Elite Care at Oatfield Estates

This facility's location in Milwaukie is in a residential area on a hill, surrounded by 6.5 acres of land. Oatfield Estates, like its sister facility in Tigard called Fanno Creek, has an interesting story. The owners were quite the darlings of the person-center care movement, which was strong in Oregon about five years ago. The couple"”Bill Reed and Lydia Lundberg, were looking to find a place for a parent, so they built their own facility"”with the goal of creating the kind of place they would like to live in themselves. They also created a technology that would allow family members to get updates and status reports online from anywhere in the country, even checking their whereabouts and activities and vital signs. As part of this electronic monitoring, a bell is activated when a resident tries to leave or rings a call button"”and there's also a record of how people responded and how long it took. Actually, very few people do it, but it does give some people peace of mind. The owners are also very interested in green and sustainable; all the facilities are LEED-certified. Another innovative idea was to have multi-generational mix, so some caregiver apartments were allowed at first. But that idea didn't last. The care concept is like roquefort dressing: people love it or hate it; there is no in between. The ones who are unhappy with the care feel that the staff isn't adequately trained in memory care, that the facility is understaffed and not well maintained. The idea was to give a high level of attention to people with memory care issues and improve the quality of their lives to extend them. But the facility is not licensed as memory care facility"”only as a residential care facility, which means it doesn't need to comply with some of the more stringent staffing and building safety requirements. Oatfield Estates was Reed and Lundberg's first facility. The campus is open, which is a concern for some residents with memory issues; it is patrolled by a sprinkler system. The housing is in dormlike apartments"”15 residents to each house in 5 houses. The model is that people should spend as much time together as possible, so the living quarters are small"”and the common areas are large. They do a good job is encouraging people to socialize. They also do a fairly good job with activities and helping residents stay engaged. And there is a high quality of food served"”mostly organic. The dining rooms have large communal tables, and residents are encouraged to help prepare meals together. I've witnessed loving interactions between residents and caregivers, but some family members complain that the management doesn't truly listen to concerns they raise. There is little turnover with care staff, but higher level management tends to change hands. Some family members also feel that the general understanding of dementia is not where it should be"”and not all staff is adequately trained in memory care. The cost is very high for a residential care facility"”beginning at $6,000 monthly. which is about $2,000 more than comparable places.

My grandfather was a resident of this facility and I have nothing but praise for both the facility and the staff. This is not a typical assisted living facility, as it has many unique amenities and features that make it both a fun and interesting place. It is located on almost 7 acres of land at the top of a hill with beautiful views of Mt. Hood. The grounds are full of accessible paths and resident run gardens that are very pleasant. Gardening activities are core to many of the resident's experiences, my grandfather loved to be out working in the garden at every opportunity. The living spaces for residents are divided into houses, each with its own family style kitchen and chef, as well as common area. The food is of very good quality (much of it is grown on site by residents or bought locally). Family members of residents are invited to a communal meal once a month on family night. Most resident rooms are apartment style with one large room with a partition for bedroom and living space, and a bathroom. The staff are very open and friendly and communicate well with both residents and family members. Residents are treated with a great deal of respect and there is a sense of community among both the staff and residents of each house. This facility is truly a pioneer in eldercare and I can easily recommend it to anybody.