I toured Desert View Senior Living and saw both assisted and memory care. The memory care is on lockdown, and the rooms weren't as nice, they didn't have a microwave or refrigerator. I like the fact that it looks very homey, they have lots of big sofas where the residents were watching TV so they weren't all just stuck in their rooms. The room that I saw didn't have any furniture, they were vacant. The food was good, it looks healthy. I wasn't able to try the food but I saw what they were having for dinner and they had a plate of baked chicken breast and a vegetable medley, so it wasn't a bunch of carbs. They have a gym and a movie theater, which is a nice feature.

I like Desert View Senior Living. I feel very comfortable leaving my mother there. I recently had to take her to a doctor's appointment, and we were gone for a good three hours. She was absolutely happy to go back in. I worried that she would want to go home with me, and that I would have a problem dropping her off again. She was happy to be there. It was like she was going back home. I think she's getting wonderful care, and I'm very happy with it. The staff is friendly and helpful. They call me whenever anything comes up. I feel like they're looking out for her, and they keep me very informed. Her room is nice and small. It's enough for her bed, her nice comfortable chair, little end table, and chest of drawers. She doesn't need more than that. That's plenty because this is on the memory care side. This is not assisted living. They have games and exercise. Once in a while, they take a field trip. They like to pile in to their bus and go look at Christmas lights at Christmastime, so once in a while they do that. They play games and different things more geared towards the group and their abilities. They have a salon. They have a lady that comes in and does their hair (if they have an appointment for that) or does a nail trim, full pedicure, or their fingernails. I haven't signed her up for that yet, but she will be going there. I have not eaten the food yet. Three times that I've been there to visit her or pick her up and whatnot, they were getting the food ready or it's just after a meal or just before. It smells wonderful. That's one of the things that I talked to the director about: how good the food was. He said there is just rarely any complaints because they offer good food there and quality ingredients. I was very pleased about that. The place seems nice and clean. Mom said she liked the food she had, and it smelled wonderful. She's limited on how much she can do, but I think they do plenty for her. I think memory care is expensive, but you have to feel good about where you put someone. You have to feel like they're going to take good care of her. In that way, it is good value. It's expensive, but it's worth it. It's all the same big building. The memory care is over on the other side, but it's all connected.

My mom moved into Desert View Senior Living. They seem to be compassionate. My mom seems to be kept well physically. She has an urgent issue, so she often goes to the bathroom. They are OK with helping her frequently to use the restroom, which is a very big deal. They have good communication. They were very helpful in getting my mom moved in during COVID restrictions. My mom seems well fed. The dining area is appropriate for the needs of the residents, looks clean, and is an active area. They just started their activities because of the COVID restrictions. But my mom participated in the musical event where they had a gentleman singing, and my sister said it went very well.

Desert View was pretty good. It was just a little bit more institutional with long hallways and a lot of doors. The staff was very engaged with their residents. All the residents were out of their room and actively doing something. They are actually walking around. They are dressed and not in their pajamas.

We chose Desert View for my father-in-law. They have two people in each room. They have their own bathroom and a closet to share. It's a pretty good-sized room. The dining room is large. There are lots of tables and chairs for activities, and for eating as well. My father-in-law has only been there a little while, so I'm not sure about the activities. They do exercise classes. The value for the money is extremely fair.