I'm writing this review, which I posted at another site as well, because I realized that there were…read moreno Yelp reviews on Pioneer Village. I realize that this sounds totally like an advertisement, but I really do like the place a lot (as the daughter of a resident) and my mind is at ease about the place because I feel like I've thoroughly checked it out, and my mom seems really happy.
I've visited Pioneer Village twice, once as a drop in visit unannounced to check it out, and once for a week after my mother had moved in. She lives in one of the cottages on the main property, which is independent living. For the record, my mom is independent and doesn't require any skilled nursing or assistance, and is completely capable at managing her life on her own, so this review is based on those services. She found this facility while touring Oregon, and liked it so much that she sold her house and moved in. She was tired of taking care of a big house that needed work, and wanted to move somewhere like Jacksonville.
On my first visit, I arrived without my mother, and unexpectedly. I wanted to check out the place without them expecting me, so I dropped in. We were warmly greeted and my partner and I were taken on a thorough tour of the property, and got to see her intended unit. Nancy answered my many questions patiently, and I was able to observe the monthly new resident meeting where many of the residents were gathered. I chatted with a number of them, asked how they liked it, and was incredibly impressed with the response. All that I spoke with talked about how much the liked it, and how nice the staff were. I found that to be true during my first visit. Everyone was super nice, and I was well treated, even though I'm young looking and have pink hair!
A couple months passed before I made it back to Oregon to visit my mother over Christmas. I expected things like meals and activities to be a bit slower due to the holiday, but there were events including Christmas piano and singing and two delicious holiday dinners (Christmas Eve and Day). The wait staff in the dining room was very kind to the residents and, with only one exception, they were willing to get almost anything that was requested.
The only problem I encountered during my week long visit happened one night when we arrived to the dining room a few minutes before closing. My mother had read in the guidebook to Pioneer Village that she could arrive for dinner until a certain time. Well, my mother, aunt and I got there one night at that time and were turned away by one of the servers. Honestly, that seemed ridiculous to me because a) we were not past closing time and b) the staff are there to serve the residents their meals, and I was concerned what would happen if someone tended to run late. Honestly, they should have at least provided her with a boxed dinner, because many of the residents don't drive and can't just dash out for a quick meal. I attributed this experience to the inexperience of the server who turned us away, and I'm sure if we'd asked to speak with the chef, we'd have found a way to sort it out. Instead we went out to dinner in the town nearby, and it was lovely.
There are plenty of activities, my mom goes on all of them, and says they are great. The staff is friendly and she really enjoys it there. I'm impressed by their willingness to take care of things around the unit, and it seems clean and well maintained.
Overall, I couldn't be happier. Mostly, I'm thankful that my mom signed herself up to move somewhere safe where she isn't constantly battling home-ownership problems. To be truthful, I overheard/talked to a few of the residents saying they were unhappy because they felt like their children had forced them to give up their homes. They liked Pioneer Village just fine, but they were unhappy that they hadn't chosen to move there on their own. Luckily, in my family's situation, Mom's happy and so am I! My partner and I joke we need to move in it's so awesome. Maybe when we get a little older!