Friendship Haven

Scott

We toured Friendship Haven and met with Mandy. She was very friendly in walking us around the perimeter. They have several different assisted living units, and they have a full on nursing home. We toured all of them. She showed us the assisted living side called The Gardens that was more of a dependent type of style, while the other one was more of an independent style. She showed us their exercise room, physical therapy room, spa, and a library. It's a pretty nice and very clean facility.

Diane

My mom moved into Friendship Haven; it is a huge facility. They have everything from independent living to nursing home, complete care; they have everything. It's a beautiful community. They offer activities for the residents. They have many levels of care. I've been there, it's very well-kept, it's very clean. It's just a very nice place for anybody who needs care. The staff members that assisted me were excellent. They were very compassionate, helpful, and caring, and they continue to meet my needs as I make phone calls, and I call them. They have been excellent. This facility where my mother is right now is wonderful. The room is large enough that my mother could take her own furniture. It's very nice. In comparison to other facilities, it's a very large room. She has her own private bathroom with a walk-in shower. It's really beautiful. I have not tried their food. I have not really seen the menu, but when I moved my mother in, they asked all of her preferences. They were very detailed about her diet and about her preferences. They have exercise classes, and there were several people in that class. They have a swimming pool, and it's an indoor swimming pool; it looks wonderful. I haven't really been in the pool area to observe, but it is really nice. They have a large room where people can sit, and there's just a beautiful library. They have a lot to offer. I know that they have a little coffee shop, and I don't know if it's open again. It was closed down because of the pandemic for a while. It was like a little coffee shop/gift shop. I know they want to reopen it. It might be, because my mother mentioned she was able to buy some greeting cards, and she was excited about that. When my mother eats, they bring the food to her unit. They have a dining area in her unit. I'm happy with it because I did shop around as much as I could, and I'm happy because I just feel like she's taken care of. She's in a very beautiful and clean environment, and she's supervised. It's expensive, but at the same time, it's worth it. I know she's safe. Once a month they bring in a podiatrist to look at their feet and do their toenails. That's an excellent charge, but it's not exorbitant. They have a beauty salon too. There are different amenities there that they do offer. They have a church there, and she can go to her church services. She loves that because she's always been a churchgoer. It's right there on campus. She doesn't even have to walk outside to get to that area, and they also use that area to play bingo. There's a lot to choose from. It's probably how active a person wants to be, based upon their abilities, and then what they choose to do. My mom sometimes complains about this, but you know, everybody has a different palette. I haven't really been able to see her meals at all since she's moved in because I live in another state, but she complains sometimes about the food.

Deborah

We went to see Friendship Haven in Fort Dodge and saw their skilled nursing facility. It was very nice, very clean, and the people working there seemed very attentive. The people that were staying there seemed very happy there too. It looks like a good place.

myenger

Friendship Haven is a large retirement community that can serve independent residents, those who need assisted living and also those who need nursing care. When I first became familiar with Friendship Haven, it was a wonderful place with wonderful staff and an environment that was inviting and warm. My mother loved her room and enjoyed the options available to her. Back in 2013, they completed construction on a new nursing home and moved all the residents to their new homes. It is a lovely place, however, something changed in that time. While the staff are very dedicated and work very hard to do their best, the culture of Friendship Haven has changed drastically. It feels as if the staff are always rushed, always struggling to meet the demands that the administration has set upon them and I feel that they constantly feel like they are letting down others. I'm not completely sure what the issue is, but in speaking with other family members in my family as well as other family members of other residents, I am not alone in this observation. It seems that administration is striving to make Friendship Haven the best in the state, but at what cost? The turnover is high and the residents suffer. If they continue to add more and more to the load their staff is already carrying, they are going to run into issues with resident care. The frenzied pace I witness at times is hard to watch and I truly hope the administration is cautious in their efforts.

Anonymous113098050

Friendship Haven is a very excellent facility. It is very large. It has all the amenities for the people there. It covers all phases of aging. When there comes a point in time when they need more care, they can go into another facility. And then when they need end-of-life care, there’s another facility for that as well. It has all phases of care. It also has independent living. My wife is a retired hospice nurse and she also visited all the facilities in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Her assessment was that Friendship Haven is the best, the cream of the crop. This is one of the better facilities in the state of Iowa.

Bob93040350

I visited Friendship Haven as it in our list. They have good staff and were able to answer our questions. They have the needed services we’re looking for. We haven’t eaten there but I think the dining room is pretty good. What stood out for me was their location, as Fort Dodge was my hometown. The overall appearance of the facility and the size are good.