High Desert Haven

Pros

• Prestige Senior Living High Desert has wonderful staff who care for residents with dignity, respect, and love.
• The community spaces are large, clean, and well maintained.
• The dining room is lovely and rooms are refurbished after residents move on.
• Staff treat residents like beloved members of their family.
• A wide range of activities keeps residents engaged, including daily games, lectures, crafts, gardening, and live music.
• The intake and respite care processes are positive, with staff understanding medication needs and assistance, and arranging comforts like a TV.
• Families feel Prestige helps make their lives easier and their loved ones' lives happier in a welcoming, caring environment.

Cons

• The dining room service manager does not wash his hands to prepare food or after entering the kitchen.
• The cooks Mariah and Maryanne do not wash their hands to prepare food or when entering the kitchen from other parts of the facility.
• The servers eat on the service line and do not wash their hands before interacting with residents' food and then serve it to residents.
• The dining room manager Justin leaves soup on the burner, causing it to burn, and then leaves to go home in a snowstorm.
• The dining room manager and Mariah and Maryanne do not properly label food and use expired food to feed residents, claiming it's due to cost and delivery delays.
• The caregivers and dining room service managers yell and bully to threaten hard?working employees, indicating poor ServSafe practices.
• The overall environment is poorly managed with ServeSafe violations and a lack of proper work ethics.
• There is a perception that staff who prioritize health and safety are not valued or appreciated.
• During respite care intake, promised amenities (such as a TV) were not provided; medications were not administered; restroom assistance was delayed; the resident was left without proper care, eroding trust.
• Management took days to return calls, causing further mistrust after a transfer, with a subsequent refund issued only after continued complaints.
• The reviews describe the staff-to-resident ratio as very low and note negative employee feedback about the workplace.
• Food is described as cold or not cooked properly, bathrooms as not cleaned, and overall food quality as gross and not healthy.

Review

Prestige Senior Living High Desert is described by reviewers as a place with strong community life and a broad slate of activities, but also as a facility where serious concerns about food safety, management, and day-to-day operations have been raised. On one end of the spectrum, visitors have spoken with genuine warmth about the environment - the large, clean common spaces, refurbished rooms, and a rhythm of social and enriching programs that make residents feel engaged and valued. They highlight options such as daily card and board games, visiting lectures like those featuring "The Telescope Guy," hands-on activities like building sun catchers or gardening, and regular Friday happy hours with live music. For many families, these elements create a sense of belonging and purpose for their loved ones.

Yet, alongside the praise, there are searing allegations about the dining and kitchen areas that cast a long shadow over the overall experience. One reviewer claims that several dining staff members, including the dining room service manager, do not wash their hands before handling food or when moving between parts of the facility, including entering the kitchen. Cooks Mariah and Maryanne are named in the same accusation, with the assertion that handwashing routines are not followed and that servers eat on the service line and then interact with residents' food without proper hygiene. The same account also alleges lapses in food labeling, the use of expired items, and a justification offered by staff that food safety shortcuts are necessary because food is too expensive and deliveries from Sysco are unreliable. The reviewer frames these practices as serious ServSafe violations, complaining of a work environment where yelling and bullying are used to threaten employees, and describing an atmosphere of mismanagement that undermines health and safety standards.

In this same portrayal, the reviewer emphasizes a pervasive fear for resident safety and dignity. They describe a dining service and management team that fails to model proper food safety behavior, coupled with a culture that discourages adherence to established protocols. The broader conclusion drawn is that such conditions undermine trust and jeopardize residents' well-being, leading the reviewer to state they would not place a loved one in this facility. The overall impression is of a place with a warm public face but with internal practices and leadership dynamics that feel misaligned with core ServSafe principles and respectful care.

Against these strong cautions, other experiences shared about Prestige High Desert tell a very different story. One account begins with a family's positive impression at intake in late 2022, noting the impressive communal spaces and the promise of a high-quality environment for their 96-year-old father. This reviewer describes a facility that was visually appealing, well maintained, and clean, with refurbishment evident in resident rooms and thoughtful public areas. The father's routine became integrated into the community's offerings, including daily activities, lectures, and social events, and the family expresses deep appreciation for staff who treated their father with dignity, respect, and genuine warmth from the moment he moved in. The praise centers on the caregiving staff's attitude and the sense that staff members welcomed the family as part of a caring extended circle.

Another detailed experience highlights the benefits of Prestige High Desert in supporting independence and engagement. After moving their father into the community, the family notes a transition period but ultimately lauds the staff's responsiveness, the facility's beauty, and the programmatic options that encouraged continued activity and social interaction. This reviewer emphasizes that the best gift Prestige offers is the staff's kindness and the way they treat residents as beloved family members, weaving a sense of home into the caregiving experience. The sentiment is one of relief and gratitude, with the staff's compassion shaping the overall perception of the community.

