THE WOODMARK AT SUN CITY

We're very happy with how this place takes care of my mother. The staff is very friendly and constantly check on her, notify me of issues and offer solutions. We've tried a few other assisted living locations and this is the best she has been to.

My mom lived there for one year and was mostly happy. She made friends and the activity director Michelle is a gem. Ultimately, we had to move her because they were unable or unwilling to provide the increasing level of care for mild dementia. We were not happy about this as we had been promised she could stay there until she dies by the sales staff and she is still mostly capable of independent living. Mom loved the food and the conversations at meal time. She gained healthy weight. They have a podiatrist, hairdresser and a primary care provider available on site. The main reason we moved mom into assisted living was to make sure she was getting the proper medications every day. Near the end of her stay we discovered that the staff was editing her medications without our knowledge, including taking her cold-turkey off her SSRI antidepressants. Mom was then suicidal. This could easily have been prevented had the staff communicated with us. If you are moving in there, it might be helpful to convert to their pharmacy Saliba. Things that were not optimal and can be changed: security – mom lost over $200 and some rare coins from her locked room. The PD said it was not the third time in 3 months theft was reported there. I am sure theft is under reported because the population is so vulnerable and no one believes what they say. Cameras do not exist anywhere, not in the hallways, not at the front door, not outside the property. Dozens of people have keys to every room and the staff changes often. In addition, the doors from the stairwells that lead outside are not alarmed in any way and I found them propped open at 10pm. The PD told us to put camera’s in mom’s room which we did, but Woodmark said it was “against the rules”. The PD told me they could not outlaw cameras in the rooms as the room is mom’s personal abode. Caretaking and care plans – some of the caretakers are angels, some are not. The pay is low leading to fast turnover. It takes months to get health insurance so often caretakers get sick and have to quit as they can’t get treated and have little PTO. Most of them have another job. The care plans which are supposed to go from 0-5 are ill defined. Once we signed a care plan we were mailed the plan for another resident, and mom never received the twice a week showers and assisted dressing that we were paying for. There are supposed to be procedures and paperwork to sign off on for care plans but apparently no one checks them. They are chronically short staffed in the caretaking area and it compromises care. The Resident Services director told me repeatedly “mom is happy, why do you care about this stuff?”. Mom needed a surgical preparation day, all liquid diet and bowel preparation. I asked Woodmark to help “beyond our scope of care”, I asked to hire a nurse to come in and do it, “against the rules”, I asked if we could pay a Woodmark caretaker overtime on our dime to do it, “against the rules.” I was told if the family could not do the 24 hours of bowel preparation that mom could not have the surgery and they knew how much pain she was in from rectal prolapse. This was inhumane and unhelpful. None of these “rules” are in the resident handbook. If you are planning to put your loved one here, I would recommend you keep in frequent contact with the staff to ensure that your loved one is getting the care they require.

Ratings can be deceiving. Recently, my family searched for a place for our dear uncle to live out his tender years. Our three months' search ended with placement in a facility that met all our criteria, but because of their less than stellar online reviews, we were skeptical at first. So, prior to making a commitment with a deposit, we communicated with not only the marketing and executive directors, but the activities and nursing directors as well. Now, months later, we believe that establishing excellent communication with the staff has given my family great peace of mind, and we are grateful for the care and compassion my uncle receives. We all have bad days on the job, but unlike the Michael Jackson song, one bad apple does not necessarily spoil the whole bunch!

The facility is really nice however the staff don’t seem to care about patients. If you plan on sending your loved one here, be prepared to handle everything. They don’t keep the patients appointments organized. There is no accountability when an issue arises. I’m constantly having to reach out to make sure my father’s appointments and medical needs are being handled. They always claim to not know however doctor staff have told me they get no response any time they reach out to The Woodmark. I receive zero communication unless I reach out first. The way they handle their residents feels like all they want is the money. They treat their facility more like an apartment then assisted living.

Recently I had the opportunity to work closely with the team at Woodmark Sun City. This community is outstanding in the services and amenities it offers and the care is very compassionate and I felt a lot of love from the staff. I was able to stay overnight for several nights and staff was attentive even with my odd hours. I would recommend this community to anyone. Holly Vandermate, the Director and her team are giving care above and beyond.