Ponte Palmero

My father was very happy here. The staff took very good care of him. The community was always clean when I would visit. The activities were good that were offered to him. I would suggest this community to other families.

The meals are not what I would like but the cook tries. We had a meeting about a vegetarian diet and she asked me to give her suggestions. However, the community is clean, quite beautiful, and I get housekeeping for my apartment. Activities are available and they are a bit childish and suitable for us. I moved in to be social and it is going well. I have realized there is not much diversity and most residents are from this area. They are all nice and I think it's the best place I have looked at.

The folks at Ponte Palmero have exceeded our expectations about assisted living. The accommodations are lovely, one-of-a-kind, and the staff has been very helpful. Efforts are made to help new residents feel welcome and to meet other residents. The early- evening dining hours are somewhat limited, but everything else, including the on-the-spot assistance has been quality. Evaluated several communities and we are pleased with our choice.

I think Ponte Palmero is an excellent option for a care facility. They try to accommodate their residents and are very friendly.

We moved my loved one in to this community a year ago. She is an extremely independent who had to come into assisted living kicking and screaming. She is a woman who wants things the way she wants them and has no problems telling you if and when you get it wrong. After living 90 years on her own we were worried about how she would take to living in an assisted living community. We toured many places. This is the only one where a senior can have not only a car but a full kitchen in assisted living. Their homes are more like high end condos then the little hotel rooms most places have. We moved her into a 2 bedroom 2 bath. The staff, all a way around, has been amazing! They have taken the time to create a relationship with our love one. She loves Carmon one of her favorite care givers and she thinks the maintenance crew walks on water. When her sewing machine table broke the maintenance crew not only fixed but they went above and beyond to go and get the proper screws to do the job right. It sounds like a small thing. But that is what they do; they excel at the millions of small things we as her family have not been able to do. She loves it there. Something we never thought would happen. When she started showing changes in her memory and abilities, the change was so sudden and shocking. The staff rallied around our family with support not only to our loved one- but us as well. They walked us through what the next steps were and supported us all the way through it. They offered us solutions, helped with contacts. They were honest and direct with us, while at the same time they would not let us jump the gun and kept us thinking positively. They were focused on what would keep her not only safe- but happy and the most comfortable. They knew her enough to know that she would be happiest in her home, and they worked with us on ways to keep her there for as long as possible. (because they were thinking about HER wants and needs not just what was easiest on them) When we had to move her to the Lighthouse, Angela the community nurse and Barbra the director of memory care were so supportive and helpful and kind. They helped make a horrible time for our family easier. They really took care of everything. All we needed to do, was be there for our loved one. What touched me the most was how the people who cared for her in her old apartment made a point to come by and say good bye and the real emotion they had about not getting to be her caregivers any more. I know that sometimes people talk about the tricky-tacky things like not liking the way the dinner is cooked or the waiters were too slow one night or to complain about that this or that was not exactly right. It is easy to get fixated on those small details. Lord knows our loved one did. But now after going through what we just did, we realize that what really matter in the end was the overall care and experience not just one bad plate or night. The night the waiter was slower than normal, maybe was the same night the same waiter took an extra moment to ask us how we were doing- and really wanting to know the answer. It was the time she took an extra moment to get to know our loved one and tried to make her day just a little brighter. They Day it takes the nurse a few hours to return you call may have been the day we spent crying in her office, because she let them go to voicemail, while she stayed focused on us and making sure we understood what was happening and how we, as a team were going to move forward. It's the fact that when the chips were down and our world was changing- they were there not only to help pick up the big pieces, but because they knew us, because they knew her, they were able to grab all the little one we never thought to look at and as a result were able to put us back together again. (To the best of their abilities) It was care for us as a whole, not just going through the motions.

If I could give this place no stars I would. My mother lived here in the memory care section for about a year. I came in every day to see her and though the staff was nice to me, they overlooked many things. There was definitely not enough staff for the amount of residents. The woman in charge, Leah never really poked her head out of her office which I found to be a little insensitive that someone in charge of care of my mother didn't even know her. The food was often cold and inedible, the meat red and hard to cut. If you wanted something specific, you simply couldn't get it. The kitchen didn't seem to see the memory care residents as people. Don't even get me started on the safety hazards. Since the staff was busy running around like chickens with their heads cut off, they didn't witness many things I got to see and could have prevented dozens of falls and ER trips. For the quality of care, they sure nickle and dimed you for care costs. I paid for things that were regularly not done to my mother such as brushed teeth or cleaned dentures. At the end of my mothers life, I greatly appreciated the staff, but the management and conditions in the facility drove me to wishing I had made a better choice.

They aren't really geared for assisted care, and you had to walk outside to get from place to place, which seemed lonely for people that aren't mobile. It just would not work. My mother-in-law actually lived there, it was very lovely. The assisted care is really independent, even though they may help you with a few things.

One of the reasons I selected Ponte Palmero is because they offered Duet Cottages and all your meals. On my recent trip, I stopped to talk to a person who lives in a cottage, She was very happy with the cottage and said all the people she knew loved the cottages. But there was one thing they all complained about and that was the food, which is one of the reasons I wanted to live there. It seems in the last year they have changed Chefs, and no one is satisfied, but everyone is afraid to say anythiing, which I do not understand. I noticed after reading other reviews, and looking at the year written, it does seem in the last year the meal situation has changed. It is a shame the people can't get together and take this complaint to the people who can change things. If they don't know they can't help.

