The Preserve at Woodland Hills Assisted Living & Memory Care

When your mom, your best friend, develops dementia, it's painful and scary and when you find you can no longer care for her alone, add shame and guilt to the list. Luckily, some of those feelings have been minimized, and here's why: My mom was hospitalized, and I knew I had to get her to memory care fast! I am beyond thankful that our journey led us to The Preserve at Woodland Hills. You will first notice how beautiful everything looks: an open, light, and airy feel with a lovely garden in the center. The executive director, Eileen Esquivel, gave me a tour; looking back, Eileen is probably why I decided to move Mom to The Preserve. She instantly made me feel at ease given the circumstance and somehow already felt like a close family friend. Eileen understood the pressures I faced to get Mom moved in ASAP, and she worked her magic to make that happen for us while calming and reassuring me during this stressful time. I'm blown away at how many personable, loving, and caring people work in one location! If it wasn't Eileen who sold me on The Preserve, then it was Michael Owens, the health services director. He genuinely cares and consistently goes above and beyond to support the emotional and physical well-being of his residents. His gift is seeing what makes each resident special along with the rapport he builds with his residents and their family members. You definitely want your loved one in his care! Julio Arriaga, the senior environmental services director, will set up your room and does so with a happy, welcoming spirit. The food prepared by Executive Chef Jimmy Kang, Hector Garcia Argueta, and Joshua Schwartzberg is delicious. I join Mom for meals regularly, and I am obsessed with the Caesar Salad! My mom adores Ana Perez from housekeeping, and I know why; Ana kids around with mom and will often brush her hair or give her a hug. The caregivers and medical technicians are incredibly caring, and I would like to give special shout-outs to Cece Gutierrez, Joseph Geisinger, Allam Reyes, and Vishal Dabare. When you see how sweet they are with the residents, especially when Allam, a big Game of Thrones-looking guy, is walking through the garden hand in hand with one of the residents, you'll know what I mean. He cares about doing good for others, and it shows! Cece is patient, kind, and has an infectious giggle. Joseph is sweet and playful with the residents. Vishal's energy is upbeat, fun, and trustworthy, and it isn't lost on me that he pays attention to detail. Recently Vishal was adjusting Mom's necklace and noticed the charm was missing (it had fallen off), a small nothing moment that revealed a lot. The lifestyle director, Janis Zelaya, is genuine, bubbly, and sweet. I recently helped with a fun afternoon of margaritas and bingo, and the residents had a great time! Sometimes the activities are more meaningful, like outreach to the community, allowing the residents to continue to help make the world a better place. Jeanette, the marketing director, is as kind as she is pretty and even helped when I brought Mom's cat to visit. She's an example of rolling up your sleeves and pitching in wherever you can, even if it means helping get a stuck cat out of a dresser! The residents are so sweet; if you watch, you'll notice how they help each other and look after one another. So you know this review is legit; I will say the downside is that it's pricey. Everyone should be able to receive this level of care, and we won't be able to afford it forever, but I guess that's more of a social commentary on healthcare in America; I digress. Lastly, a shout-out to Medtech Salina Chapman; Salina also has a friendly, fun, and upbeat energy. She's yelled my name across the dining room to say hello, reminiscent of yelling "Norm" from Cheers. The Preserve kind of feels like Cheers! It feels like everybody knows your name; they just might not remember it, it is memory care, after all, and that's what's so beautiful. Names may be forgotten, but the feeling of family is "Preserved"!