Stellar Senior Living

Things at Orchard Park are going pretty well. I'm satisfied with the care they provide, friendliness of the staff, and cleanliness of the facility. Overall I'm pretty happy.

I would like to see more people at the front desk, maybe pay more attention to what's going on. They are a little understaffed. They seemed to be the most friendly of the places I looked at.

$10,000/month for 2 bedrooms; smaller facility than Skyline (merged with Skyline company to become largest provider in U.S.); has all levels -independent to nursing

Bedroom too small.

Seemed like an OK place. Able to talk to some of the residents and got good feedback. However, overall it felt quite 'institutional'. especially the very wide halls (8-10 feel wide).

No Memory Care

set meal times, small crowded property, nice furnishings, mixed asst living and indie living, no decks/patios for rooms due to asst living designation, no hoyer lifts allowed

I wasn't as comfortable here as I should be. It wasn't an old shoe fit.

Cliff View was clean and smelled good. The food was average. The apartments were very small and had either a close up view of big power transformers and the freeway or the parking lot. The staff ratio of 1 CNA to 28 patients was concerning. There were no other couples living there, which was disappointing. Staff was kind and informative. We will keep looking.

I thought it was a neat place, but there really is a problem with the staff. We had a very tough time with the staff and the director. I was very transparent and honest about our situation. They told me that I didn't need an assessment, then they decided she did, then they decided she needed a higher level of care, as this is an independent community. I think if they would have taken the time to get to know her they would have liked her. I liked that the other residents were so friendly, they were just really nice. They had so many activities that she got herself in trouble trying to keep up with everything, and wore herself out.

While the staff is friendly, they are understaffed and overworked -- especially the dining room staff. The food is institutional -- about like you'd find at an elementary school. Service is slow. On the plus side, the activities director tries to keep residents involved and the staff tries to be responsive.

Not active enough too small and far away

It truly does not matter how much or the location of a facility, it is all based on the quality of the people that work there. There are some awesome RNs and CNAs at the Montebello. There are also the not so great ones that truly should not work in a facility with seniors that need attention. My mother is in Skilled Nursing and my father is in an Independent living apartment. It is wonderful having them in the same facility and having individual care. But having said that, family still needs to be very hands on if they expect good care. Period.

We went with Mom and visited numerous CdA/Post Falls independent living communities starting about three years ago. Our initial visits (2 of them) to Fairwinds--now named NorthStar--were impressive, with the staff, activities and food all being outstanding. Mom ultimately chose NorthStar over the others facilities we visited. Fast forward 2 years and the staff is still very nice, but the food quality has declined significantly. Since dining is a major part of the Northstar experience--and a major cost--this is a big deal. There tends to be a lot of very salty and fried foods, and the portions have shrunk steadily over the time she has been there. Waiter service is pleasant yet very long waits for food seems to be the norm. We used to eat meals with her there regularly, but now find it tough to justify when what's served is not unlike a $3.49 Lean Cuisine in both quantity and quality, the main difference being the addition of a small side salad. Don't get me wrong, it's not horrible, but it's certainly not worth the cost. The last time we ate there both my Mom and her table mates complained, with one having to send her meal back due to it being cold. We're told that is quite typical now. We hope that NorthStar will address these issues, as the facility has a lot to offer and does most things very well.

For the most part it's a very nice place but the cleanliness...for what they charge it was sub-par. They had different parts to it. They had a retirement community which is pretty nice I guess but the assisted living, where my mom was, wasn't that great. The biggest thing is when you walk in there is a smell. That's a real turn off.

The staff there is kind of rude, I have to admit. I talked to the one lady and she said it's not her place to talk to me. It's not good really. My aunt fell and has broken bones and needs help and they've been kind of rude to her. They charge her for everything. If she needs to have a shower she has to pay $20! We're not really happy with them right now. I wouldn't recommend that place.

As an independent living facility, this facility was OK. They could improve on the way they deal with independent living residents. My mother was there on independent living, but she fell in her room and was unconscious for an entire day because no one ever checked on her until someone was leaving at 8:00 at night and just happened to hear her yelling. When Mom previously got sick with a respiratory illness, Winslow was very hands off because she was independent living. I felt my mother got lost in the size of the facility. She was only there for three months before she fell. They do have assisted living, but when Mom got put on insulin in the hospital, Winslow did not want her back. This was another experience of being told many things to get us to sign on the dotted line, but reality was different than I got told.

I've seen better in this price range. Grimy doors and handrails, apt is too small and boxy. just 2 10x10 roms and a small kitchen, not enough closet space or storage.

This community looked very nice but there were no patios or balconies. It is also over what my mother can afford.

Facility is old, but residents seem to get along well there. Don't care for the long hallways.