Palm Gardens Senior Living

After her second heart attack my grandmother really wasn't herself. I was used to seeing her lively all the time. She would bake around the clock and host family cookouts once a month. Visiting here home in Folsom was one of the things I always looked forward. Uforttunately there are no more cookouts. My grandmother has been hospitalized and placed in nursing homes on and off since her last heart attack. In the most recent months she has been placed in Palm Garden nursing home in Woodland, CA. I'm happy to say that this is the first time I've seen my dear grandmother actually recovering. Thanks to the facility and the very social atmosphere, she is slowly started to revert to her old quirky self. In large part I credit the exemplary staff of the Palm Gardens. Their professionality and impeccable bedside manner are the best I've ever seen. The facilites offer various recreational activities on a day to day basis. I think the oppurtunity to interact with other seniors has revitalized my grandmother on a metaphysical level. Day by day she seems more like her old self. The only down side to the facility is there studio sized rooms.

This mid-sized facility, which offers both assisted living and memory care, is comfortable"”but not fantastic in any way. There are no foul odors in the place, which is clean and well maintained. And soon after arriving, you can usually smell the food cooking in the kitchen, which is very appealing and gives it a homey feel. There is a nice area designated for respite"”with two rooms and two beds in each. And other available rooms are also used to accommodate respite needs. Stays are limited to a month. The living units are studios and one-bedrooms"”all of which open up into a courtyard area with a small patio. That's the only natural light, however"”so the place can feel a bit dark at times. The menu is basic, although there are some ethnic foods featured occasionally on special nights. The staff members are friendly, although not overly friendly"”and they seem to interact well with the residents. There are activities offered for those in assisted living"”but nothing very creative or particularly engaging. This facility has recently been going through transitions in management. The new executive director has a good reputation and good experience so there are high hopes that things will turn around from the somewhat sketchy reputation it had in the past. One strength of the facility is its memory unit"”and it also offers classes to the public on how to work and live with people who have dementia. There are good and fitting activities for those in memory care, and the unit is decorated with costumes that are intended to invoke memories and historical attachments. And that works. I heard one gentleman reminiscing about his armed services, inspired by a uniform on display. There is also an outside area and an indoor atrium that is secured. One of the major drawbacks is location; Palm Gardens is very far north in Woodland and not easily accessible. There is not much of a neighborhood nearby, and the public transportation system doesn't connect well in the area. The cost begins at $2,000 per month for basic care; memory care starts at $2,500. -The reviewer, Jillian Winchester-Ebeling, is a human service professional in Davis, California.

We went to check out Palm Gardens in Woodland, California and our aunt really liked the lawns that were graced with a lovely rose garden. The living room features a warm and inviting fireplace. The communal rooms shown plenty of interesting activities taking place. The people seemed very happy and well cared for. The other communal areas provided nice and pleasant places to socialize in with friends and family. The food choices we were offered were healthy and delicious and snacks are offered any time they are desired. The studio and one-bedroom private rooms have plenty of room for personal choice decorations and furnishings to suit individual tastes. Each person is encouraged to design a routine around their specific interests. Our aunt enjoys daily exercises and really liked the choices of yoga and assisted training. We were all particularly impressed with the many social activities and festivities for which family and friends are encouraged to join in. It's hard to get everyone together and to transport elder loved ones at times, so this is an added bonus.