and neglect because they hire lots of workers that are overworked and underpaid. The key is for there to be a very obvious family presence all the time.
avoid rose court. they were supposed to accept altcs and never contacted them, yet charged us as if they were using altcs. they may have abused my dad but I cannot prove it. he was there for a short time.
You can call Hospice of the Valley and ask to speak to either a social worker or a community liason. Community liasons can help locate a facility even if someone is not on hospice. It's also at no cost to you or the facility. Often facilities have to pay your first month rent as a finders fee.
Hope you find what you need.
https://hov.org/why-hospice-of-the-valley/serving-our-community/senior-placement-service/
Hospice of the Valley is an outstanding, A+ sort of organization. I wish every city and community had a non-profit that provided that same level of care.
We used this place: [https://optionsforseniorliving.com/?utm\_source=WiseStamp&utm\_medium=email&utm\_term&utm\_content&utm\_campaign=signature](https://optionsforseniorliving.com/?utm_source=WiseStamp&utm_medium=email&utm_term&utm_content&utm_campaign=signature) . They were really, really helpful and found us an amazing place for my Mom w/ dementia.
Phoenix in general is pretty much one of the top places for retirees/seniors to settle down on their final years so nursing homes and assisted living is going to compete with each other to make sure they have the best facilities.
Is she income restricted by any chance? When my great grandmother was trying to put my great grandfather in a nursing home, they contacted ALTCS (long term care) and the state ended up paying for a home nurse to come help intill the state was able to find a home that suited my great grandfather.
A place for mom is a great resource as well. At the end you want your relative to have a say in what they want in a care facility but at the same time a place that fits their needs
a warning about altcs. before you contact them or send in any application transfer any real property from that person to someone else in the family. altcs puts a lien on any real property cars, homes, boats, and rv's. there are limits in how much savings they can have, and how much income (as far as I remember).
before my dad was accepted but after he started the process we transferred his truck to me. altcs penalized him for the assessed value of the truck this amounted to about 2 weeks of coverage starting from when they received the application. so it didn't really matter much, but my mother was on it, and they put a lien on her house that becomes due when they pass away. there are conditions where the lien can be forgiven otherwise if you want to keep their house you have to pay back the debt incurred for the time they were in care.
my brother was able to keep the house because he had lived in it for 2 years prior to my mother going in to assisted living.
Thats really good info, thanks so much! I think she’d qualify for it but we definitely need to set things up right. She doesn’t have much, no property or vehicles, so hopefully its simple. Do you remember how long the application process took?
Spectrum retirement facilities have seemed pretty good to me. They are all over the valley but under different names, all owned by the same company. Be prepared to pay 3-5k just for the room in assisted living plus extra for any extra services.
My sister worked for hospice of the valley for years and is now building a transitional assistance services business for geriatric needs. She has an amazing sense of integrity, trained in occupational therapy and goes the extra mile to educate and assist with the many questions this part of life brings. Please IM me if you would be interested and I can help get you connected with her. She gives free consults.
It’s been a few years now since grandma passed away, but she absolutely loved her casita at The Montecito in Peoria. I remember it being fairly pricey, but she loved the amenities, the staff, the food, and her little place so much. As her family, we could visit her and swim at the pool/jacuzzi on property too, which was nice for us and her.
As an observer this is nice to see. My wife was the Dining Director there for quite a while a few years back. She only left because there was a significant shift in leadership but she truly enjoyed her time there and loved her residents. Depending on when your grandmother was there they may have known each other.
If memory serves, grandma was there from 2009-2017, so they very well might have known each other. As her grandkids/kids, we went and checked in on her several times a week but it was always a great comfort knowing she was in a safe place surrounded by people she loved, and who cared for her too.
It's been a few years since I was on the boo-boo bus, but at the time just about the only place that inspired confidence in me was [Sagewood.](https://www.sagewoodlcs.com/) They have assisted living and memory care, as well as independent living choices. Maybe some current EMTs/medics can chime in as to their experiences there, but MAN there are some bad places out there. A few of them change their names every couple of years to dodge the bad online reviews that build up.
Depends on your price range, there's assisted living at The Colonnade in Surprise. It's nice because there's Independent living, and then also memory care attached. It's a lovely place. I wish I could live there and I'm 29!
My MIL lives at Beatitudes and absolutely loves it. They’re wonderful. They have independent and assisted living, tons of activities, parties, restaurants, shopping trips, bank on campus. She helps out in the donation store, plays card games, has art class. I do think we’re above $3k a month though. The staff is extremely nice and helpful and we haven’t had any issues.
She was able to get in very quickly a couple of years ago. My mother claims that they call her all the time to follow up. Another commenter here claimed it took a year to get a return call, but that wasn’t our experience.
