Riverbend

djfgirl

I placed my grandmother in the memory care facility after she became a wanderer and we could not be assured of her safety in her own home. I toured the facility and was impressed first by the smell. It smelled very nice, not like a hospital environment. The residents were all seated in the "living room" or in the dining room. No one was moving about and I was told that it was almost time for lunch and that the residents were gathering for that. I was also told about the many mind-stimulating activities and exercise activities that occur. Well, none of that happened. When I went to visit my grandmother, three days after she arrived, she was no longer walking. This woman, only one week before, was walking without even the use of a cane - up and down steps. That's partly why she was there - she could walk out of her house. She was in a wheelchair and after talking to her and seeing her on the subsequent visits, I discovered that she only got out of the chair to get in/out of bed and to use the restroom. She also told me that there were very few things to do there and she couldn't understand why she was there - she thought that she was in a rehab facility. They played bingo mostly. After a hospital visit, she was supposed to receive speech therapy. After the first week I inquired why it hadn't started and they gave me some reason about insurance, but was assured that it was being taken care of. After two weeks went by, she still hadn't started. (The therapy group called me one month AFTER my grandmother had passed, asking if I was ready to start her therapy. Apparently they just spoke to Riverbend - she'd been dead for a month!!) The worst part about this was the bullying. After she had been there for 5 days, I visited her and they had to change her room because her roommate hit her twice. It was verified by a worker. Her roommate had the room to herself for several months before my grandmother arrived and she didn't want to share the room, so they moved my grandmother. However, they did not move her things (other than her bed) from the first room. When I visited, she was wearing someone else's clothes. When I asked, they said that since she didn't have clothes, they had just been getting things from the lost and found for her to wear. It took a little while but we found ALL of her things back in the old room - I personally moved all of her things to her new room. During this move, my grandmother had been wheeled to a table in the dining room and while I was transferring her things, I and the worker witnessed another resident bully my grandmother about sitting at her place at the table. The worker did attempt to resolve the issue but it ended up with my grandmother agreeing to move to another seat. I did share my grave concerns about this with the worker. After several visits I saw that the residents weren't just gathering for meals in the "living room", they were being placed there and told not to get up. I think they forgot that there was a visitor sitting in the dining room and I got to see their true colors. Every time someone tried to get up, there was a worker telling them to sit back down. Oh, how I wish I could have seen them for what they were before deciding on this location. My grandmother went into the facility in mid-September. She died in late October. To add insult to injury, because we didn't give 30-days notice, we had to pay for three days into the month of November - the policy is to pay for 10 days if the person dies after giving notice that they won't be returning. She died in the hospital.

Provider Response

Zeb

The staff at Riverbend seemed fine, I spoke to some of the residents and they're actually happy with their care. The facilities are up-to-date, clean, and spacious. One of the things that I like about this particular place is that they would go on a drive every day and take the residents on the bus. Some days they would go out to get food or shopping. Overall, it seems like a quality place and I would rate it a second out of 8-9 places I visited. The assisted living and memory care are separated since they're different levels of care. But when I visited the memory care, they were having music time where they listen to music and the staff was trying to get the residents to be active. The residents there were more severely affected than my mom, but they were well-dressed and clean. They were all in regular clothes no one was sitting around in their pajamas in the middle of the day, their hair were brushed and they looked good.

Lisa

I liked Riverbend. I didn't have any problems with it. The apartments were fine, they had plenty of room, and a nice patio. The staff was helpful and nice. They had somebody playing music while we were there.

Renee

Riverbend was nice, but the studio rooms were too small. You only get one tiny room with your bed, a couch, and everything. The staff was very friendly.

Gary

Riverbend Assisted Living is fantastic on all counts. The staff is great, the place is clean, and the food is wonderful. It's a top-notch and classy organization all the way through.

griff1814

Be aware when it comes time to place a family into a care facility. My sister and I did our research. We toured the faculty. We talked to family member of previous residents(most from many years ago) When we met with them we were told of all the wonderful activities to keep their minds active. Of the lovely courtyard where they could enjoy some fresh air and they even sometimes planted flowers. After she moved there, what I saw was very little I interaction with the residents by staff. The staff sit in a room and observe the residents through a glass wall, as if they were in a prison. They say there are activities all day for the residence to keep their mind active. This is not true. They have a calendar of events but these are frequently canceled.The say say they there a courtyard for the residents to enjoy and even garden. But it is almost always locked. When my mother would ask to go outside, they refused. Telling her that the didn’t have the staff to accompany her. They would give my mother a sleeping pill at 7 pm and put her to bed when the sun was still up. When I ask them to do that later in the evening, the response was “I will put it in her chart” but nothing changed. She was frequently up wandering at 2-3am because she went to bed too early. I ask that when there was actually an activity, for them to let her know and show her where to go. I again got “ we’ll put it in her chart”. But nothing changed. My mother constantly complained of being bored. Eventually she started having attention seeking behaviors. Instead of working with her to keep her entertained they wanted her medicated. I wrote an email to the management about my concerns regarding her care. I told them that they were not providing what we were promised before we moved Mom there. The response was they would look into it and get back to me. They never did. They gave medication, they insisted on, one day to work . When it didn’t they insisted(we initially refused) on sending her to a geriatric psych unit to adjust her medications. There her care was even worse. She only lived at Riverbend for 2 months. Before she moved to Riverbend she was physically fit and active for her age. She was always going to activities and exercise classes when she lived at Westminster. All her problems stemmed from Alzheimer’s. Which is why we moved her to a facility that specializes in memory care. Now we are burying her on Thursday.

Todd

We chose Riverbend because it is similar to where my mom lived before and it isn't like a hospital. My mother is in the memory care unit and they have a doctor that visits.

Lisa338276

My brother is in the memory care unit of Riverbend. The staff is absolutely fantastic, they are very attentive to my brother, and everything looks very clean. They are just on top of the game. I haven’t eaten there myself, but I have walked through the dining room ,and the food looked very good. His room is nice and bright, and I like the fact that there is no carpeting. They keep the floor mopped, and it is just very clean.

Robert813836

Riverbend was really nice -- nice facility, nice location, everything was clean, and the staff was really doing their job, so I liked this one the best.

Debbie151235

I placed my mother at Riverbend. It’s such a wonderful facility. They call me if there are any concerns or any changes in her medicines. They take really good care of her. The staff is very attentive and very good. Her doctor goes there and the nurses see to it that they get her medicines. They have nursing assistants that assist with the baths and help her get dressed. They do her laundry and have a lot of activities for them, like bingo. Last week, they were having a Derby Party and special events for Mother’s Day. They serve good food and get three meals a day plus snacks. I think they do well.

Caring Daughter118537750

The only place that I visited was Riverbend. I thought it was actually pretty good. I met the director; I thought she was nice, knowledgeable, and friendly. I thought the rooms were clean and nice. They were fine. I definitely would have my mom stay there. If it turned out she would have to stay in a place, I would pick Riverbend. It was clean and nice. Everything was fine about it. They had activities like bingo, cards, cooking, day trips in a van, and things like that.

Sarah F.

I have my mom into Riverbend. We choose the community because it is clean; it has lots of activities; I liked the ratio of staff to residents; and some previous reviews I have already read about the community. They have a doctor that comes one day a week, and they also have a podiatrist. They have a bus that takes them out.

Judie6

The care at Riverbend is excellent, and the food is very good. It is older, so it is not luxurious like the other facilities. They have lots of activities for the seniors. My friend's mother has a private room, and it is very comfortable. She has a living area, a little kitchen with a little refrigerator, a bedroom with a nice closet, and a handicap bathroom.