MorningStar of Idaho Falls
anonymous
"Highly Recommended!"
Our first visit to MorningStar Senior Living impressed us. It’s a good value for the money, and we’d recommend it to other families.
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Ryan
"Daily Activities Abound, Food Needs Work, Billing Communication Lacking"
From what we know, the food isn't the greatest, but they've made big improvements in their activities. There's always something happening every single day. They could do better with how they communicate about insurance and Medicaid on the billing side, especially regarding what happens when your loved one runs out of money.
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Melissa Davis
"Mixed Experience at Morningstar Assisted Living, Stellar Staff Recognition"
My mom stayed at Morningstar for 9 months and overall, it was a positive experience. The manager of Reflections, [Name removed], was excellent in communication and caring for my mom’s needs. The main nurse, [Name removed], was very attentive and caring—my mom loved her! Most caregivers were great, especially [names removed]. However, some seemed to view it as just a job and didn’t fully embrace the mission of honoring God. As a CNA myself, I appreciate caregivers who go above and beyond and truly care for each resident. Thanks to all who did so, even if I didn’t catch your names (I’m bad with names
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Pauline
"“Unsatisfactory Care at Morningstar”"
The service here is unsatisfactory. I'm at a loss for words, but I would never want anyone to stay at Morningstar.
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Luke
"Inaccurate medical records and disregard for patient health described."
Beware. The health reports here don't truly depict what happens to your family member in their care. We asked for the nursing reports and every record about our loved one. What we discovered was shocking. There were loads of cases of no severe response to medication, even though our loved one had significant reactions that were never recorded. We're talking about serious sedatives. One report mentioned we desired a wheelchair for our relative's comfort. No!! That wasn't true - our loved one needed a wheelchair and we were told which kind to buy. The notes overlooked everything except blaming our family for weight gain, even when it was their food causing it. Our relative, who they pointed the finger at, had the least weight gain. Once, the report mentioned the family was upset since they weren't allowed in the unit. Somehow, this seemed more note-worthy than the actual health and wellness of our loved one. I've never seen such distorted and neglectful nursing notes in my life. You'd think all was well with your family member based on these records. Please, make sure you ask for everything. You're entitled to all paperwork and info about your loved one. I wish we'd asked for these documents more routinely.
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Todd
"A Loving Place That Truly Cares for Your Loved Ones"
Morningstar has been a huge blessing and encouragement to our family because of the amazing care they give our father. We had tried other places before finding Morningstar, so we really appreciate how much of a difference the staff and the environment make. My father's first six months with dementia were very hard. Not only was the disease tough, but the other facility lacked compassion and engagement. When we first met the Morningstar staff, we knew something special was happening. Since moving our father there, we've seen a complete turnaround in his joy and contentment. They can't cure the disease, but their love, compassion, and special training help them make the best of a tough situation. We never wanted our dad to be in a facility, but we're so grateful that there's a place like Morningstar in Idaho Falls where we know he's being cared for so well.
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EW
"Expensive Care Facility Fails in Patient Attention and Care"
Today, I finally got to depart from a place I've learned to despise. A family member of mine was a resident at Morningstar. I pleaded with my family to move her because no one likes the idea of relocating someone with Alzheimer's - it just confuses them more. However, Morningstar asked us to leave, stating they couldn't care for her anymore because she had gained too much weight and had difficulty walking. They placed the blame on our family, but if they had actually consulted their own weight charts, they would've seen that her weight gain had the least correlation with her interaction with our family. The weight gain actually coincided with the introduction of a new medication that, according to the nurse’s notes, supposedly had no side effects. I was absent for three months. During my time at Morningstar, I would take her up to the third floor and back to her room twice a day. Two weeks after my departure, they claimed they couldn't walk her anymore and needed a lift. But the day I returned, she managed to walk for me. It's clear they just didn’t want to put the effort to help her walk. I'm 68 years old, and I could still walk her. So what does that say about Morningstar? We were handing over $6200 a month. All they did was put her to bed, wake her up, change her, do laundry, and clean her room. Other than that, she would just sit in her chair all day long. They couldn't even brush her hair nicely until I asked them - and even then, it was reluctantly done. Morningstar's idea of care seemed to involve leaving her to sit all day in her chair. They seem to prefer residents with Alzheimer's who can walk, feed themselves, and don't require much attention. If you show the slightest sign of distress, they'll drug you. They don't want liability; they prefer dementia patients - sweet elderly people who simply lose their memory, not Alzheimer’s patients! Their answer to our family member's behavioral changes brought on by early-onset Alzheimer's? Chemical restraints. The bigger the institution, the more you pay. My mother was in a small home in Arizona for four years, where she received wonderful care. The caregiver-to-patient ratio was much better there, with three staff members to tend to 10 residents. Now, our family member is in a similar small-scale facility. When it comes to senior care, smaller is better and it's also less expensive. We're now saving $2,000 a month, all while receiving better care. The Memory Unit at Morningstar rakes in roughly $900,000 annually. If we compare Morningstar to smaller facilities, like the ones our family prefers, Morningstar's profit is much higher due to the higher number of patients and higher costs. The bottom line for these large facilities is profit, not care.