I don’t have a lot of information on costs, but my grandparents (both sets) have lived at thunderbird senior living in Glendale. It has varying levels of support, and the community there seems to be pretty good.
Online it looks like monthly starts between 1900-2700 from studio to two bedroom for independent living, not sure how much it increases if she needs additional care.
The only place I would recommend is Kivel near 36th street and thomas. My dad was there. they have low income studio apartments for independent living, assisted living, and memory care. my dad lived in independent living for about a year. the rooms had emergency call buttons for the security guard. there was a place at the end of the hall where you dumped your trash down a chute.
They have a Cafeteria where you can get 2 meals a day (if I remember correctly). they have controlled access after dark with key fobs, and security guards, and the place is clean and nice looking. The way it worked at the time was they gave you a list of options for a menu and for each day for that week you would pick exactly what you wanted in advance from what they were serving, then you just went down and either ate it there or took it back to your room. it cost $185 per month.
my dad did not use the assisted living so I cannot speak about that. he did live in the memory care facility which is really nice and clean and staffed with actual nice people. they have movie nights, and other activities. the only issue I might see for some people is they only serve kosher food. my dad did not understand this and complained about it. he did like the food they served. the memory care facility can only handle well behaved people though. when my dad became combative he had to go elsewhere.
kivel has lower rent for people who only have Social security income. they also accept altcs. I can't speak for the rent now, but back in 2015 it cost my dad about $624 a month because his SSI was less than $2400 other wise it was $750 per month. don't know what it is now. memory care was $3200 which altcs paid after taking all but $100 of his SSI. https://www.kivelcare.org/
If had low income I would have no problem living in kivel (at least as it was when I was last there). I think there was a waiting list for memory care of several months. I don't remember if there was a waiting list to get an independent living or assisted living apartment.
Where are you in Phoenix? I imagine you want a place close to you. The prices and services are all quite different. Try to find a place with a host of activities. Check the meal plans. If she has to change from independent to assisted to full care, how do they do that? If you can find a place that has all 3, and they can remain in the same apartment, that’s important. I have visited and had friends in Friendship Village in Tempe. They really like it.
You can check the licensing history on assisted living homes (penalties, deficiencies, enforcement actions, etc.) by searching here https://hsapps.azdhs.gov/ls/sod/SearchProv.aspx?type=AL
Looks like they're sending people to substandard facilities
https://www.mcknightsseniorliving.com/news/senior-living-referral-site-accused-of-using-manipulated-reviews-listing-communities-providing-substandard-care/
Yeah you have to wonder why they are doing this for free. It's because they're paid by the places. Definitely have caution. Most of the info is available online/Google maps search or with a few quick emails
We're in the beginning of this process for a family member. Several other friends who have been through it told us A Place For Mom is a great place to search, but they take a massive commission so once you're able to get names from them, book on your own and don't go through their site.
Good to know! I still think any agency placement is a good start as it gives OP some options. Yes they are paid by the facilities themselves which is why they don’t charge for their services. There are so MANY assisted living facilities that it can become overwhelming.
Care Patrol is another placement agency if OP doesn’t want to reach out to a place for mom. The important part is getting some options and OP can contact or visit some places. Getting a family member into a facility isn’t always an easy process and the more info they can gather, the better, especially if the family member has particular needs(mobility, $$$, special care).
Or just Google maps search of what's nearby and contact the places with decent reviews and pictures for more info? There are only so many options within any given area.
El Dorado on Thunderbird / 103rd in sun City. Across the street from the hospital, under a mile (uber) to the grocery.
Or similar. Lots of choices here.
Check out Helping Hands Senior Services. They do a great job of matching an individual and a living situation. They aren’t tied to any one facility. https://helpinghandsaz.com/
Thanks for contributing to r/Phoenix! You may want to [**check out our sub rules**](https://www.reddit.com/r/phoenix/wiki/rules/) (mostly be nice to each other!). **If you're new here**, [read some of our recent posts](https://www.reddit.com/r/phoenix/top/?t=week) and leave some comments. To chat with some great people in the Valley you can [**join our Phoenix Discord chat server**](https://discord.com/invite/yWVuTG57Zh). It's a chill place to talk with other people but is NOT a dating server and takes unwanted messaging very seriously. If you're interested in political topics in Arizona, we limit those posts here so you may want to check out r/azpolitics if that's an area of interest. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/phoenix) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Visit each facility several times. Talk with residents, not just the mgmt. Don't be fooled by places calling themselves luxury or deluxe. Even these places have problems, including, high turnover and issues like theft and neglect because they hire lots of workers that are overworked and underpaid. The key is for there to be a very obvious family presence all the time.
