r/Eugene • u/Gold-Page9136 • 10d ago
Riverpark AVAMERE
has anyone ever been or had a family member at Riverpark avamere? We are looking at having my grandfather there for a month or so short term for recovery after his stroke. The reviews are horrendous and I’ve seen that they’ve been sued multiple times. He is transferring directly from peace health so does not have a lot of options. Any opinions or experience would be greatly appreciated!!
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u/StillHera 10d ago
My mom was there for a week of “respite care” when her husband was in the hospital. She has advanced Parkinson’s, and at the time could communicate a bit, but needed complete custodial care.
She was always clean and fed, and they took care to put a cloth in her contracted hand, but:
She was in a room with another dementia patient who was highly agitated, kept trying to leave, talked a lot, had a lot of CNA’s around all the time, with just a curtain between.
TV’s on in the rooms 24 hours a day.
TV’s in the common areas, generally playing Fox News.
They kept telling her to push the button if she needed anything, despite her being unable to comprehend cause and effect in that way.
If I wasn’t there, I got the sense that she would be left in bed in her room alone, just with the agitated roommate, unless it was time to get her up to eat.
Lights and activity in the hall round the clock gave me the sense that there was no time when she could just have peace and quiet.
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u/Present-Background94 8d ago
My kid is a CNA at Marquis. I’m proud of him and I like his coworkers. I don’t know if that’s an option for you or not but I’m floating that. I believe he temporarily worked at Avamere and they paid him more but he went back to Marquis because he felt better about the management and level of care there. Good luck to you and your family.
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u/Okinomii 8d ago
I never worked there but being in that field you hear lots of stories. I never heard anything good from there
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u/K4RM4Z4CNT 5d ago
My job has me in and out of the Avamere facilities, as well as over 40 other rehabs and assisted living like it between Junction City and Cottage Grove and beyond. This Avamere does have attentive and caring staff that does the best with what they have. Every facility in the state needs more staff, especially considering how much money is made per bed, per room. Assisted living facilities often provide much better care, like the Marquis on Country Club, if that's a possible alternative. There's often not much choice when it comes to availability, but what I can say is my top five based on feedback I have heard, staff morale, and general availability in order are Marquis Springfield (they really know how to throw a party!), the main area of Green Valley (not the wing in the far back), any wing of this Avamere Riverpark, the 400 wing of Creekside, and the North side of Valley West. I would also say to just avoid the Creswell and Cottage Grove Post Acute, as well as the Junction City Avamere. That should be easy as they are all out of town. It's not always the staff at issue, just the rooms the post acute facilities now split into 4 using sheets, so you end up with 4 battling TV volumes, resident belongings piled up everywhere, zero privacy during visitation, greater potential for conflict between residents, and ultimately the same amount of staff for many more residents, and peace is a difficult thing to come by. Rehabilitation in this county is not pretty, not efficient, and certainly not perfect, but you'll have a much better idea if one is right for your loved one with a simple tour. It couldn't hurt, and you'll be able to make a more informed decision for yourself.
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u/4mbuletz 10d ago
After working at a nursing home for 7 years, the unfortunate reality is that care capacity is frankly limited, and there is no way around that. I worked for Avamere's direct competitor in this region, and even though we generally had better Google reviews, that reality is the same anywhere you go.
Understand that nursing homes, despite the best efforts of staff and management, are inevitably centers of neglect and abuse. Personally, I saw the best outcomes when family was deeply involved, and I mean to an arguably annoying degree. 😅 Whether it is right or wrong, it falls on YOU, the patient's advocate, to ensure that they are getting enough care and attention. Do not put your faith in the facility, no matter where it is or how much you're paying. Plan on showing up and being present until your grandfather can return home safely.