Avamere

Right now we're in Covid lockdown for over two weeks now. There's no communication about what's going on and not going on. I finally have an appointment for a new primary doctor, and the doctor says I have to have a negative Covid test to go to my appointment. But no one in the community wants to mess with me so I can get the test. And it's driving me crazy. The food here is absolutely terrible. It's too salty, not good quality and I want out. I understand that Covid is a big deal and we need to be locked down, by there's just no communication. So I'm very frustrated. I like the people who work here. But there's nobody to talk to. And the manger doesn't seem to be around. They have town hall meetings, and it seems like this food thing has been going on for a long time. There are many people who are very frustrated about it. I do like like my room, but if things don't improve, I would consider moving.

I first picked this facility because they had immediate openings and they fit within our budget. Everything started out great but then in the last few weeks, it really hasn't been a good experience. The day to day direct staff does a very good job and most of them really care. The nighttime staff just isn't up to par. They don't follow through and they are making decisions that aren't good for my loved one. There have been a number of medical issues and the follow through wasn't as I hoped it would be. There's just very little follow. I just feel like there have been occurrences happening about every other day or every few days. Also, this is a memory care unit and I really haven't seen much activity happening in terms of memory care. I would not recommend this facility.

My husband toured the Columbia Heights and Assisted Living community. They gave a nice presentation and had the opportunity to dine there. The director was fantastic. It was more of a clinical atmosphere, very sterile. We were looking for a smaller, warmer, more intimate atmosphere for our loved ones.

My mother is currently a resident at this community and things have not been the best for her so far. I have seen that they have a lack of staff available throughout the day and need to have more on the schedule in my opinion. There is not enough team members to take care of the all of the residents in a timely manor. There was also a short period of time where they did not have an activity directer so there was nothing going on for them throughout the day. One of my mothers biggest complaints is the meal times. She has waited over an hour to receive her food at times. I am hoping they can make some improvement in the near future.

My friend is doing okay, we are working out the kinks. The meals have not been so good. She tells me it tastes horrible and she is not happy with it.

They were not able to handle my wife here at this community. It is a good looking place, they do a very good job with the cleanliness of the community. The staff wasn't able to care for her properly. At times they would allow things that would bother me. The staff would be aggressive with her, which would make her be aggressive to the staff. It just wasn't the community for my wife.

They are probably a good place for assisted living, but they are not a good place for memory patients. I was told that they would be doing all these things for my dad, but they didn't take in to account that he was losing his memory. I was very unhappy, and had to move him out because it was a dangerous situation.

It's Ok. The friendliness of the staff, depends on the day and who you are talking to. I have to call to have someone push me up and down in my chair, I have had to do it myself, more often than not. They are understaffed and put too much on their staff members. They have a few good activities but not as much as other communities. The food is ok, passable, a three. They need improvement all the way around, they are being sold, and have new people. They are trying but it's going to take a long time to get it straightened out.

I lived here for about 18 months. I went in the hospital and when I was ready to return, the executive director refused to allow me to come back. Stated she would never had accepted me if she had been there when I applied. I have since found a better community but the sorrow of leaving my friends behind remains. Their food is fair and I would never return there.

Care services didn't apply my sister was in the independent side; constant change of staff; food was bad; the activities was a 5 until they couldn't seem to keep an activity person and they didn't pay the special people like watercolor class teacher, entertainment people;#8 too expensive based on the reasons above. I moved my sister in November to [community removed].

There were a lot of things they could've been that administration could've fixed. They do not help new residents find a friend. There are residents there stopping people from joining groups..I think she could have been happy had this one woman not stopped my sister from things. Food is too heavy for older people.. Field trips are far and few between The rooms are nice Maintenance is one man. Nice guy but can't be everywhere.. They charge residents to hang pictures on a wall. Do your homework Talk to people Don't believe the head staff It's about filling their rooms

We took my mother out after being a resident at Avamere at Rio Rancho for a short time. The food was not good, the kitchen staff could not get food to her. My sister and I had to be there every day to make sure that she was getting fed. So, it was not working. All in all, it was not positive for us as my mother was blind and needed care that she could not get there despite assurances that she would receive that help. I can't imagine meal planning for the elderly that does not supply milk or dairy as a nutritional addition to diet. For the money being charged, those food items should be available.

The tour experince was okay, and it felt a bit rushed. The place needed to be spruced up, perhaps a coat of fresh paint or something.

This really is the place for you if you like your food to have salt, sugar, and/or fat. They serve a lot of it and they don't give many options. But aside from food issues, it's the turnover, the lack of concern, the general attitude by many who work there. Lately a few new hires have the compassion and integrity you would love to see at a place like this. Unfortunately for my friend, too little too late. So little care. For her, it was Gilman Park very little assisted living. We had such high hopes but some of the med techs would rather be on their phones than help clients. Huge turnover in employees. A lot of good ones left.

The cottages were similar however, the administration and the people who greeted me I did not care for at all. The atmosphere was not as friendly.

Found the facility dark and very clinical looking. Room layout, especially location of the bathroom away from the bedroom was not ideal. Studios were smaller than I'd like. I found the common spaces dark. Prices good.

There is insufficient staff to care adequately for those who can't articulate what they need, and skilled staff is in extremely short supply. The food there is inedible. The slip that comes with dinner will have a bunch of yummy sounding stuff on it, but none of those things are actually on the plate - which may actually contain nothing but a lump of mashed potatoes for a diabetic on a low carb diet. Honestly, it's obscene!

The place is so unorganized nothing seems to be in order. New people come in the front door – do not come back the next day - at the most ½ shift, then left to be on their own people cannot learn well that way of teaching regardless how good the “teacher” in at his/her job.

Friendly staff and they seemed happy. Facility is clean and fresh but could use some upkeep. Back hallways seemed dark and dingy. Cottages were very appealing with wonderful landscaping and convenient parking. Maybe encourage residents to smoke in less conspicuous outdoor spaces rather than front parking lot.

If you are seriously considering this facility for either short term rehabilitation or longer term internment please reconsider, whether for a loved one, family member or that most deplorable person in your life. Certainly there are a number of highly motivated caregivers but unfortunately, this is a small minority. Most caregivers are undertrained, with poor morale and often with only an early primary student's grasp of English. The overall facility is dirty, with spilled food and drink remaining on the floor for days. Their vaunted n-house rehabilitation program is little more than a carefully cloaked means to extract the maximum payouts from Medicare/Medicaid with the patient needs only an afterthought. Please, please stay away!