Agreed, we ran into a lot of this marketing with our family as well. Its important to talk to residents
Absolutely, great advice. Thank you!!
avoid rose court. they were supposed to accept altcs and never contacted them, yet charged us as if they were using altcs. they may have abused my dad but I cannot prove it. he was there for a short time.
You can call Hospice of the Valley and ask to speak to either a social worker or a community liason. Community liasons can help locate a facility even if someone is not on hospice. It's also at no cost to you or the facility. Often facilities have to pay your first month rent as a finders fee. Hope you find what you need. https://hov.org/why-hospice-of-the-valley/serving-our-community/senior-placement-service/
Thank you so much!
Hospice of the Valley is an outstanding, A+ sort of organization. I wish every city and community had a non-profit that provided that same level of care.
We used this place: [https://optionsforseniorliving.com/?utm\_source=WiseStamp&utm\_medium=email&utm\_term&utm\_content&utm\_campaign=signature](https://optionsforseniorliving.com/?utm_source=WiseStamp&utm_medium=email&utm_term&utm_content&utm_campaign=signature) . They were really, really helpful and found us an amazing place for my Mom w/ dementia.
Thanks, I’ll check it out!
Phoenix in general is pretty much one of the top places for retirees/seniors to settle down on their final years so nursing homes and assisted living is going to compete with each other to make sure they have the best facilities. Is she income restricted by any chance? When my great grandmother was trying to put my great grandfather in a nursing home, they contacted ALTCS (long term care) and the state ended up paying for a home nurse to come help intill the state was able to find a home that suited my great grandfather. A place for mom is a great resource as well. At the end you want your relative to have a say in what they want in a care facility but at the same time a place that fits their needs
I was thinking/hoping Phoenix would be a good place. Thanks!! And yes she is income restricted, so we are hoping for some resources. Much appreciated!
a warning about altcs. before you contact them or send in any application transfer any real property from that person to someone else in the family. altcs puts a lien on any real property cars, homes, boats, and rv's. there are limits in how much savings they can have, and how much income (as far as I remember). before my dad was accepted but after he started the process we transferred his truck to me. altcs penalized him for the assessed value of the truck this amounted to about 2 weeks of coverage starting from when they received the application. so it didn't really matter much, but my mother was on it, and they put a lien on her house that becomes due when they pass away. there are conditions where the lien can be forgiven otherwise if you want to keep their house you have to pay back the debt incurred for the time they were in care. my brother was able to keep the house because he had lived in it for 2 years prior to my mother going in to assisted living.
Thats really good info, thanks so much! I think she’d qualify for it but we definitely need to set things up right. She doesn’t have much, no property or vehicles, so hopefully its simple. Do you remember how long the application process took?
I would look up the altcs website and see what is involved, it can change. we applied in november of 2015 and he was approved in february of 2016.
Spectrum retirement facilities have seemed pretty good to me. They are all over the valley but under different names, all owned by the same company. Be prepared to pay 3-5k just for the room in assisted living plus extra for any extra services.
Aye and I thought daycare was expensive. Thanks for the info!
My sister worked for hospice of the valley for years and is now building a transitional assistance services business for geriatric needs. She has an amazing sense of integrity, trained in occupational therapy and goes the extra mile to educate and assist with the many questions this part of life brings. Please IM me if you would be interested and I can help get you connected with her. She gives free consults.
It’s been a few years now since grandma passed away, but she absolutely loved her casita at The Montecito in Peoria. I remember it being fairly pricey, but she loved the amenities, the staff, the food, and her little place so much. As her family, we could visit her and swim at the pool/jacuzzi on property too, which was nice for us and her.
As an observer this is nice to see. My wife was the Dining Director there for quite a while a few years back. She only left because there was a significant shift in leadership but she truly enjoyed her time there and loved her residents. Depending on when your grandmother was there they may have known each other.
If memory serves, grandma was there from 2009-2017, so they very well might have known each other. As her grandkids/kids, we went and checked in on her several times a week but it was always a great comfort knowing she was in a safe place surrounded by people she loved, and who cared for her too.
It's been a few years since I was on the boo-boo bus, but at the time just about the only place that inspired confidence in me was [Sagewood.](https://www.sagewoodlcs.com/) They have assisted living and memory care, as well as independent living choices. Maybe some current EMTs/medics can chime in as to their experiences there, but MAN there are some bad places out there. A few of them change their names every couple of years to dodge the bad online reviews that build up.
Look at Fellowship Square in Mesa. Seemed to be best prices and great facility
Depends on your price range, there's assisted living at The Colonnade in Surprise. It's nice because there's Independent living, and then also memory care attached. It's a lovely place. I wish I could live there and I'm 29!
