Pacifica Senior Living

We moved my mom one week after her arrival. The care ratio is very low. The workers have to many patients to care for. This was not the place for my mom.

Wyndham lakes is great for people who can walk on their own, dress on their own, use the bathroom on their own, etc. If they need help for anything other than something small, it is not the place. My Dad did not get help with showering, cleaning his teeth, etc He was blind, in a total strange place and he was alone in his room any time I came to visit which was most of the time.. He missed several meals because no one came to take him to the dining room. No one even took him over to the entertainment when it was there. It was just the wrong fit for him with his limitations. And most of the help spoke broken english and even I could not understand what they were saying

I am a Registered Nurse who’s in laws reside at this facility. The one thing we have learned about senior living options is there is Non-Profit and For-Profit facilities. Non- profit facilities operate on different principles, such as dedication to seniors. For-profit facilities have requirements for a return on investment, that necessitates to keep costs low which can negatively impact a residents quality of life. Meridian at Stone Creek is owned by a For-profit corporation called Pacifica. We have found our experience at this facility, that the company’s return on investment takes priority over the health and safety of residents, services offered, salary and benefits and fair treatment of employees. Looks can be deceiving....do your homework and ask a lot of questions when considering senior living options... There is a big difference between non- profit and for- profit facilities. Talk with residents and staff about resident turnover rate, employee retention, satisfaction of being a resident, support that staff receive from administration, the Director of Regional Operations, and Director of Patient care. Ask about training and education the company provides to employees. Check through the Department of Health the quantity and type of citations the facility has received. Trust your instincts.

The Atria has many positive programs for Independent living and assisted living. Recently my mother was asked to leave because she was on able to get out of her bed on her own. I found out after the fact they had only one CNA per floor. I have paid extra to have mom checked three times a night and if she needed it have her diaper changed. I found out recently they only check and do nothing if she needs changing. I have two excellent people taking care of mom from 10 AM to 10 PM Monday through Friday. They do most of the work including laundry housekeeping showers and all of mom‘s personal needs. The reason I’m giving the atria only one star is that I just heard there was only one staff member per floor and they were unable to care for my mother. Two months ago they did a rent reduction and now they’re asking her to move. My mother is 96 really doesn’t have many more years to go and those of you that have elderly parents they do not do well when they’re moved. Fortunately I have arranged for her to move into a private room in the small facility and basically will paint the walls in the same colors at the atria and furnish it with all the furniture that is in her bedroom and more. I have battled the atria for about five years concerning their patient care. At one time I had to put in a video system to provide me with information about when the CNA came to look in on mom, go in to check her and change her if necessary. In closing: the Atria Meridian is a clean independent living facility that I can recommend. I cannot recommend assisted-living basically because they are incredibly understaffed and poorly managed from 11 PM to 7 AM. Staff turnover is high and often in need of training. I like Judy the manager. She is personable and excellent when directly Confronted with a problem and quick to find a solution. The problem is having so many issues such as replacing carpets, and fixing air-conditioners as 2 examples. We have personally had the carpet cleaned several times and finally we got new carpet. We are moving out in about a week wish the best for Atria and hope they can provide better services particularly for assisted living. If your loved one is healthy and independence the atria is a good choice. When looking for a facility for your loved ones were parents be sure to check The fine print ask lots of questions take notes and be realistic about your loved one. Ask yourself are they able to care for themselves. If not what services are provided by the facility for assisted-living. Lastly when will they ask your loved one to move because they are no longer able to care for or him. Do your homework there are many facilities and I’m sure you can find one that meets your needs. Stay on top of The care your loved one is getting and make sure that the facility is living up to their agreement. For those caregivers good luck.

If you have a problem with the staff or the administration of medications by the staff no one will return your calls after you make the first call, including the Executive Director (the one that is over the whole place).

I will be quite honest about my mothers stay since living there the past 2 years. Early on missing items from room such as clothes and small items nothing of real value but still bothersome. I witnessed myself first hand some of the nurses standing around and teasing one of the seniors. I found 50 % of the staff friendly and the other 50 % less than desirable and not very communicative. The food was good at first which I actually ate at the facility and gave it about a 9 out of 10 for the lunch , Since that time they have laid off many and all I hear from my mother and others staying here is the food is awful and I have witnessed that first hand also. My mother was given 1 piece of cold fish with something that resembled potatoes, You wouldn't give this to your worst enemy but Pioneer House sure does while my mother pays 9.00 a meal ! That fish meal was worth nothing and it looked poison! I was shocked and appalled that the nurses would even bring that to my mother as a healthy meal seeing how they claim they are nurses . The owners of Pioneer House can make some small adjustments to their management and employees and come up to a quality rating which they had once but as of now they are below average and declining. They seem to have a morale problem that needs to be addressed and promptly or they may be losing some well paying customers. I could write much more but I will save that for the time being to see if this will make a difference. Hopefully they will read this review and actively try and make some changes . Talk to you next time!

