My mother is going into her 6th year at Friendship Village Tempe Health Center. While her dementia has been slowly taking effect on her, the care the CNAs and nurses have risen to the occasion. They are all extremely friendly, knowledgeable and kind. My mother is extremely well taken care of there.
The facility is clean, pleasant, well-maintained and has a very nice garden downstairs, with plants and a waterfall. The food is above average, and dieticians work to ensure each resident is tended to as needed.
My two complaints are cost and number of employees (esp. regarding equipment). My mother has to be lifted into/out of bed and her wheelchair. It seems that there are only one or two of these lifts per floor. When she needs to go the bathroom, she sometimes has to wait 10 minutes, which is uncomfortable and, truly, degrading. For what they charge per month - which is a lot - they should have another lift. Also, the CNAs are overworked. They need at least one more per wing.
The other complaint is cost. If my mother weren't using her life savings, we couldn't afford it; however, as long as she has the money, we will keep her there. I looked at several places. While FVT was a bit more expensive than many, the reviews are very, very good, and I wouldn't risk moving her to a cheaper facility. How they treat the patients when family isn't there is crucial. FVT employees take exceptional care of her.
Highly recommended, if you can afford almost $9000 per month for a private room (not much less for a shared one...).