Emeritus at River Valley

I visited this facility

I liked the feeling of Emeritus when I went in. I like the environment. It seemed really light and bright and the people are friendly. I also like the location because it's close to I-5, so I can get to my father easily. I just had a genuine, good feeling when I went in. Dad went there November and he came back January. The staff were very helpful and friendly. When I had an issue, they were quick to addressed it. I felt they're interested in trying to alleviate my concerns.

I visited this facility

The place is really great. When we visited the place they are upgrading a lot in the facility. The people there were friendly. They keep their residents busy with their daily activities and they provide great assistance to their residents. You would really feel that everyone was taken care of and happy.

I am a friend or relative of a resident

This is a really nice care facility. The place is well taken care of, and feels very homey, with many sitting areas, gathering space, and public rooms that feel like living rooms. They always decorate for the holidays, and the place seems festive whenever I visit. They have a 'therapy cat', who lives at the facility, and visits residents, making rounds to keep spirits high. They have many activities for the residents and their visiting families, including movies showings, weekly poker games, and group meals. Family is encouraged to visit, and stay for dinner. There are public verandas, and most (if not all) bedrooms have small patios for the residents to get some sunshine. There are plenty of windows, and the place has a very pleasant feel. The staff remembers the names of residents and their families, and is always very friendly when you run into them in the hallways or at the front desk. They always seem very busy, but they also seem to care about all the residents. The individual rooms are fair sized: not huge, but big enough for everything the residents need, with closets, bathrooms, and small kitchen units with the bare essentials (fridge and microwave, no oven or dishwasher). There are studios, one bedroom, and I believe two bedroom units available in the facility.The one negative of this facility is the price: it's a very high quality place, and therefore it costs a LOT.

I have always enjoyed visiting this community, the director/management team/support staff all seem professional, ethical, and honest, and the residents are all so wonderful and seem to be happy with the lives they have made for themselves. I also like that the community always feels so peaceful and inviting. The facility itself is nice, I like how the front entrance/parking lot is kind of semi-circle and how they chose a shade of paint for the exterior that has a very "earthy" vibe (which is perfect for an Oregon community) because both aspects make the facility seem more enclosed and secure and the tan-colored paint they chose gives off a down-to-earth, approachable, and welcoming vibe. Being on the outside really kind of makes you excited to see all that awaits you inside, and the interior of the facility - like the exterior - does not disappoint. Sure the building itself has been beat up over time and there are some maintenance issues that need to be tended to, but to me it seems like they did the best they could with what they had and they worked very hard to make each area comfortable, warm, and inviting. It is decorated very nicely and feels homey. There is a back patio area where the residents can sit and relax and enjoy the gorgeous views, it is a very calming place to be - makes for a nice little escape for the residents. There are many ways the residents can keep busy within the community and there are many areas they can use for whatever they need, all of the common areas are very spacious and I always see a lot of residents utilizing them in many different ways. The residents all appear to feel comfortable roaming and using the community as they please, they "get" that it's their home and that the common areas designed so that they and their guests could have a comfortable place to retreat and socialize.

The staff are all very friendly and helpful, sure there have been issues and complaints regarding the staff members, but nothing too serious. I always see the staff members trying very hard, it just seems like there is never an action plan or strategy, most of the time it seems like they are just "winging it" which can make the facility very chaotic at times and it's during those times that complaints and concerns staff rolling in. I keep saying that if they were just to come together as a team and devise a daily plan and execute it that most of the issues would diminish because I believe the cause of most of the problems is due to lack of organization. Senior living communities need to have a lot of structure and order not only for the residents to feel secure but also so that the community is ran properly and so the residents needs can be met properly. This is one of the main complaints that residents and their families bring to my attention - that the resident's needs, both care needs and domestic needs (such as laundry and housekeeping) are not being met according to schedule and that some residents have been skipped over altogether. Complaints about medication errors, residents not getting shower assistance regularly, issues with dietary needs, resident's blood sugar not being monitored as often as required and so on. Some of these are more serious than others, some of these could potentially put a resident at risk, for example - medication errors could lead to a very dangerous situation. What it all boils down to is responsibility and accountability, the staff members have got to become more diligent and meticulous when caring for the residents and they will never get their if they do not, again, work together and strategize together, update one another and brief oncoming shifts of resident status, and so on.