My parent was there for a little over a half a year. While the pricing is reasonable, this facility is old, clearly dated, the help and management are marginal. The food is below institutional quality, and the staff for the most partI found to be fairly unhappy and such is reflected in the level of service and lack of overall management oversight. There seemed to be little to know administrative cohesiveness. I've waited for some time to pass before writing this so that my viewpoints would not be skewed. There are better facilities to consider in the area. This facility does not have a cognitive unit, and their physical therapy facilities are lacking in many ways.

Nice Looking Place Expensive but had to pull my mom out due to the director [Removed] was giving my mom and my moms favorite assistant a real bad time

I'm moving OUT of Villa Valencia after a year. There is no way this place is a five star facility! I don't know who rated it, but they are so so wrong. The help here is superb. The employees are kind, pleasant, thoughtful, accommodating, amusing, enjoyable to be around. However, management is a penny-pinching, rule crazy, nosey, overbearing group, with the corporate office back east dictating EVERYTHING. To name just a few of the problems here, I offer the following: 1) For an entire year, both the interior and exterior has been torn up with a remodel. And this remodel does NOT affect any of the apartments. As of this writing, the interior does not look much different from its original state. And for a year we have not had hot breakfasts, a salad bar, and other things. 2) The food is abysmal. The cheapest meats, poorly prepared, fat and grissel loaded; the fish offered is dry and all high mercury loaded with frequently the "bottom feeders." The chickens are smaller than Cornish Game Hens and you only receive 1/4 of the chicken. Everything is covered with a sauce or gravy to hide the fat, the color, the dryness or the size of the serving. The menu changes every five weeks, but NOTHING NEW IS ADDED IN THE NEW MENU. Same dishes over and over and over, but sometimes with a new name. Instead of rice in stuffed peppers or stuffed cabbage, they use OATMEAL. It's horrible tasting; its like eating a rock! Desserts, while freshly made, are higher in sugar content than is normal. We assume that is to make seniors forget how bad are the soup, salads, and entrees. While the dietitian claims we get 4 ounces of protein -- the recommended serving should be 6 ounces for seniors -- residents have weighed the protein meal content and found it runs closer to 2 ounces, at best. If it weighs more than two, it is because of the uneatable fat, etc. About ONCE A MONTH we do get four ounces of protein in a meal. In addition the beef liver is NEVER calves liver, but a hunk of liver so large it covers an entire dinner plate. THAT IS ONE VERY OLD COW! The smell and taste is nauseating. AND -- all recipes come from "corporate" and must be followed by the local chefs and cooks. Yet, Five Star claims they have an internationally famous chef! NOWHERE IS HIS NAME TO BE FOUND; not on any list anywhere! There is more on this chain, but space is limited. What I offer is just a sampling in TWO areas. Ah, and we just received a notice that our rent will go up $105.00 a month starting in January, 2018. If it weren't for the "worker bees", I'd give this facility one star.

My loved one was in the rehabilitation department and it was a terrible experience. The Certified Nursing Assistants were rude and not accommodating. They did not take good care of my loved one. Some of the food looks terrible. I would not recommend the rehabilitation area of this community.

My mother had a terrible experience at this community. Her personnel needs were not met and they did not offer any type of activities. The aids are more like glorified babysitters. They do not not have enough staff or management to care for the residents properly. They gave me a lot of information up front about the services they provide and they did not offer any of them. There is no director of nursing. They offer a low quality of unhealthy food. I feel as though I was duped. I had seen good reviews of this place so it is possible some people may have had a better experience than we did.

My 96 year-old mother has resided at Monte Vista VIllage for 3 years. She rents a 1-bedroom unit and although her vision is rapidly deteriorating. she is very cogent, and her memory is excellent. Two characteristics stand out about Monte Vista: a serious theft problem and tasteless, poor quality food. My mother has had had jewelry, money and various personal effects stolen while she is at lunch. This had happened numerous times. She cannot lock her doors because the management has keys to every apartment and the staff often walk in unannounced. They consider the theft problem to be a memory problem of the residents. This may play a role but a very small one. It is really a serious problem that no one does anything about. The food is a travesty. It is tasteless, unseasoned, and poor quality. Most residents feel this way but are afraid to speak up. I do not know where these other glowing reviews came from but they do not accurately describe Monte Vista Village.