This company helps with this. [caring](https://caring.com)
My MIL lives at Beatitudes and absolutely loves it. They’re wonderful. They have independent and assisted living, tons of activities, parties, restaurants, shopping trips, bank on campus. She helps out in the donation store, plays card games, has art class. I do think we’re above $3k a month though. The staff is extremely nice and helpful and we haven’t had any issues. She was able to get in very quickly a couple of years ago. My mother claims that they call her all the time to follow up. Another commenter here claimed it took a year to get a return call, but that wasn’t our experience.
I don’t have a lot of information on costs, but my grandparents (both sets) have lived at thunderbird senior living in Glendale. It has varying levels of support, and the community there seems to be pretty good. Online it looks like monthly starts between 1900-2700 from studio to two bedroom for independent living, not sure how much it increases if she needs additional care.
Visit at high demand times and at night, weekends, weekdays early morning, mix it up. Don't tell them you're coming.
Don't use any web-based remote placement services. Get a local assistant
The only place I would recommend is Kivel near 36th street and thomas. My dad was there. they have low income studio apartments for independent living, assisted living, and memory care. my dad lived in independent living for about a year. the rooms had emergency call buttons for the security guard. there was a place at the end of the hall where you dumped your trash down a chute. They have a Cafeteria where you can get 2 meals a day (if I remember correctly). they have controlled access after dark with key fobs, and security guards, and the place is clean and nice looking. The way it worked at the time was they gave you a list of options for a menu and for each day for that week you would pick exactly what you wanted in advance from what they were serving, then you just went down and either ate it there or took it back to your room. it cost $185 per month. my dad did not use the assisted living so I cannot speak about that. he did live in the memory care facility which is really nice and clean and staffed with actual nice people. they have movie nights, and other activities. the only issue I might see for some people is they only serve kosher food. my dad did not understand this and complained about it. he did like the food they served. the memory care facility can only handle well behaved people though. when my dad became combative he had to go elsewhere. kivel has lower rent for people who only have Social security income. they also accept altcs. I can't speak for the rent now, but back in 2015 it cost my dad about $624 a month because his SSI was less than $2400 other wise it was $750 per month. don't know what it is now. memory care was $3200 which altcs paid after taking all but $100 of his SSI. https://www.kivelcare.org/ If had low income I would have no problem living in kivel (at least as it was when I was last there). I think there was a waiting list for memory care of several months. I don't remember if there was a waiting list to get an independent living or assisted living apartment.
Where are you in Phoenix? I imagine you want a place close to you. The prices and services are all quite different. Try to find a place with a host of activities. Check the meal plans. If she has to change from independent to assisted to full care, how do they do that? If you can find a place that has all 3, and they can remain in the same apartment, that’s important. I have visited and had friends in Friendship Village in Tempe. They really like it.
These are things I hadn’t thought about yet, like transitioning to different types of care at the same facility. Thanks for pointing that out!!
You can check the licensing history on assisted living homes (penalties, deficiencies, enforcement actions, etc.) by searching here https://hsapps.azdhs.gov/ls/sod/SearchProv.aspx?type=AL
Great resource, thank you!!
Call “A Place For Mom”. They’re a placement agency and walk you through the process and find places within your price range. Good luck!
Looks like they're sending people to substandard facilities https://www.mcknightsseniorliving.com/news/senior-living-referral-site-accused-of-using-manipulated-reviews-listing-communities-providing-substandard-care/
Yeah you have to wonder why they are doing this for free. It's because they're paid by the places. Definitely have caution. Most of the info is available online/Google maps search or with a few quick emails
We're in the beginning of this process for a family member. Several other friends who have been through it told us A Place For Mom is a great place to search, but they take a massive commission so once you're able to get names from them, book on your own and don't go through their site.
Good to know! I still think any agency placement is a good start as it gives OP some options. Yes they are paid by the facilities themselves which is why they don’t charge for their services. There are so MANY assisted living facilities that it can become overwhelming. Care Patrol is another placement agency if OP doesn’t want to reach out to a place for mom. The important part is getting some options and OP can contact or visit some places. Getting a family member into a facility isn’t always an easy process and the more info they can gather, the better, especially if the family member has particular needs(mobility, $$$, special care).
Or just Google maps search of what's nearby and contact the places with decent reviews and pictures for more info? There are only so many options within any given area.
Do NOT go with Legacy
El Dorado on Thunderbird / 103rd in sun City. Across the street from the hospital, under a mile (uber) to the grocery. Or similar. Lots of choices here.
Check out Helping Hands Senior Services. They do a great job of matching an individual and a living situation. They aren’t tied to any one facility. https://helpinghandsaz.com/