River Valley is a community owned by Emeritus and what I have come to learn about Emeritus through research and experience throughout my time spent in Emeritus communities is that there is a lot of time and effort put in to providing their residents with convenience, living options, and choices that really helps them to feel in control of their lives and gives them a greater sense of independence. There are also frequent corporate/director/management/support staff meetings, and continuing education and training in which they explore, discuss, and implement new ideas in order to provide their residents with the best living conditions, programs, and opportunities possible. One thing I admire about Emeritus and River Valley is they understand that any decisions or changes regarding the community effects the residents more than anyone, therefore, they always involve the residents in decisions that are being made relating to their community. They realize that River Valley is the residents home and that they should be included in any decisions relating to the community. They always are open to suggestions, opinions, ideas, and such from the residents, families, visitors, and others. They really seem to value any input given and they appear to take all suggestions seriously. It is a so good when residents realize and trust that their ideas, opinions, concerns, complaints, and whatnot are taken to heart. It is good for them to know that they are "heard" and that they will always have a say in what happens around the community and in any decisions involving them and/or their care needs..

The quality of care is so-so, I think that the staff members have a lot of room to grow as far as getting to know the residents better, beyond merely a first-name basis. I know the residents on a much deeper level than the staff do and they are with the residents day in and day out, I only see the residents for a couple hours once every 3 to 4 months! The reason I know them so well is because I took the time to get to know them, I listened and showed interest and they in turn began to open up to me and trust me and they deserve staff members who will do the same. I know I would feel more comfortable being cared for by someone who knew me personally, who new my personality and preferences, who knew about my accomplishments and struggles, who knew my family and my life story and so on. I know I would be more trusting of that person as oppose to someone who barely knew my first name, that's for sure. Another care issue that concerns me is that when a resident moves in to the community, the staff will work with them and their family to create a care plan that covers any needs or assistance they require and it is also a time that can be used to get to know them, maybe they will mention an activity they like to do that can be implemented in to the activity schedule or maybe they will tell you their favorite meal or dish which you could pass on to the chef. This is an excellent time to start building rapport and trust with the residents, but they cannot build a foundation with a resident unless they follow through with the residents care needs. They can put together a beautiful care plan that is detailed and personalized but it's all for show if they don't abide by it or use it in caring for/interacting with the residents and in assisting them with their daily needs. In addition, resident care plans that are not up-to-date and updated regularly or care plans that are missing vital information or that list wrong information will only cause confusion and lead to possible mix-ups and errors that could be potentially dangerous.

I have to mention once more that I do see that the staff members do try very hard to care properly for the residents and I can see that they try to keep the community running smoothly they just HAVE TO get organized and come together as a team, I know I am beginning to sound like a broken record but in senior living communities teamwork is necessary in order to properly care for each resident. There has to be open lines of communication and they need to be able to lean on one another and count on each other to get the job done. They need to have strong teamwork in order to provide the residents with a clean, healthy, happy, and safe environment to call home. I am confident that if the staff members combined their individual efforts, ideas, and skills and came together as a team than the productivity would

River Valley Landing currently offers both Independent and Assisted Living and while I think the community is ideal independent living residents, I would be cautious of putting loved ones in to assisted living at this time, or at least until some of the issues relating to resident care/treatment get resolved. As for the independent living residents, they would be just fine to move in to the building right now because usually are more active, independent, and they require little assistance, if any, as they are mostly self-reliant. Because of these things they are not as affected by the lack of care and service, except for their domestic needs not being completed in a timely manner. However, I want to stress that the community will be just appropriate for assisted living residents once the resident care/treatment/service has improved drastically. For both care levels, there are many activities, opportunities, programs, amenities & services, and lifestyle options that enable the residents to keep busy and live their lives to the fullest. I hope that with the help of Emeritus and River Valley's director and management team that the staff members are soon able to come together as a team and work well together. I also hope that the community will become more organized and less chaotic for the everyone's sake and sanity. If and when these issues are resolved than I believe that River Valley will make an acceptable home for all the residents, whether they are independent living or assisted living.

I visited this facility

This facility, which offers both independent and assisted living, has recently been taken over by Emeritus. It’s located in a valley, right next to Meridian Park Hospital, which has a good reputation in the area.

There are 104 apartments. Residents can come in either as independent living or assisted living—and a big benefit is they don’t have to move if they need more care. The living units are rather small.

Aesthetically, there is the usual corporate faux nice furniture and standard-issue paintings. It’s clean, but looks like it’s been used rather hard—with smudges and knicks on the walls. But that’s the most negative thing about the place.

Residents seem to be out and about and to interact with one another easily. They congregate in the dining area and game room—and they look happy. There are many specific activities offered—including an art studio with sessions led by an art teacher and trips out into the community and a community garden. The program is rich and well organized.

The dining room is open all day, so meals need not be eaten at any specific times. Four or five alternatives to the entrees choices are offered daily.

The caregivers seem calm and competent and there seem to be a sufficient number of them.

The price is reasonable—$2,495 for a one-bedroom, single occupancy; an additional $500 for another person. There is a service plan, with a point system for assisted living—more cost if more care is needed. There is an initial community fee of $1,000, but housing is available month-to-month.