It's a beautiful facility but unfortunately the actual care the residents receive is not adequate. The residents pay good money for board and care. We placed my grandfather in this facility ten months ago and have seen the care decline rapidly. This is not what we were sold when we visited this facility. We were told there was a gourmet chef on staff. I have actually seen them feed them chicken nuggets like you would a toddler not chicken tenders nuggets. When it says pot pie it's actually a frozen pot pie like a Banquet one from the frozen food isle. Recently one of the med techs that had been here for more than 5 years left because he was denied a vacation he had requested 6 months prior and only given 2 weeks notice he would not receive it. Unfortunately the turnover has been tremendous I see someone filling out an application every time I visit. I go at least once weekly and often more. Recently with the change in staff we have found medication on the floor the new staff is not making sure the residents are taking their meds. My mom goes daily this is on top of the $4000.00+ we pay for care monthly. This morning my grandfather was sleeping with his shoes on? This is somewhere we thought he would get quality care. Unfortunately the more I get to know the residents the unhappier I see them. There are supposed to be weekly outings the van didn't work for more than a month so the residents were unable to go to doctors appointments and planned activities. There is an elevator that has literally been out of service for 6 months the elevator next to it my family has been stuck in on at least two separate occasions. I take the stairs but when I am coming with laundry it's more difficult. Laundry don't get me started I used to try and do my grandfathers laundry when I was there. The washers were normally being used by staff when I asked [Removed] the facilities manager he said they had a machine down. Well for the $2500.00 a month each resident pays for a room and food they should not be penalised for poor management. Honestly each floor should have a laundry room with several machines or stackable units in each room. Consequently I take the laundry home and return with it clean. However I have met residents who have told me they come in at midnight to do theirs most have given up and pay the $80.00 per month to have it done there or family does it. I would advise you to look long and hard before placing your loved one at Pacifica it very pretty but that's all. Regretfully, [Removed]

No...there are good staff here and it's clean but not enough staff, high turnover, multiple issues. A few families have recently taken their loved ones out. Check with San Mateo County Health and Human Services/Omsbudsman.

Sorry, but I cannot recommend this place for someone requiring assisted living. Although the place is nice and the people always greet you with a smile, the actual care when it is needed is lacking. They provide an pendent to call for help when needed and they promise a response within a given amount of time. They have failed to assist my mom on two occasions. Had these been a life threatening emergency it would have been game over. They have a meal delivery service to the room that is absolutely unacceptable. The wait time is measured in hours and when it finally comes the majority of the time it is cold and not even what was ordered. It is just whatever is left over after the meals in the dinning room have been served. They have a wake up service that provides a phone call, but the last two times no call came. The list can go on and on so I will stop here. While you are in the sales meeting you are given promise after promise and they are all smiles. Once in you are kind of stuck and now you need to accept it or go through the hassle of finding another place. Think twice for signing up.

They can improve on the management system from the top down. There were moments when I saw good care being given to people by the staff, but it's just managed poorly. No communication and no follow through. I like the staff, just not the management.

We just moved our mother out of Pacifica (formally Salem Lutheran Home, a non-profit) due to clear lack of professionalism and oversight. She had been there for about eight years but since the purchase by Pacifica (a for-profit company) the level of care has dropped to a dangerous level. Many employees have a lot of heart and are trying to contend with this transition but the staff is a revolving door. When we left they did not even schedule an exit meeting and it was up to me to hand in the keys. I would not recommend this residence to anyone in its current state.

There has been an extreme turnover in staff since my parent has been there, and they have been very slow to replace vacant positions. No activities coordinator for many months. Staff is not as responsive as they used to be, and the cleaning of individual rooms has gone downhill. Communication with family members is also not consistent. I would not recommend this facility.

My parents have been living there for a few months and it seems they are understaffed. What's more some of the talks I'm getting from the staff seems like it's more of being a tattle-tale than a care provider. There are issues where their call buttons have gone unanswered or it takes 30 minutes or longer to respond. As for the food, I was told that it was good and was only going to get better, but I hear that it's tolerable during the week and much worse on the weekends, even after Brookdale has taken over and "improved the menu". The thing I couldn't get them to understand is that regardless of what's on the menu, what really matters is how it's prepared. This week for instance, Fried Chicken was on the menu, but it was burnt by the time it was delivered to the secondary dining room so there was one of the entree options that was unavailable. Long story short, I don't know how much longer we will we will give them, but I do know that if the staff doesn't eat there for a deeply discounted price), what does that tell you about the quality of their food?

When the hospital was ready to release her on a Saturday no one at Pacifica was in charge to accept her. She was finally transported to Pacifica monday evening. This was very difficult to accept, I prepaid to hold her room since the previous Thursday.