I recently moved my elderly mother into Ponte Palmero. We love the location in the foothills and the apartment is beautifully detailed with granite counters, high ceilings, and lots of room and windows. Every unit comes with a one-car garage which some people use as an additional room or for storage. (Makes the "downsizing" a little easier.) The staff is very friendly and the food servers are very efficient and friendly. The food is only okay except for the omelets (excellent!) and mimosas at Sunday brunch. (We may be biased because the food at her previous retirement community was consistently excellent.) However, it is wonderful that the kitchen is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. because my mother likes to sleep in. Our main complaint with this company is with the assisted care service and billing. They bill on a "point" system and I have never seen a more confusing and opaque billing system in my life. They bill in advance of providing the services and we've been told they can't itemize the services we're being charged for. My mother moved in mid-month and they tried to charge us for a full 31 days of service and for bathing assistance even for the time when no one came or called my mother to let her know or apologize. We originally asked for pet care (cleaning the cat box once daily) but when it didn't seem to be done well or regularly and we found we were being charged $273/month, we cancelled that. If my mother can't handle that chore we'll buy a sophisticated self-cleaning litter box that will pay for itself in less than 2 months. In summary, we like the facility and the staff very much but prefer getting the necessary in-home assistance through an outside company.

Great setup, more like resort living. Very clean.

One of the things I’m impressed with is their attendant care, their medtec care. I’m really impressed with that and their friendliness of their staff. The food is really excellent. Their activities are fantastic. They have a swimming pool for therapy.

So far there have been some ups and downs. The food is absolutely terrible, and that was the big selling point. They prepare the food in the assisted living section, and bring it over to the lighthouse, the food is consistently cold and hard, and has been overcooked in a microwave. It's pretty bad. The director Leah, is new, and can be a little short, and seems a little insensitive at times. The caregivers, are all super nice, but they don't pay attention to some of the little details, like what the residents are dressed in, and if things match. It's a beautiful facility, the overall presentation is really nice. The main reason we chose them though was the food. They told us that in the memory care, they would get two options, show them two plates of food and let them choose, that has never happened.

We are very happy with the Ponte Palmero Retirement community. We used their moving expert which was a great help, however, you should plan on bringing your own tools and hanging supplies as theirs were not what we wanted to use. We do advise to move in early in the week. We moved our mom in on a Friday and the support staff is scarce on weekends. Moving on a Mon-Wed would have been easier. Plan on phone service earlier than later-took a week to get service from move-in day. Had scheduled two weeks out but AT&T was horrible. Plan on being near your loved one as much as possible in the first few days to help in the apartment and to activities. Activities are fewer on weekends so plan to spend time with your family on weekends. Overall, everyone was as helpful as they could be. The other residents were quick to involve our mom. The place was immaculate and ready to move-in. We ate many meals throughout the weekend, all comped, and enjoyed every bite. Plenty of storage space, great arrangement in the Assisted Living apartments. Hair salon are very accommodating and gave our mom the best haircut and set she's had in years. Bus service to church went well. Whenever we had a concern or problem the staff tried all they could do to help.

Unique setting for a retirement community. Has all levels from Independent to Memory Care. Independent and Assisted Living are in apartments that open to the outside like a regular apartment complex. Each unit is very upscale with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and very large. Most are twice the size of other communities for the same price. Residents are very engaged in the community and create a country-club feel to the place. The Memory Care area is a separate building with two large interior atriums that are outside each room. Continues the upscale surroundings in the rooms and common areas. Staff is warm and upbeat, obviously happy to be there. Our mom is a reluctant transfer and just loved the place when we took her back to lunch.

Although the PP Lighthouse is expensive ($4900/mo rent plus approx. $1000/mo care) it is the best place we could find for our mother who is physically and mentally impaired after a hip fracture. The managerial staff are very professional and care about both the resident and the family. The caregivers are gentle, special people.

We love the size of the apartment and grandma is happy, which is what matters, right?

I didn't like that all the rooms were on an outside corridor. I was worried about that with the weather because it does get pretty cold up there. The man who was giving me a tour was very evasive about letting me tour the memory care which is what I was most interested in for my mom so I didn't like that. Everything else about the place was excellent. It was my very very close second choice.

It's kind of early to tell but so far it seems good. My mother doesn't require care yet so I'm not sure how the care is. The first day the girl didn't show up for housekeeping because she was sick so that didn't work. The meals are very good. My mom has only been there two weeks so we'll see how it goes.

My brother is living with my mother in Ponte Palermo because she needs full time assistance so he's worked something out with them so that he can live there and help her out. They're comfortable down there. They're treated well and the food is good. The process was smooth, getting her in there. Everyone was friendly from the get go and they continue to be. It's not like they put on a face to get you in the door and then turn into ogres.

i noticed weeds in the garden and things that I wouldn't do in my home but as far as my moms apartment and the dining room goes the cleanliness is fine, I'm not concerned with it at all. The staff is A+++++++, we've been in a couple places before and we've never experienced anything like this. Everyone is so friendly, right on the ball when you call them, they're non invasive, the don't tell you what to do, they ask and they're very helpful. That's the thing we're most impressed with. They have a sliding scale depending on your needs so that's really nice, we have a nicer apartment, better care services, it's still expensive, the level of care and the quality is so much better. She has the freedom to go where she wants, it's newer so the design for assisted living is vastly better, brilliantly set up. We wouldn't have chosen it in the beginning when she was more independent but for where she is now, its great.