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Sarah
"High Prices, Low Quality at Assisted Living Facility"
Overpriced and Understaffed; Unhappy with Memorystar's Service and Quality of Care" "The costs at Memorystar are really high. The food is not good, and they don't take good care of their patients, even though the nursing staff seems to try their best. I think if Memorystar was less focused on maximizing their profits, they'd pay their staff better, and more of them would stick around. Memorystar just keeps building more and more properties - they currently have 23 with more under construction. If you do the math, each facility rakes in lots of money. For instance, every Memory Care unit houses 15 people. Each unit makes 15 times $5000 every month, which equates to about $900,000 in a year. Then you add Assisted Living, which caters to 20 people at $3500 to $4000 each, per month. That's another $840,000. Then there's Independent Living, which charges 20 people between $2200 and $3500 each month, netting them another $528,000. All in all, one building brings in around $2,268,000, and that's a conservative figure. Yet, they can only manage to pay their aides $11.00, showing just how little they value their staff. I get that smaller nursing homes can't pay much because of their high costs and overheads, but Memorystar isn't a small place. I've seen better care provided in smaller homes with just ten residents. I've also noticed that the good aides tend to leave due to the challenging work environment created by inefficient colleagues. It seems like every three months, there's a new batch of aides. This constant turnover is hard on families because these new aides don't know anything about their family members. I wish my family member had received better care. Some of the nurses were simply not up to the task, leading to low-quality care and burnout of the good nurses.
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Eddie
"Constant Struggles Await at Morning Star"
If you're itching for constant struggles to meet your family's needs, Morning Star is your destination.
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Sean Sondag
"Abysmal Care and Poor Management at Assisted Living Facility"
Absolutely avoid this place. They've had so many chefs come and go, yet none have managed to improve the low-quality food. Additionally, the best caregivers don't stick around due to poor treatment. If you're looking for the management team around lunchtime, forget about it, they're usually off on their smoke break. It's clear they don't prioritize residents and their families. The building may appear new, but careful where you step. There are hollows underneath the carpet that'll make you think you're about to fall through, especially on the 2nd and 3rd floors.
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Anonymous
"Medicaid Remains Crucial"
Once again, having Medicaid as an option is important.
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Anonymous
"Not the Right Choice, Lacking Information"
When I was looking for a home for my grandpa, I rang up MorningStar. I didn't visit the place but had a phone call with a guy. I forget his name. I didn't like our talk much. When I asked how much it would cost, he just said it's the same everywhere but didn't give me details. This gave me a bad feeling and I wouldn't want my family to stay there.
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saddaughter
""Care Facility Negligence Leads to Tragic Loss""
In the spring of 2014, our family entrusted Morningstar of Idaho Falls with the care of our mother. She was capable enough to take strolls with her walker outside the premises. They moved her to memory care, assuring us this would ensure her safety. Yet, a mere three weeks later, she was missing. Her son-in-law found her two hours later, face-down in a field with blister-burns on her behind. Sadly, she couldn't survive her injuries. Please, be vigilant about where you position your cherished ones. Our mother was never left without her children, except for the time she went missing.
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Diane
"Mixed Feelings: Assisted Living Experience"
My husband stayed at an assisted living place for a short time, and I couldn't be there with him. It seemed okay, but it's hard to know for sure since I wasn't there. The place was clean and the food looked good. Two of his family members visited him while I was away and felt it was a bit impersonal compared to other places they've seen. I was disappointed when we arrived because the room they promised wasn't ready, and they had to set it up while I waited. I missed part of a family event because of this delay. Also, when I called to talk to him, the staff seemed a bit bothered, which wasn't great.
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