Oakwood Village University Woods

My father lived here for several years. The Tower/Gallery buildings are in poor shape- very dated and ugly. The Gallery has been closed and the Tower is next because Oakwood, a non-profit, wants to go luxury. In the process, they are trying to get rid of residents who aren't wealthy. I have talked to several area social workers and Oakwood employees who told me that things are really declining in terms of the finances first attitude. In fact, after my dad got sick, they refused to let him come back home to his apartment. There was no consideration given to an old man's feelings or quality of life. My family had to scramble to find him a new place to live at the end of his life. I will never forgive the lack of humanity Oakwood displayed. They should no longer be non-profit or considered Lutheran. The grounds are lovely but who knows what they will year down as they "renovate."

Stay away!!! Horrible treatment of my mother. What started as a rehab experience after hospitalization turned into a nightmare. Oxygen machine was faulty and wires actually started on fire. She was terrified to sleep at night for fear her oxygen machine would start smoking and no one would come to her aid. Call buttons went unanswered - staff simply shrugged shoulders and said they were understaffed. Room stayed dirty - actually had toenail clippings on the floor!! Rough handling by CNA during a shower left my mother completely shook up and she took a dramatic turn for the worse after the experience. Don't even think about putting your loved ones here - they are at serious risk. It took almost an hour of my daughter and I looking for help for someone to answer my mother's call button, as she was struggling to breathe and needed more oxygen. I feel sorry for any resident unlucky enough to be stuck there.

We had a bad experience. The staff really did not take very good of my mother. For the money she paid, I found that she had bed sores and the staff did not check on her for hours at a time. We loved [removed], however.

Oakwood is a lovely facility, has many amenities and services for all of their residents. We have also appreciated all of the social workers, therapists and caregivers as we have navigated the transition from independent to assisted living.

I am POA for an older friend. Both he and his adult son wanted to move to a Progressive Care facility. We chose Oakwood and have been very pleased. They moved into an 2 bedroom Independent Living apartment with a view of the woods and garden. It was very nice. They had a meal plan and plenty of activities within the facility. Because Oakwood was on a bus route, the son was able to continue to work. They were very accommodating by keeping his meal warm until he arrived after the normal restaurant closing hours. He started to use the workout facility and take part in Oakwood activities. This was a big improvement in his daily routine. Eventually, the father's mental physical health deteriorated to the point that he need to be moved to Assisted Living. The Oakwood staff helped make the transitions as painless as possible. More recently, his physical health has failed him and again the Oakwood staff helped make his transition to the full care nursing facility. During these transitions, the son was able to move into a nice 1 bedroom Independent Living apartment and appears to be thriving. We were very please to have made the decision to choose a progressive care facility! The staff and neighbors have been very friendly. As the POA, I have enjoyed working with the staff. They have been very professional and trustworthy. They have made the entire process very easy for me and my friends.

I was most impressed with their activities, they have a wide variety and with different functions. The only trouble I am having is no one is set up to deal with a couple where one needs assistance and the other is independent and they want to live together. No one seems to be able to handle that. It still remains on the places that I am considering.

My father lived at the Oakwood Apartments for a number of years before moving a year ago to the memory care unit on campus named Covenant Oaks. He has received excellent support from the staff throughout his residency at these facilities. As his needs for care and support have increased with the passage of time, the staff have invariably been pleasant, attentive and compassionate. Moreover, his sense of being safe has remained undiminished. I believe his well-being is largely the result of his engagement by his co-residents and the staff in daily activities and entertainments. He often remarks how fortunate he is to have lived to be a healthy 90 year old and to be so happy and comfortable in his surroundings.

My father lived independently in an apartment at Oakwood Village for four years prior to moving over to the associated memory care unit (known as [Removed] at the very end of 2013. He has often commented how lucky he is to live where he does owing to the friendliness of the staff and his fellow residents, the engaging and varied activities, and the beautiful grounds. I believe Oakwood Village has been a very good fit for my father. He is very happy, the staff are solicitous and yet mindful of his dignity, he is well cared for, and above all, he feels safe and secure.

