My mother Aurora was a resident at Oak Haven Assisted Living from May through August 25, 2023. On August 23 our mom entered the active dying stage, and our family was going to spend 24/7 with her. That emotional day Oak Haven staff informed us of a new policy that prohibits family members from using the kitchen. In addition Oak Haven routinely faces staffing challenges, i.e. one caregiver occasionally staffing the facility. Due to these two circumstances Oak Haven could no longer accommodate our mom’s needs, so we moved her to my sister’s home for her final days. We notified Oak Haven management on August 25 that we were moving our mother out of their facility. On August 27 my mother’s room at Oak Haven was emptied of her possessions and available for rental. Oak Haven management insisted that we were responsible for paying the rent for the month of September, even though our mother was out of the apartment on August 27.
Oak Haven management held our mother to provide 30 days notice, even though they were no longer able to provide the kind of support my mom needed. When we initially moved her into Oak Haven we were told by staff that when she was actively dying Oak Haven would be our home, as we held vigil by our mother’s side. Due to a new kitchen policy, Oak Haven could no longer provide the type of support my mom needed in her final days. Even more troubling, we directly witnessed multiple times where there was only one staff person on the shift, because Oak Haven management has no substitute staffing in place for when their staff are out sick or have emergencies. Imagine one caregiver caring for 8 elders with high levels of care needs! Given Oak Haven’s understaffing issues and new kitchen policy Oak Haven could no longer provide the care our mother needed. Management sent us menacing emails for payment, and they refused to answer calls from the Pima Council on Aging’s ombudsman (never a good sign).
Our review’s intent is to provide potential residents’ family members a factual picture of Oak Haven’s quality of care that residents receive, as well as the management’s focus on profit, i.e. wanting payment for services not rendered. When making this important decision for a loved one, information from people who have interacted with Oak Haven management is vital.
