Oak Gardens Place

Oak Gardens Place was fine. The staff was good. The lady who gave us the tour was very friendly. However, the place wasn't a good fit for my dad. They did have an elevator, but the stairs were open, and I'm afraid that that would be something my dad would try to use. The room wasn't nearly as nice as the place where he currently lives.

From the outside, Oak Gardens has a very nice appearance. The facility is fairly new with a nice lawn and surrounding neighborhood. Upon entering Oak Gardens, I was shocked that there were no staff members at the front desk or anywhere in sight. My girlfriend and I were able to walk right upstairs to a main hallway where residents lived without having to speak with any employees. The inside was very clean and comfortable feeling, with several larger lounge areas that had a living room feel to them. There were a few residents scattered about watching television on a big screen TV, putting together puzzles, and chatting. There didn't seem to be much going on in the way of group activities, as each resident was sort of sitting alone doing their own thing.Next to each resident's door off the main hallway was a sign with their name and a little shelf which they could put pictures, ornaments, or anything they want to make their entryway more personalized. The inside of the resident I visited's room was fairly small - about the size of most single patient hospital rooms and a little larger than a standard college dorm room. There was enough space for her bed, a dresser, a small love seat and a rocking chair, a coffee table, and a small desk. She had her own bathroom attached on one wall, and a mini kitchen in a corner containing a sink, some cabinets, a dishwasher, and a microwave. The resident I visited said the other residents were very friendly and she had several friends who came to visit with her in her room quite often. She also said she enjoyed looking out her window which had a view of the front parking lot and a small woods across the street. She made sure to mention that the food they prepared were not her favorite, but she didn't mind them all too much. Finally, she said the location was great for her since her family lived less than a mile away in Altoona so she got to see them a lot.

The outside of the building is well taken care of and the landscaping is nice looking. As you walk in, you can see the main desk, and a commons area, which appear to be pretty well taken care of.When I walked down a hallway to visit my family member, I noticed several open doors where odors were coming from. After visiting my family member, I noticed that the patient rooms that obviously needed to be attended to, were not being taken care of. They seemed understaffed and by the way the workers acted, I guess that they were underpaid as well.Most of the patients in the commons area seemed to be content. There seemed to be activities going on which the patients seemed to really enjoy.It seemed to be an average facility, but personally, I wouldnt send a family member there because it seemed like the staff was not very compassionate towards the patients' needs. The workers did not seem very motivated, and moved slowly, while avoiding rooms where there was a mess to clean up, and just generally not the type of people that I would want to take care of my family member.I do not know if there has been any incidents of neglect reported at this facility, but would not be surprised.