Truewood by Merrill, Scottsdale

Iris

Desert Flower Assisted Living had nice grounds but nothing unusual. The gentleman was very knowledgeable about what was going on there. I had lunch, which was very nice, and I enjoyed it. They had three meals on their program, which I'm not interested in. It was very clean and looked very well managed and very well taken care of.

cactuskitten

I would give Desert Flower the highest rating as a top notch community that's very positive in all ways. It seemed the people were very caring, and not mechanical going through the phases. It was more like an apartment community with activities for folks who were very involved. It seemed like they were really caring for the people. They had movies and games that mixed with the independent site. There was an area with a fireplace where they could go and read. They had a courtyard outside where they sometimes barbecued and sat.

Lisa P.813621

I really liked Desert Flower; the people were friendly and informative. They have assisted living and memory care. I thought the facility was beautiful. It looked like they had a very nice program for memory care and lovely restaurant, and the rooms were quite spacious. I thought that the fee structure was really good given all the services they provided. The staff showed us all the different care levels, the activities, and the restaurant, and they reviewed with me all their philosophies and services that they offer. They let me tour some rooms, and it was very nice; I think they had the nicest rooms. I found the facility to be very large for someone who has memory issues. There was no way to be outside if you were in the memory care area because it was on the upper floors, and that was sort of crowded. For assisted living, it was just a long way to walk if you were in the back part of the facility to get up to the front where the restaurant and stuff were. It was too big for my mother.

Gary088304

I didn’t like Desert Flower. The apartments were too small. It felt claustrophobic, and you had to sleep in the living room. It was one big room, and that was it. It had a bed in the living room, which is kind of weird in my books.

Eric371556

We went to a portion of Desert Flower that reeked of death or a horrendous odor that I would not want my mother exposed to on a regular basis. It's not the way I want her to spend her final days. The staff was very nice and good. The dining area was very appropriate. The apartments were acceptable. It was just that smell of death in the air, and it wasn't good. I don't think people need to be reminded of their mortality on a daily basis.

Karen121061250

The tour at Desert Flower was exceptional. I thought everybody was very helpful, knowledgeable, and seemed very engaged with the residents. I got a pretty good sense of community there. The rooms were comfortable and homey. The bathrooms were definitely nice, and I liked that they had an open dining policy, so if you get up late, breakfast is still going at 11:00. We talked to a few people who have had family members there, and they were all very pleased with the care they received. They watch movies, but they need to add more activities for the residents to do.

Caring91872250

The location was great. The dining again there was excellent. It wasn't the structured hours to when you can only eat breakfast for two hours; it was open dining, and the food was very good. The rooms were nice. They were getting ready to do some remodeling in the memory care area and stuff. This would have been one of my first choices for my brother to move to, but the location was too far away; however, it was a very nice facility.

Estee1933

I have stayed at Desert Flower 6 times now for additional support and care related to a illness. The care staff are amazing. I know when I come in I will be greeted with a smile and hello. They all know my name even if I never met them. They make me feel good. I have loved my stays and may some day in the future move in to stay. Thank you Desert Flower for you care and love the last few months.

Eve5

Desert Flower is close to my house, location is perfect. The staff is professional and kind. The studios were fine, clean and accessible. The dining room was nice but they need to update their furniture.

Dave35

Desert Flower had a nice garden. The rooms and apartments were pretty. It was a very clean and very nice place. They had activities like bingo and crafts.

Caring104933150

Desert Flower was much larger and had more residents. One thing I liked about it is that it offered the possibility of a short-term stay.

Provider Response

Sorry Mom!

The first few months where good for Mom at Desert Flower, but soon after new ownership brought in new upper and middle management things deteriorated very quickly. The details are too long, so I will just say that medication errors started happening, care plan was not followed resulting in putting my Mom in a potentially very dangerous situation, bad nursing assessments occurred twice resulting in undiagnosed serious bone fractures that where very apparent to me from the pain my mom expressed when I saw her and where confirmed by x-rays and CTs when I insisted they send her to the ER both times. The last undiagnosed fractures resulted in 1 week in the hospital followed by 3 weeks in a nursing home for rehab. My Mom was never quite the same after that. The above and other incidents occurred over a period of just a few months. After the last incident I finally decided to move her for her safety and well being to a facility that took good care of her. I only wish I would have made this decision sooner.

