The Avaline at River Oaks

Do not believe their marketing spiel—they are misleading and deceptive. The promises made to families are filled with empty assurances, and the follow-through is deeply disappointing, particularly for residents in memory care. This place is despicable – especially the memory care unit. It is in poor condition with filthy and chipping paint. Residents’ rooms and bathrooms are rarely cleaned. Activities are minimal, and there appears to be little effort to engage residents in meaningful ways. Meals are comparable to Lunchables in both quality and quantity, frequently served in Styrofoam containers with plastic utensils. While some memory care staff are attentive, nighttime staffing is severely inadequate and at least one staff member sleeps during their shift. Most alarming is the medication management which has no formal process for administering new medications: no written authorization, no signed consent, and no notification to family members. One resident was given a drug intended to induce sleep without family authorization. This medication carries a black box warning for memory care patients. There is also a troubling lack of respect for residents’ personal belongings. Laundry is returned without regard for labeled names and is often wadded up in dresser drawers. Personal items regularly go missing from residents’ rooms. In one particularly disturbing instance, items were taken from a resident’s room just hours before her death. This is not a safe or appropriate place for an aging loved one to live. (Don't even bother with "Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. We’re sorry to hear you were disappointed, as we strive to provide a supportive environment, attentive service, and satisfying meals for our residents. Your feedback is important and has been shared with our team as we continue working to improve." 1 star is too kind for this place.)

A friend and me visited this facility a few weeks ago and was super impressed with it. The staff was very friendly and helpful . The facility is beautiful and noticeable clean and organized. Very impressed, simply love the home. Ross Petty is top notch at adding character and years of experience to this facility .

EDIT DECEMBER 16 2025: UPDATE- I wanted to update the earlier review to include some new data. Our brother passed away on Nov. 18, 2025 at Avaline. Again our thanks to The Tameka and the Nursing staff and Attendants, and to Susan and the Administrative staff, all were very helpful, caring and engaging during this difficult time. My brother was in hospice care, so the death was not unexpected, and he passed in peace and now is in the presence of the LORD!!. So while my brother's stay at Avaline was relatively short, he was happy and well cared for until his passing, and for that, we, his family and friends, are very grateful. We wish everyone at Avaline a Blessed and Merry Christmas and a Joyful Happy New Year!! Original Review: We recently moved our brother into The Avaline at River Oaks, Memphis TN(Aug. 19, 2025). The move was prompted by unforeseen circumstances, requiring us to move my brother with very little notice. The Staff at Avaline were amazing in assisting us with the move, and obtaining all of the paperwork, Dr's PPOC, etc... So Thank you To April, Sandra and and all the staff for assisting us in making the move!! Now on to the facility, the Avaline at River Oaks is in a VERY nice neighborhood in Memphis near I-240 and Poplar Ave. Very convenient, very appealing. The place is Beautiful and newly remodeled, with an elegant feel as you enter, fully staffed with nursing station on each floor, beautiful dining hall and adjacent courtyard and full of amenities for the residents!! The day of my brother's move, the nursing and attendant staff met with him to discuss his day to day needs and set a schedule with him to suit his requests!! Bright, secure, pleasant, friendly, Capable, these are the words that come to mind when I think of the Avaline Assisted Living/Memory Care Facility and it's staff.

Jazmine the Life Enrichment Director and Germany the Tempus Director does an incredible job! They are always full of energy and creative ideas, planning amazing outings and activities that everyone enjoys. You can tell that they truly care about the residents and put their heart into making each event special. Thank you, Jazmine and Germany for all that you do!

My experience was nothing short of excellent. I had the pleasure of working with Germany. She was so knowledgeable and friendly, but more importantly, she really cares for the patients and their family. Although she was extremely professional, she was also very fun. She made us feel at ease knowing this is very difficult time in our lives. It is very hard being a caretaker and final decision maker when a family member has Alzheimer's. She is wonderful.