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Main location825 Lilly Rd NE Olympia Washington 98506 US(360) 997-5499
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Amenities
Accessibility
Wheelchair accessible entranceWheelchair accessible parking lot
Service options
Onsite services
Let me preface this by saying that my dad got kicked out of this facility after only two days. I don't fault them for kicking him out.
A few things went wrong prior to that moment, which I do fault them for, particularly because he had the apartment a total of a week, which ended up costing him over $5,000!
First, their intake isn't very thorough. I thought they would review medical records more closely to see if they can adequately take care of the person moving into the facility. They don't. They do a short phone interview, which I listened to, and that was it.
If you have a family member who has behavioral issues, I would not move your loved one into this facility.
The biggest issue I have is communication between staff members. They don't communicate well. Part of the issue we ran into was that my dad's doctor's office sent revised orders for insulin, but they claim not to have received it. I confirmed with the doctor it was sent. The insulin orders is what ultimately caused behavioral issues by my dad and ended up getting him kicked out. Had they actually received the orders and communicated with staff properly, this specific issue wouldn't have led to a bad outcome. There was another issue moving in where they claimed to not have received paperwork from some other party (I forget where), but they had. They were quite rude about not receiving it when they had.
Long story short, my dad spent two nights there, it cost $5,000 because of the move in fee and all the other expenses, and then he was kicked out. I'm not optimistic it was going to be a long-term solution, but because of their inability to do a thorough assessment upfront and poor communication, my dad's back at home failing.
On the good side of stuff, the staff seemed nice and the facility seemed clean and an okay place to live in non-COVID times.
My parents moved in shortly before the pandemic shut-down. It's been a terrible year for residents being locked in an eating in rooms and my dad died mid-year leaving my mom alone. I've had a lot of conversations with many staff at Sequoia. They have all always been responsive. Sometimes we have to come up with creative solutions and they always work with us on this. We've had really positive experiences with the director of wellness (Karie), resident care coordinator (Pam) to help us plan and adjust and readjust according to my mom's needs. Mostly, they are caring, take time to talk with me, and express care for the residents. The director (Carolyn) has also made time for us when we've needed it. Terrilynn, the activities director is fantastic. She is kind, enthusiastic, empathic. She is thoughtful and responsive and insanely patient. She offers something for everyone. My dad liked the morning physical exercises and interactive "table talk" events. My mom likes Bingo of which there is plenty to go around. Lastly, the everyday staff who are in and out of the rooms daily are great. It's not easy work. They are kind to my mom and eternally patient when she hits the "call" button but then forgets why. Having a call button, I should add, is a godsend.
My only real complaint is pandemic-related and I suspect more about the owners than the staff. It has been WAY too long to isolate residents, making them eat all meals alone in their rooms for over a year, and not allowing family to come inside (now one person for one hr). While I appreciate the need to keep everyone safe, they need and deserve more than that. Their ability to see family and connect, to experience touch and conversation and love is critical. If I want to take my mom out to a private residence for a day in which 100% of us are fully vaccinated, she is required to be quarantined for another 2 weeks, something she will experience as punishment - to what end? Nearly all the residents and staff are vaccinated as will be her family. This is better protection than we can expect to have anywhere in the U.S., ever. So I sadly don't see a way out of that very strict and isolating policy. Importantly, this is a complaint regarding the company's policies rather than the staff who work daily. The directors and other staff are clearly caring and dedicated.
Toured the Sequoia on Friday and was blown away by how ambient is the feel of the place. Spacious, very calm, with lots of sunlight, outdoor patios and balconies. Sequoia's renovated interior looks elegant and tasteful to the last detail. You feel as if you are at the retreat. Impressive choice of things to do dazzled me with a cooking master class! Yes, I am a foodie, and this along would be a deciding factor for me. What's more engaging then learning from a head chef with over 30 years of restaurant experience! it is like being on the Food channel in person! Wow! the staff is so collaborative and helpful, yes, Sequoia is a place to be!