There are, however, more recent cautions from families who describe challenging moments during respite care and intake. In another account, a respite care experience is recounted in which full payment was required in advance, and the intake process reportedly went smoothly at first but encountered multiple problems once the resident arrived. Specific issues include a TV not being set up as promised, medication administration delays, long response times to call cords, inadequate assistance with restroom needs, and confusion about the resident's location within the building. The family describes a lack of timely communication from management, a slow response to concerns, and a trust breach that ultimately led them to remove their loved one from the community, despite a later refund. The reviewer also notes a perception that the staff pool is relatively young and that staffing ratios may be insufficient, suggesting that potential families should scrutinize job postings and employee reviews to gauge stability and experience.

Despite these mixed and sometimes troubling reports, other perspectives reaffirm strong, positive experiences. One reviewer who chose Prestige after evaluating several options reports that the staff has been wonderful to their father, that the setting is beautiful, and that the facility's offerings help promote a degree of independence that was not possible at home. They describe a successful transition and firmly recommend Prestige High Desert. Another account speaks to nearly three years of excellent care, with hospice support enabling a peaceful passage for a loved one and praise for the staff's attentiveness and kindness. These testimonials emphasize reliable, compassionate care, good communication with families, and a staff culture described as loving, respectful, and attentive to the dignity of residents.

There are also strong negative voices that should be acknowledged. One reviewer bluntly characterizes the site as a "horrible place," faulting the staff for lack of attentiveness, cold and unenjoyable meals, and overall poor cleanliness and maintenance. They describe food that is not properly cooked or prepared, bathrooms that are not clean, and a care environment that fails to meet basic expectations. This perspective underscores a perception of inconsistent quality and reliability, highlighting how important it is for families to visit, ask questions, and observe routines to form an independent judgment about care standards.

In the end, Prestige Senior Living High Desert appears to be a facility of contrasts. For many families, it represents a community with a welcoming atmosphere, engaging programs, and a staff who demonstrate warmth and genuine care for residents, instilling confidence and peace of mind. For others, it raises serious concerns about hygiene practices, food safety, staffing, and management responsiveness, prompting caution and careful due diligence. The diverse experiences reflect the complexity of senior living where moment-to-moment care, kitchen operations, leadership culture, and the quality of everyday interactions all shape a family's trust and a resident's quality of life. Prospective families are encouraged to evaluate if the culture and processes align with their loved one's needs, to visit multiple times, and to seek firsthand observations of meals, activities, and staff responsiveness before deciding.

This part of Bend, Oregon, offers a variety of amenities and services that cater to the needs of seniors looking to settle in a vibrant and convenient neighborhood. With several restaurants nearby such as Spider City Brewing, El Super Burrito East Side, and Jake's Diner, residents can enjoy a diverse range of dining options. The proximity to parks like Neighborhood Park and Pilot Butte Neighborhood Park provides opportunities for outdoor recreation and relaxation. Additionally, there are reputable physicians' offices such as Homestead Family Medicine and Bend Obstetrics & Gynecology within a short distance for quality healthcare services. Places of worship like First Presbyterian Church offer spiritual fulfillment, while pharmacies like Rite Aid and Safeway Food & Drug ensure easy access to medication. For leisure activities, cafes including Starbucks and Spoken Moto are within reach, along with Regal Old Mill ScreenX & IMAX theater for entertainment. In case of emergencies or medical needs, Medical St Charles Hospital is conveniently located nearby. Overall, this part of Bend offers a mix of conveniences that make it an attractive option for seniors looking to enjoy their retirement years in a welcoming community with essential amenities readily accessible.

Restaurants

• Spider City Brewing (0.7 miles)
• Bevel Craft Brewing (1 miles)
• El Super Burrito East Side (1.2 miles)
• McDonald's (1.3 miles)
• Jake's Diner (1.3 miles)
• Worthy Brewing Co. (1.4 miles)
• The Phoenix (1.4 miles)

Parks

• Neighborhood Park (1.2 miles)
• Pilot Butte Neighborhood Park (1.6 miles)
• Blakely Park (2.2 miles)
• Riverbend Dog Park (2.2 miles)
• Hollinshead Park (2.3 miles)
• Riverbend Park (2.3 miles)

Physicians

• Homestead Family Medicine (1.3 miles)
• Bend Obstetrics & Gynecology (1.7 miles)
• Infocus Eye Care (1.7 miles)
• Ryan P Gallivan (1.7 miles)
• Central Oregon Ent (1.7 miles)
• invMD Plastic Surgery (1.7 miles)
• Bowers, Janis J, NP (1.7 miles)

Places of Worship

• First Presbyterian Church (1.3 miles)

Pharmacies

• Rite Aid (1.4 miles)
• Cascade Custom Pharmacy (1.7 miles)
• Fred Meyer Pharmacy (1.7 miles)
• Bend Pill Box (1.8 miles)
• Safeway Food & Drug (1.9 miles)
• Walgreens (1.9 miles)
• Walmart Pharmacy (2.3 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.7 miles)
• Lone Pine Coffee Roasters (2 miles)
• Starbucks (2.1 miles)
• Spoken Moto (2.1 miles)
• Dutch Bros Coffee (2.3 miles)
• Thump Coffee (2.3 miles)

Theaters

• Regal Old Mill ScreenX & IMAX (2 miles)

Hospitals

• Medical St Charles Add to Favorites (2.1 miles)