Provider Response

Caring101895750

We already placed her at Desert Flower. The rooms are nice and comfortable. I would say that the staff is accommodating. The residents have movies, crafts, and music. The dining area is nice, and so far the food is OK too. It is still to be determined if I'm going to recommend this facility to others.

lgcy

I put my husband in this facility for one week in Aug. 2013. It was not a good experience. He has dementia and does not realize the total neglect he received. I brought him there clean shaven, showered with clean clothes. I picked him up a week later...unshaven, unshowered, soiled clothes. He looked like a homeless person. I brought two bars of soap for sink and shower. When I picked him up there was no soap in his bathroom for him to wash his hands. I brought a new toothbrush and tooth paste for him to brush his teeth. The toothbrush was never taken out of the package. They never took him to any activities...they had a piano concert and played old movies. I put on the forms I filled out that he played piano and enjoyed old movies. He missed both. They served him his meals in his room when I said I wanted him to go to the dining room. It was awful. I wouldn't put a dog in that facility.

Caring68704550

I’ve already moved my husband to Desert Flower. We haven’t been there very long. The staff is fine. He has a 1-bedroom apartment; it’s adequate. When they have to cook for that many people and they are elderly and they all have special diets and medications, there’s not a whole lot you can do with the food, but it’s not bad. The dining room is OK. I know they go to Fry’s and to Target, and on Fridays they have trips.

Caring87614250

Desert Flower is well-maintained, pleasant staff, good, and the residents looked happy. They have pretty busy activities and that stood out. The rooms were pleasant and spacious, and it was a secured area.

Caring79066150

Desert Flower came highly recommended and we've heard things about them from other folks. But right now, I am disappointed with them. There have been some things that occurred, and we've had some issues with them. The room is too big for my father. We had to provide all the furnishings. It's clean, but we're looking to downsize. I would just want them to be more responsive and possibly more staff. I don't quite see where I'm getting the most bank for my buck. I don't think we're getting the full value.

Caring57003650

Desert Flower was absolutely wonderful. It was a first-class place. It's a very good place to go. Their rooms were very nice and spacious. There were little cubbyholes in the wall and that's what I like. The staff was really nice. They're also young. I was really impressed with how good they treat their patients. They didn't just take them to their rooms and put them to sleep like most other places do, but they spend time with them. They were excellent. They also went out of their way to show me everything. The girl that runs the place was very nice and very efficient. She followed up on us and invited us to a lot of their parties. I had lunch there and the food was excellent. They also showed me the exercise room, the TV room and the game room, and they're all very nice.

lhering

My mother who has dementia lived at Desert Flower for 3 years and left in July 2012. The first year and half was fine then the nightmares began to happen. While my mother was in assisted living the facility had a hard time understanding that assisted living meant you were to assist the person living onsite. My mother fell and was on the floor for several hours and then ended up in the hospital. After she returned from 3 days in the hospital and 30 days in skilled nursing the appropriate personnel at Desert Flower forgot to inform the caregivers she was back and she fell the very next day trying to find her way to the dining room. After I complained for months to the executive director of the facility that my mother was not being cared for the executive director locked me out of the facility. She did so by calling the Scottsdale police and had me served with a no trespassing order. Since I am my mother's power of attorney and filled her pill boxes weekly my mother's welfare was immediately compromised when I no longer was allowed in the facility. Therefore, I obtained legal counsel and had my mother removed from this nightmare facility. In addition, I have filed with all appropriate Arizona state agencies against Desert Flower. Hopefully no one else will ever receive such treatment from this facility that takes your money each month and then locks you out after you complain about their poor care giving services.

jota1

My grandfather was a resident of Desert Flower for some time and we always had positive experiences there. The staff was warm and friendly and always seemed to be attentive to the needs of the residents. They offer a variety of scheduled activities and programs for the residents, such as pet therapy, which was always very popular. The staff seem to connect with the residents on an emotional level and to genuinely care for their happiness, comfort, and well-being. The rooms are comfortable and include cable and phone access as well as an emergency call system. Each room also comes with temperature controls to ensure the maximum comfort for the residents. Desert Flower is in a nice, safe location and is located in close proximity to a hospital, which is comforting. There are also plenty of shops and restaurants in the area which provide good opportunities for outings with loved ones. I know that my family always felt comfortable having my grandfather there and we were very satisfied with the facility and staff.