The Hacienda at the River

Appalling visit. There is no consistent security measure to make sure residents on the campus are safe. Hotels and apartment buildings do better. Here, doors were propped open or unlocked. Anyone could walk straight in from the parking lot and access your loved one's apartment and outdoor sitting area. Just totally unacceptable risk. And management shrugs it off with "well, we've never had an issue." So, it appears that very obvious shortfalls aren't going to be addressed anytime soon. It's such a shame because the location is lovely. Still, AVOID.

If I could, I wouldn't even give this rehab facility a 1 star. I would make it a negative star!!My father was released from the hospital to Hacienda to be able to REHAB him as a bridge before safely going home.This was NOT the case! In a matter of 5 days, he had regressed and declined so severely he almost died!First off, he was isolated to his room and only saw a physical therapist at the most 30 minutes or less per day. He was not strong enough to eat or walk on his own. He depended on staff to help him however, the staff was not helpful at all. The charge nurse Pam would give my family attitude and the nurses are not very knowledgeable. I myself am a RN and FNP so I can confidently say, most of the RN's have NOT a CLUE how to properly assess, provide appropriate care or assess for life threatening situations.I arrived from out of state on Tuesday to find my dad lethargic, and very thin and dehydrated. He was not eating and had fallen 3 times within 12 hours the previous Sunday WHILE UNDER THEIR CARE!!! The one time I rang the emergency light because we needed help in the bathroom as he was too weak to get up and about to pass out... it took 20 minutes for someone to come. The nurse I asked for help said "I'm at lunch"!!!I happened to notice his leg was swollen starting at the knee. I inquired and the nurse Electreeia (Long weave with blue in it) stated she would notify the MD. I then asked if she could change his PICC line dressing as it was 2 weeks overdue. I asked she bring adhesive remover as his skin is so fragile it tears. She came back an hour later with NO NEWS about the swollen leg concern and proceeded to use a skin barrier to remove his dressing without telling me it WAS NOT adhesive remover. She became very defensive and did a horrendous job at the dressing change. I notified the charge nurse PAM and she said that "this is how we do it". The last thing my dad needed was a blood stream infection!! 3 hours later another nurse ANDREA came to change dressing. She gave me a lecture on how she went to nursing school and wouldn't be there if she didn't know what she was doing!!!! I was floored at the way she behaved and how she thought her "sterile field" was still clean after her glasses fell on it contaminating area!I raised concern again about his leg as it was doubling in size as the hours passed. By 1145 PM my Angel Nurse NINA came to my rescue and listened to my concerns about my father possibly having a clot in his leg. She attempted to call doctor as a Doppler study was scheduled for the next day. I did not want to wait! She called the ambulance for me and we made it to the ER at 0200 A.M. He indeed had a clot in his leg... it was so big it traveled up his groin and he even had some pulmonary embolisms!! He was on deaths door!I am happy to report my dad has made it through and is on the mend. We will NEVER go back to that place and I URGE you to do the same!This facility is incompetent and if you love your family member, you will protect them from Hacienda at the River Rehab. To Nurse Nina on the night shift... I THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for listening to my concerns and getting him the help he needed! He is alive because you helped me. You listened to a concerned family member. I will not forget you.

"Skilled Nursing ... Without Enough Nurses"This review only covers the skilled nursing services at this facility in August 2019.Physically this is a beautiful place that's kept in good physical condition. It is part of the Watermark network of facilities, and that generally means good care and a pretty nice place appearance wise. We looked at other skilled-nursing facilities in the northwest of Tucson, but they seemed rundown and shabby, with a bit of a "rough looking" crowd of patients. My experience at The Hacienda is with my mother being there for 2.5 weeks in skilled nursing so she could receive physical/occupational/speech therapy 6 days/week after a hospital stay.There were not enough nurses in skilled nursing, and for extended periods of time. Those who were there were incredibly busy. They were too busy, in fact. Short staffed, I heard, repeatedly (which is aggravating). The care was good when the nurses were there, but getting them to my mother was hard and very frustrating, especially the first week. If you are considering having a loved one here, call and speak with senior management and ask what the actual ratio of nurses to patients in skilled nursing will be. Ask what it will actually be on the day that your loved one will arrive there, and the next day, and next. If it's more than 10 patients to 1 nurse, then get ready for long waits for your loved one, or look elsewhere if more attentive skilled nursing care is needed. It took 2 hours to get a nurse one evening due to another patient being admitted and that taking 2 hours of the nurse's time to do it. Normally it was 15 to 30 minutes to see a nurse. Management tells me they're hiring more nurses, even ones specifically to do new admissions, so patients will have better care. Verify that this will happen or has happened, or expect quite long waits. I want to be clear that the problem is with a shortage of nurses, not the skill or work ethic of the nurses who are there (they worked hard and were always busy). Management simply needs to hire more nurses. This nurse shortage was a constant and aggravating problem, even up to the day of discharge.That being said, the nurses and care givers (called "nayas") were very good when they were present to care for mom. A big thank you to nurses Jose (he's awesome!), Norma and Mary. Also, a huge thank you to Nayas Thanes, Jenna, Celese and D. Physical/occupation/speech therapists really shined here. They were the most consistently terrific service providers in our whole experience, and helped my mother quite a lot. Thank you to Kaliko, Jenn and Todd!In summary, they need to fix the nursing shortage. Call and speak with senior management to see if they have a 10 (or less) patient to 1 nurse ratio in skilled nursing on the schedule for when your loved one will be there. Beautiful surroundings aside, it is imperative that they fix that. When they do, The Hacienda at The River will be the top notch skilled-nursing facility in Tucson.

This a warm wonderful place for your loved one. The staff in Desert Willow are so helpful to the residents and to the families . I highly recommend the Hacienda. Patty Jones.

Just had a tour and everyone was incredibly warm and caring. The place looks fantastic. I could envision myself living there.

Just walking into the Lobby of Hacienda at the River is a pleasant experience. The grounds and buildings are beautiful and the professional staff are delightful. Very welcoming.

Don't listen to Ellen K. She appears to have an "upset at the world" attitude; her reviews are mostly 1 star. Hacienda at the River is nothing but exceptional. The entire staff is committed to the safety and well-being of their residents. I have been around healthcare for 50+ years, and Hacienda at the River is at the top of the list. After researching other properties, I am looking to have my mother move in, and Hacienda at the River is my only choice for her. I was able to do a virtual tour before visiting the property, which was a very good representation of the property and services Hacienda at the River provides. Ellen's review is far from the truth; she must have had a bad day. Ellen's attitude is one of entitlement; she must be an Arizonian Transplant living in Scottsdale or Prescott. Trust me when I say that Hacienda at the River is a professional, caring, beautiful, and welcoming home for your loved one.

Every time I visit Hacienda at the River I am greeted by friendly professional people who help me with whatever I need!

Incredible equine program, great staff and authentic architecture.Mom truly enjoyed her time at the HACIENDA

I'm not going to waste my time to point out all the things that went wrong during my father's stay, some could have been life threatening to say the least. I have made a long itemized list with names, times, and events that occurred and it will be reported to the long term care ombudsman of Arizona (Arizona Department of Economic Security). I advise other reviewers who have posted to also take their concerns here. It is disgusting what we had to deal with, from incompetent "nurses" and meal staff, to the actual assigned doctor. You know there is a HUGE problem when families of patients are all vocalizing the same concerns. If you care for your loved ones, do NOT bring them here.I do not need a comment from Brenda Ritter - we spoke early on, nothing was done and it was obvious nothing would change which is why I'm escalating this.