Something has changed at Willamette View.
Up until a year ago I would have agreed with Joe W.'s 5 star review. My grandmother lived in the independent living area for over 10 years and it was, though not perfect, very good, and she was happy and constantly commented on how well everyone "looked after" her.
My grandfather ended up in the Alzheimer's wing about 5/6 years ago and the care he received was amazing.
Something has changed at Willamette View.
Once my grandmother moved from independent living into assisted and then full time care, once she had paid up towards $500,000 to Willamette View, and going anywhere else would have been too traumatic, the care ranged from apathetic to adequate. She was 100 years old at this time.
Just a few examples:
She was approved to move into the assisted living area, and once there we were constantly told she required more care than they offered (why did they say she could move there?). Fees kept getting added for the "extra" things she required, and the attitude of some of the staff about doing those extra things could be described as less than willing, enthusiastic, kind.
Her laundry wasn't getting done. We found out this was because her dirty clothes were being put into the laundry basket, not the laundry bag. WHICH WAS RIGHT NEXT TO THE LAUNDRY BASKET. It was the staff that put the dirty clothes in the basket not the bag. S E R I O U S L Y. That is the kind of attitude some of the staff had.*
Once it was clear she actually needed to be in the full time care section, it was actually suggested that they might not have room for her and they'd have to review her case (they could choose to give the room to someone who didn't even currently live at Willamette View). While this happened, she paid for full time private care, by the hour (required by Willamette View, not optional), costing her twice as much as if they would have her in the full time care section. About $20,000/month vs $10,000/month. I believe Willamette View made some sort of profit on this extra care, but I'm not 100% sure of that.
Often care giving staff either wasn't informed of her current conditions at shift changes or didn't bother reading/comprehending orders/instructions for her. It got so that, in the last few weeks of her life, family members would make it a point to be there at shifts changes so we could personally look staff in the eye and give instructions.
I could go on. These are the highlights.
I think many people choose Willamette View based on their hopes/fears of future end of life care, when they are most vulnerable. I'm disgusted at how far short Willamette View fell of their perceived promises of how that would play out. If my grandmother were to have died in her sleep while in independent living, I would be writing a whole different review.
Fortunately my grandmother had family here and present to advocate for the kind of care she deserved, and for the most part I don't think she understood what was going on behind the scenes, but it makes me sad for those who don't have family/friends to be there with them.
*I believe this attitude comes down from the top. The caregivers at Willamette View seem understaffed, overworked, and poorly managed. Enough of them seem unhappy, unengaged, and apathetic that I have to think it is not a good place to work and they do not pay their caregivers adequately. There were lots of temps and part time people. I'd say 1/2 - 2/3 of the caregivers were really good at what they did. That's not enough. I know how these things work. It's not their fault. Something is broken at Willamette View.
There are many of the staff at Willamette View that were very kind, smart, engaged, and I am so grateful for them. This is not a review of those people, but there's not enough of them for me to ever recommend Willamette View, and they deserve a better place to work. read more