Oakwood Village’s University Woods campus has been a great community for my dad. He started out in the independent living tower, at age 94, being completely self-sufficient in his 1-bedroom apartment. When visiting, I could see how all the staff, volunteers, and many neighbors knew and appreciated him. And he befriended a group of 80- and 90-something women who fuss over him, eat dinner with him every night (at Oakwood’s Village Inn dining room), and provide him with a fine social life. Gradually as my dad needed more help to stay independent, he was able to call on Oakwood’s excellent on-site RCAC staff for things like showering, house-keeping, and laundry services. Finally, when he decided (at age 100 ½) that independent living was getting to be too hard and that it was time to move into Oakwood’s Tabor Oaks assisted living, the campus staff made sure the move went smoothly and that he could afford the more costly accommodations and services. In a recent letter to family and friends, my dad called his room at Tabor Oaks his “castle” where his every need is provided around the clock. And he still gets to hang out with his lady friends, at dinner in the Village Inn, at the café in Tabor, and on the lovely patios right outside his building. For my dad, Oakwood has meant an excellent quality of life and, for me and my family, it has meant peace-of-mind, knowing that he is in a safe, attentive, caring community where he can stay for however much more time he has on this earth. Thank you, Oakwood!

My mother has been in assisted living (Tabor Oaks) for the past 2 years. Her stay has been a pleasant experience. She especially likes the grounds and landscape. Spring, Summer and Fall have been a great time of year for her outside with the absolute beautiful landscape - flowers, bushes, waterfalls and the wildlife area with it's 2 ponds. Oakwood is so unique to have a country setting (many acres) with the convenience of being in the center of the city of Madison. The many events at the auditorium and great room have been deeply appreciated by my mother with a wide variety of talent and programs for every type of interest. The staff is friendly and helpful to her needs. She loves the gift store and many times has taken her friends down to the store for a ice cream treat.

Mom is cared for with kindness and skill. The staff went the extra mile to work out a way to let her stay at the level of care she enjoys while keeping her safe.

The staff seem to be selected and trained so that they genuinely care. My dad is not easy to care for yet all the staff -- from lowest attendant to highest health care professional -- come to know his needs, accept them, and warmly care for him. I can not endorse Oakwood strongly enough!

I was in the rehab part of this place-Hebron Oaks. The positives: A very warm, "United Nations" staff of very nice caregivers from all over the globe. The nursing and therapy staffs are caring individuals. The negatives: If you can't advocate for yourself, or your loved one can't, this is not a good place. They are woefully understaffed, so do not expect a pain pill to come when you need it. I waited more than half hour after request, despite being post surgical with broken bones. The dietary department couldn't care less. They feed residents a high carbohydrate, low protein diet full of simple sugars. Veggies are cooked to death. Despite several meetings with the dietician asking for a healthier food plan, my requests largely went unheeded.

main concern is size of 'assisted living' room. studio only with no kitchen. could not see moving her here soon due to that. Memory care down the line still a possibility.

My dad became a widower just three years ago and was struggling to remain engaged with friends, activities and the world. When we toured he saw the warm, inviting environment at Oakwood and was very drawn to it, compared to other places we visited. He liked the intellectual level of events they offered, the natural beauty of the surrounding woods and nature trails, and the warmth of people we met. So far it has served exactly the purpose we [removed] he is engaging more and worrying less about the hassles of daily living in his town home. We are very grateful.

It's larger and there are a lot more facilities there though I'm not sure my husband would use them by himself. If I was there I know we would use the theater, for instance. I know he would have like the have the chapel though. They have a bus that runs to our church and they bring people over for senior citizen activities as well as church services. We know a lot of people there from our church. It's got all the bells and whistles you could possilby want! They don't have a swimming pool but they're going to be building a new health/fitness center. They've got a grocery store that is fully stocked.