Pacific Gardens

If you love someone do NOT put them here. They have no training of memory care. The amount of times there was no supervision when I was visiting is crazy. Sometimes I’d be there 30 mins, see 15+ residents climbing on chairs and fighting each other, before I’d see an employee. A few times I found employees getting high…Med tech got high outside before handing out meds. Not weed. People are wasting away and starving. They don’t have people ti help feed patients so the food gets put in front of them and taken away shortly later after they’ve accomplished maybe a bite. No diet restrictions will be followed. Almost every time I was there they’d give my mother a food that could kill her, I shouldn’t have to tell them every time not to give her that, it’s in her chart. Diabetes. The theft. Absolutely the people working there are stealing from patients and blaming residents. The first week my mother was there other patients visiting family warned me to get her out if I could.I walked past a man trying to get out of bed (he lost do much weight his clothes didn’t fit but they’d yell at him for his clothes falling off) begging for bathroom help cause he’d gone in bed. Took my 20 mins to find an employee who then put him back in bed. There is no entertainment. Outside of the few daily activities.They push around chairs because there is nothing else to do. Then the chairs get taken away and they are left wandering or fighting. I’d take in coloring books or dolls or figit toys and they’d be gone the next day. One person started working there and brought stuff so maybe that finally changed. The aids being their kids. I’m cool with that. But I showed up and my mom said she was going crazy because for hours she heard a baby crying but everyone told her she was hearing things because of her dementia. I heard the crying baby. But they gaslight her into the fact she’s hearing things vs saying yeah my kids here. I’d go insane. The drugs.They are keeping those patients so drugged. A patient walks out of his room and says he’s hungry (same guy from before) and the aid says “ohhh i think your tired, take this pill and go back to bed” over and over again. My mother was so out of it, she got moved to a adult foster care and she’s gained weight, her brain is better, her health is better, potentially even a wrong diagnosis but no one knew because they just drug their patients and no one’s believes dementia patients, or there’s no one listening. Bedroom doors lock but not all aids have keys.I do not care when people speak different languages.Here’s the but…language is one of the last things to go for memory care patients. I’d been there without them knowing visiting and a few ladies were speaking their language, totally okay when speaking to each other. What is not okay is giving commands to patients that don’t know thst language and then getting upset and yelling at them. Leaving them even more confused because why are you yelling at them. Staff physically abuse patients. I overheard and had to intervene when someone was helping my mothers roommate in the bathroom because I heard verbal abuse. I seen a different person push that same patient onto the bed aggressively when she didn’t easily get out of bed. My mom said they abused her roommate ALL the time and then my mother when she intervened.My mom got something taken away from her and went to get it back and an aid ran at her and attacked her. My mom threw her first punch in her life. Two aids kicked her while she was down. So badly she got taken to the er. The doctor said there was clear show marks and clear as day hand print over her body. My mothers entire side of body was dark blue and black. They beat her. A patient. With a disease known to have aggression. Even tho I don’t believe my mother was at that stage. While I’m the hospital PG sent a letter giving her 30 days to leave, if she returned they refuse care. My mothers entire body was beaten black and blue thst the hospital took pictures because of obvious abuse. No training is given, or not enough. Terrible facility.

My husband has been at Pacific Gardens for almost a year now. Lately, there's been a huge shift there. If I have any questions or concerns, I get a response right away. We finally had a care consultation. There are more staff, and they are interacting more with the residents. There are activities that families are invited to and people seem happy. I'm really glad he's in a place that will take care of him. This place truly has turned around!

I have toured so many places looking for the perfect memory care home to put my beloved uncle. He has been in the hospital for weeks and needless to say it has been heartbreaking and sad because each facility (especially the fancy new ones) have rooms the size of a matchbox, though oddly enough offices for staff are enormous. Then my aunt and I rudely dropped in at Pacific Gardens without even calling or making an appointment, and I am serious when I say that not only was the front desk staff warm and kind, they answered my questions. We got a quick return phone call and text message from Cindy. Then Becky met with us multiple times with very short notice. They are seriously the most genuine people you could ever ask to put your family with. After touring the location with Becky, my aunt who has been married to my uncle for over 58 years started crying and said I NEED him to get into this home. Cindy and Becky were in constant contact with us helping us get all the paperwork needed with the hospital and medicare. Then there is the facility which is not the right word for it. It is a home. Once you walk past the secured doors I saw a huge family room like area with a baby grand piano and a younger man at the front with about 20 residents playing a game of Name that Tune and people laughing and have a great time. We walked to the separate living areas and each has a living room with large TV and sofas, dinning room, and kitchen. Then there is the bedrooms...they are large enough to have two beds, chairs and a desk without being on top of each other. Staff members are everywhere visiting with people and helping. One of the nurses helped show us around and was very knowledgeable answering our questions. She had been there quite a long time - which is not common for these types of homes. They have high turn over rates - I should know because my mother was in one for 15 years. Becky and Cindy, thank you both for making this transition as smooth as possible. I know I am going on and on but our excitement for finding a home for my uncle, that my aunt and I can also call home when we are visiting, is more than anyone will ever understand. Oh, and the food ROCKS!

I have an aunt who is at Pacific Gardens and I can tell you, we've had our ups and downs. In the past, I felt like we were kind of out of the loop in her care, but now? I swear we get a call or email every day updating us on how she's doing and what they are up to that day! I am so very impressed by the turnaround this place has made and can really tell that even the staff are excited and just that the place in general is happier. When you walk in, you can hear laughter--which is honestly the best medicine! The staff are doing so many more activities with my auntie and other residents, and both staff and the residents seem to really be enjoying it! You should see the crazy--but super cute--nails she got painted by staff! She was giggling like a school girl over them! I know they also had a cookout a couple weeks ago and she seemed to really enjoy that as well! It's so important to my family and I that the staff bring in that positive energy because I truly believe it helps her have better days--even if the alzheimer's has continued to progress. There are days when she doesn't know us or the staff but even on those rough days, she's still smiling--because she and all the other residents there can feel the positivity the staff are bringing into the place. Even if she doesn't know where--or when--she is, she can still respond to kindness and just the overall nurturing that they are providing for her. It really just means so much to us to not have to worry about her. It was so hard to make the decision to put her in a facility but her care became too much for us. Knowing she's safe at Pacific Gardens and that the staff actually care for her in their hearts means the world to us--and brings us so much relief. I try and visit her a couple times a week and I've noticed that the staff are getting more training and learning more about the best way to give care. Coming from the healthcare field myself, I know how important getting the right training can be and how it can make you feel more confident in your abilities to provide the right level of care for residents. There's a learning curve and while some people aren't cut out for it, I truly believe that everyone taking care of my aunt has her best interest at heart and are really trying to be the best support person/healthcare provider they can be! Whether that be a nurse, med tech, or even housekeeping and dietary! All of them working together to give the best level of care they can to my aunt is what has really showed me that this place is working hard to improve and be the best place they be. I hope Pacific Gardens will continue on their journey of striving to provide the best care for those individuals they support and I have complete confidence in them to take great care of my auntie! We're so happy to be part of the Pacific Gardens Family! If you've stuck around through this review, thank you and sorry it was so long, I know I'm a long-winded person! (My mom says when I was a baby I started talking and have never stopped!)