Desert Steppes Adult Care

I toured this facility while looking for a place for my Mother. This community felt very by the book and run very rigidly. They had a lot of activities for everyone to participate which I thought was great. However, there were a few things that put us off. I felt like the ratio of caregivers to residents was too low and it felt like a hospital. I didn’t get a warm and inviting feeling at all. The woman who gave us the tour seemed like a nice lady but I didn’t get a good vibe. I would recommend this facility to other families.

Although my mother-in-law's stay at Desert Steppes (DS) was rather short (due to a terminal illness), it was a wonderful place for her to reside. We were impressed with the thorough admissions procedure; though somewhat involved, it is necessary in order to meet AZ state care home compliance. We flew in from out of state and had to coordinate my mother-in-law's transfer from St. Joseph Carondelet to DS. Marla (owner/operator) was incredibly patient and helpful working with us as we coordinated the transfer of medical care to hospice services as well as the physical move (so happy DS is just blocks from SJC). DS is situated in a circa-1957 house located in a very quiet, peaceful neighborhood (San Rafael Estates National Historic District). This is an all female residence. It's clean, tidy, comfortable, safe, no scent of urine, and feels like 'home' the moment you arrive. The staff is compassionate and caring, while maintaining a respectful and professional attitude. They are the real heroes entrusted with caring for our elders when distance or other circumstances prevents us from doing so. They cleanse, dress, feed the residents as needed, always taking care to respect the modesty and the dignity of the residents. Food? The menu is rotated every 2 weeks. The aromas from the kitchen are a delight! I regret not moving my MIL to DS 6 months sooner, as this was the perfect fit for her. I can't begin to thank Marla and her trusted staff enough for everything they did for our family at this difficult life transition.

5 stars

Its a really nice old house in an historic area. You give up with a smaller place. You lose some if the things the bigger places offer. Most of the patients are limited because they have dementia very bad.

The owner is what sets them apart. She has a masters degree in eldercare with specialties in dementia. They have the best staff training. The owner even wrote a training module that other places use. That was impressive. They have all kinds of activities and things, music therapy a couple of times a week. It is great!