Karen Woodward
Jun 2026
EDIT June, 2026: Ivy Park has careened downhill over the last few months. The staff still remains wonderful, but the problem is that Ivy Park is understaffed. They're bringing in more residents but not hiring the support staff to meet those needs. More and more I'm finding my mother sitting in her own urine and excrement, her bed smelling of the same, unmade. I hope management is willing to hire more staff to meet the demand for it, because I've become deeply disappointed.<br><br>Having said that, I remain pleased with the staff, who are wonderful people. I just wish they had more help.<br><br>ORIGINAL REVIEW: My mom is so happy here. I looked at lots of places around Los Angeles trying to find the perfect spot for Mom. I originally had her at the Atria in Pacific Palisades, and she was happy there and the staff was friendly and professional. After the fire, I was on the hunt again, and this time I had a clear sense of what I was looking for – a place that Mom could consider home.<br><br>As soon as I walked in to Ivy Park Playa Vista, I was pretty sure I found that. As I toured it I was even more certain. The vibe was friendly and welcoming with a sense of fun. And that’s exactly how it’s been. (Special shout out to Keishonna who takes such good care of my mom. Mom beams when she sees her.) The day-to day in-the-weeds staff is excellent. It feels like a family.<br><br>My concern is with management. In the eight months my mom’s been there, there have been 3 management turnovers. One change resulted in billing chaos – suddenly we were being overcharged for everything. We eventually solved that problem but I definitely don’t recommend putting the rent on autopay.<br><br>What worries me most is that management doesn’t seem to understand how strong their staff really is. They may not all have years of experience, but they make up for that by being present and attentive. In an assisted living community, the staff is everything. I want Mom to feel like she knows these people as people. It’s what makes her feel happy and safe. But it feels like management wants something else entirely. I hope they figure it out because I’d hate to see more of my favorite day-to-day people leave.<br><br>I also wish they’d have more musicians play. They feel a little over-reliant on their interactive TV screen activities, which is something Mom doesn’t enjoy much. When the musicians come, they’re very popular, so I don’t understand why they don’t have them come more often. If you’ve never seen assisted living residents and staff belting out Sweet Caroline, you haven’t fully lived.<br><br>Mom also loves the community of Playa Vista. It’s really easy to take her around in a wheelchair because everything is flat, and there are lots of parks and dogs and kids. They have summer concerts, and dog costume parades, it's fun. She always says if she could live her life over again, she’d be a young person living in Playa Vista!<br><br>I recommend Ivy Park Playa Vista because of both the surrounding community and the internal community. Mom’s the happiest she’s been in a long time. I hope management solves whatever problems they're having.
