Other than the circumstances, my experience with MorningStar of Fountain Hills was excellent. My mother was at a different facility prior to MorningStar, and there was just no comparison. MorningStar is a smaller facility, and everyone was so much more personable. They went above and beyond in every way. The staff was beyond wonderful, and they adjusted the level of care according to each resident's needs. Laura Olsen, Executive Director, always seemed to know what was happening in the facility every time I was around. She was very visible, knowledgable, and caring.

The most important aspect of my experience was the caregivers. The caregivers took the time to learn about each resident's needs, likes, and dislikes. They were loving, caring, and just simply amazing. They were very responsive, and anytime my mother pressed her button for help, they were there with hardly any waiting. They were very communicative, and if they had any questions about anything they would talk to me about it. I only lived a short distance away so I only had to call a couple of times, and it was mostly for business reasons.

Tracy Gregory, Director of Community Relations, was absolutely superb, and she did a fantastic job. Her presentation at the very first meeting was clear and concise, and I understood everything completely. I had a few questions later on, but they were taken care of satisfactorily when I asked. They were actually performing a fire drill the day I arrived for the presentation, and I was impressed by that because they do them on a regular basis there and not just once every couple of years.

The facilities are very clean and well-maintained. They have excellent lighting, and everything is bright and easy to see. The design and layout of the facility made it very easy to move my mother's furniture and belongings in and out of her room. There were no tight corners to get into with the furniture. It was the easiest move I've ever made, I think. Any time an additional maintenance issue arose, it was taken care of immediately. One time we had to call because the air conditioning was blowing directly at my mother as she slept, so they came in and put deflectors up for us.

They offer independent assisted care as well as care for Alzheimer's type situations. They are somewhat separated from the other groups but not so much that they aren't brought into the activities if the residents are able. They have a nurse there during the day every day and another nurse on call 24 hours a day. Their activities are wonderful and people actually show up to them. The activity planners are sure to include the families, and they invite them for things like Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. They have other neat activities like a small horse and Santa Claus cowboy, and the residents and their families just love it.

I have absolutely no bad words to say about the place. Other than my mother passing, it was an excellent experience, and I have already recommended them!