Woodland Hills Review

I rarely write reviews because I think we are living in a world where mediocrity has become the norm and there’s not much to comment about without being a complainer. But when it comes to transitioning one’s parent to assisted living, there’s no room for mediocrity. That’s just not an option.

After doing a personal tour and attending an open house, we were VERY impressed.

With these good experiences behind us, we decided to explore the possibility of transitioning my mother to Woodland Hills more actively. After several experiences as welcomed guests, we eventually jumped at the opportunity of a very nice apartment in the WH community.

Here are the insights to appreciate:

Sales. The sales associate with whom we worked, Charlie, was refreshingly interested in making sure that my mother was as pleased with her soon to be arrangement as could be. Charlie was in constant communication with us about all the questions we asked and made it very clear that the right time to move in is “when it’s the right time”. He was not pushing for any immediate sale at all. I can’t tell you how many times Charlie made arrangements, answered questions, met with us personally, and made us feel like my mother’s welfare is as important to Woodland Hills as it is to us. And it’s not like he has nothing else to think about. But oh my goodness, he took us from A to Z with a great deal of courtesy, while being personable and professional all the while. Until now, whenever I cross paths with him when visiting my mother at Woodland Hills, he always encourages me to reach out to him if I have questions or needs that can be brought to the attention of the staff.

Dining Hall / Food. So many wonderful options for all three meals every day of the week. But what makes it even more special is that the staff who run the dining hall are incredibly upbeat, sincere, and they get to know the residents and their preferences and food really well. Anyone who’s worked in the food industry, as a server, knows that this is not an easy job and it wears you out quickly, but every single one of the people we’ve encountered in the dining hall has been exceptional. I would name them, but I hate to leave out any names, and I haven’t really learned them all yet. Trust me, the food is very, very good and so is the service. The secret to be aware of is to know that you can always ask for any variation of what’s on the menu that you have in mind and there’s a good chance they will be able to accommodate you. There are excellent chefs back in the kitchen who are not just throwing things in microwaves and working out of cans and boxes. This is very, very high-quality food when you consider the volume that is being put out.

Maintenance and housekeeping. These are two different departments, and I have a little more experience with maintenance than I do with housekeeping, but they have a wonderful system whereby any needs that you have in your apartment are addressed way faster than you might expect. And with a pleasant professionalism. Big respect to both of these departments.

Clinical Services. Another department that has a great deal of activity going on. If you can imagine all the folks at Woodland Hills who need regular meds to be administered to them, assistance in getting them from one part of the building to another in order to attend the enrichment events, and so on and so forth, you quickly realize that this is close to being the heart of the operation. I have a pretty good idea of what their automated system looks like for administering the meds as well as the workflow that’s in place in order for that to happen. In our experience so far, if you are detailed in explaining what the needs are and you double check with them after your elderly family member has taken residence, you can easily confirm that things are on the up and up.

Enrichment. Imagine your elderly relative/parent attending a group fitness class (appropriate for seniors, of course) in the morning, followed by attending a live music event later in the afternoon, or maybe a bingo session. Or maybe A learning opportunity on nature or science or current events. Maybe being part of the walking club or book club. The offerings are remarkable. The secret year is to build in enough structure so that your loved one Is reminded that these activities are happening. For some, this is very easy because there is a daily print out of events that every resident receives a day ahead of time. But if your loved one is like my mom, they might need a reminder Or you may need to make a request that a CNA come by in order to remind them or escort them to these events.

Because I live just 10 minutes away from Woodland Hills, I’ve had the opportunity to come by frequently to visit my mom, as well as to spend the night, and I can, without reservation, say that the standard of care, service, and professionalism at Woodland Hills is second to none. Is it expensive? That’s something every family will have to decide for themselves. If you are reading this review and shopping for an exceptional assisted living facility, then there’s probably a good chance that it’s within your budget. It’s just a matter of deciding if your loved one deserves it — and you already know the answer to that. You get what you pay for — and I’m very happy that we are paying Woodland Hills to enrich my mother’s life because the culture there is one of excellence all the way around. – Hany Hosny