(Provided by Gilbert Guide's on-site reviewer)

From the outside, Temple Park Convalescent Hospital resembles an aged chapel in need of a little TLC. The building sits on a bustling street in a rundown neighborhood. Two patios, both with potted plants and one containing shaded seating, are well utilized. Smoking is permitted on one of the patios. A ramp leads to the gated arched entry. The main lobby is circular, with a linoleum floor and a colorfully painted high ceiling. Four long benches made of wood and iron mark the lobby perimeter. Comfortable furniture is strategically placed. Although the overall décor is somewhat institutional, staffers put out quite a display around the holidays. We enjoyed the hallway artwork—from simple paintings of flowers to framed replicas of Michelangelo and Diego Rivera pieces. A bulletin board hangs in one hall, displaying facility policies and procedures, residents' rights, the daily menu alternatives and the month's birthdays. A group birthday party is held on the last Friday of every month. We found around a dozen residents, some in daywear and others in nightgowns, chatting and watching TV in the activity room. Another group had just finished attending a religious service. All appeared content. The activity assistant told us religious services, both Catholic and Jewish, are well attended. The room contains a fully stocked bookshelf, a radio and a shelf displaying miniature houses and resident artwork. Activities include bingo, trivia, dominos, daily exercise, movies, bowling, evening news, resident council meetings and outside entertainment. The dining room has a soda machine and four long tables; residents who require feeding assistance take meals in their rooms. Meat, vegetables and soup are all on the daily menu, and special food requests are honored. We initially mistook the physical therapy room as a storage closet, as it on the smaller side and had a wheelchair and a walker conspicuously sitting at its center. Resident rooms are large and comfortable, with plenty of space for storage and personal decorations. Bulletin boards sit above each electronic bed. Most rooms are shared, accommodating three to four people. Flooring is dark red tile—different from the hallway floors, which helps residents with cognitive decline recognize distinct parts of the facility. Specialized side railings have been installed on the beds of residents with histories of seizures. Signs listing the daily calendar, visiting hours and menu, hang in every room. We spoke with two members of one resident's family just before we left; they praised the facility, citing its cleanliness. We also spoke to one of the registered nurses, who has been with the facility for twenty-four years. She spoke at length about the comaraderie among the staff, and said she would willingly bring her own mother, who is eighty-five, to live at Temple Park when and if needed.