Assisted living home
Desert Gem Assisted Living Facility Phoenix, AZ
3569 E Utopia Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85050
- Licensed for 9 residents
- Directed care
$3,500 to $10,000 a month
Typical for assisted living homes in Arizona
Reina McRae
Integrity Senior Placement
Want to know if Desert Gem Assisted Living Facility has a room?
Learn about
Desert Gem Assisted Living Facility
From its state license
- Licensed by Arizona for 9 residents at directed care, the highest of the state's three assisted living care levels.
Address
Location
3569 East Utopia Road, Phoenix, AZ 85050Maricopa County
Arizona state record
What the inspections show
In Arizona, the Department of Health Services licenses assisted living homes and communities, inspects them and looks into complaints. Its record for each one is public on AZ Care Check (this home's record, opens in a new tab).
The state cited nine deficiencies at its last routine inspection (July 20, 2026, a visit that also looked into a complaint). 57% of similar homes had 3 or fewer at theirs.
10 deficiencies cited at the routine inspection before it, in 2025.
Two complaint inspections in the past two years led to a citation, and one other found nothing to cite. 60% of similar homes had none.
ADHS took two enforcement actions in the past two years, with civil penalties of $2,250 in all. 58% of similar homes had none.
Cited at more than one inspection since December 2024: Administration (three inspections), Service plans (three inspections), Emergency and safety (two inspections), and three other areas.
ADHS accepted its plan of correction for 9 of the 31 deficiencies cited in the past two years. Care Check lists the rest as: POC Submitted (22).
Last updated September 24, 2026.
License detailsLicense AL12536H, valid to May 24, 2027
- License number
- AL12536H
- Facility type
- Assisted living home
- Name on the license
- Desert Gem Assisted Living Facility
- Licensed capacity
- 9 residents
- Care level
- Directed care
- Effective
- May 25, 2026
- Expires
- May 24, 2027
- For residents and staff
- (480) 343-8045
The full inspection record4 inspections on file since December 2024, 3 with deficiencies cited.
Last updated September 24, 2026.
2026
July 20, 2026
- Tuberculosis screening R9-10-113.A.2.a-fPlan of correction accepted
- Administration R9-10-803.A.7Plan of correction accepted
- Administration R9-10-803.B.3.a-bPlan of correction accepted
- Service plans R9-10-808.A.1-5Plan of correction accepted
- Service plans R9-10-808.A.4.aPlan of correction accepted
- Resident rights R9-10-810.B.2.iPlan of correction accepted
- Directed care services R9-10-815.C.1-8Plan of correction accepted
- Medication R9-10-817.B.3.a-cPlan of correction accepted
- Food service R9-10-818.A.2Plan of correction accepted
July 13, 2026
- Emergency responder forms A.R.S. § 36-420.04.A.1-9Plan of correction submitted
- Administration R9-10-803.J.1-6Plan of correction submitted
- Staffing and staff records R9-10-806.A.7Plan of correction submitted
- Staffing and staff records R9-10-806.C.2.a-bPlan of correction submitted
- Service plans R9-10-808.C.1.aPlan of correction submitted
- Service plans R9-10-808.C.1.gPlan of correction submitted
- Medical records R9-10-811.A.1Plan of correction submitted
- Medical records R9-10-811.C.11Plan of correction submitted
- Medical records R9-10-811.C.12Plan of correction submitted
- Medication R9-10-817.B.3.bPlan of correction submitted
- Medication R9-10-817.B.3.cPlan of correction submitted
- Emergency and safety R9-10-819.D.1Plan of correction submitted
2025
September 11, 2025
- Tuberculosis screening R9-10-113.B.1-2Plan of correction submitted
- Administration R9-10-803.A.9Plan of correction submitted
- Staffing and staff records R9-10-806.A.4.a-bPlan of correction submitted
- Staffing and staff records R9-10-806.A.9Plan of correction submitted
- Staffing and staff records R9-10-806.A.10Plan of correction submitted
- Admission and residency agreements R9-10-807.D.1-10Plan of correction submitted
- Service plans R9-10-808.A.1Plan of correction submitted
- Personal care services R9-10-814.EPlan of correction submitted
- Emergency and safety R9-10-819.B.1-2Plan of correction submitted
- Building and rooms R9-10-821.F.2Plan of correction submitted
2024
Enforcement actions
September 3, 2026
AZ Care Check record of the enforcement action on September 3, 2026, opens in a new tabJuly 14, 2026
AZ Care Check record of the enforcement action on July 14, 2026, opens in a new tab
What was cited on July 20, 2026, in plain words
Tuberculosis screening
TB screening for staff and residents, and yearly TB training for staff.
It is a basic infection control rule in a shared home.
Cited at 13% of similar homes in the past two years.
Ask on a tour How do you screen new staff and residents for TB?
Administration
The duties of the owner and manager: written policies, a caregiver in charge on site at all times, background checks, and telling ADHS about changes such as a new manager.
It is about who is accountable for care at any hour and whether the home runs by its own written rules.
Cited at 23% of similar homes in the past two years.
Ask on a tour Who is in charge when the manager is not here, and how do I reach them?
Service plans
Each resident's written care plan: what help they get, how often, and who gives it. Caregivers must follow the plan, record what they did, and update it when needs change.
The service plan is the day-to-day care a resident receives. Citations here are about plans missing, out of date, or not followed.
Cited at 29% of similar homes in the past two years.
Ask on a tour How often is the care plan reviewed, and can family take part?
Resident rights
Dignity and privacy, protection of a resident's money and belongings, and a written copy of their rights at move-in.
These rules protect how a resident is treated as a person, not only the care they receive.
Cited at 4% of similar homes in the past two years.
Ask on a tour How do residents or families raise a complaint, and who answers it?
Directed care services
Care for residents who cannot direct their own care, such as many people with dementia: closer care planning, weight checks, and exits that are safe for them.
These rules protect residents who cannot speak up for themselves.
Cited at 22% of similar homes in the past two years.
Ask on a tour How do you keep residents with dementia safe without locking them in?
Medication
How medicines are stored (locked, at the right temperature), given exactly as the doctor ordered, and recorded each time.
A missed, late or wrong dose can change how a resident feels and how safe they are.
Cited at 32% of similar homes in the past two years.
Ask on a tour Who gives medicines here, how were they trained, and how is each dose checked?
Food service
Menus and snacks posted ahead, special diets, and food safety, such as keeping cold food at 41 degrees or below.
It is about meals that meet a resident's diet and are safe to eat.
Cited at 7% of similar homes in the past two years.
Ask on a tour May we see this week's menu, and how do you handle special diets?
These explain the rule, not what happened. The state's own report is on AZ Care Check.
How the figures above are counted
- Routine figures: 383 licensed assisted living homes with 6 to 10 beds in the Phoenix and Tucson areas whose last routine inspection, between September 2024 and September 2026, also looked into a complaint.
- Complaint and enforcement figures: 982 licensed assisted living homes with 6 to 10 beds in the Phoenix and Tucson areas licensed for the whole period, September 2024 to September 2026.
- A complaint inspection counts here when it cited at least one deficiency.
- Most ADHS enforcement actions are civil penalties (fines).
- An area is one section of Arizona's assisted living rules, such as Medication or Service plans. A repeat can be a different problem under the same section.
- POC is a plan of correction. IDR is an informal dispute of a citation.
- Counts only: ADHS does not rate or rank homes, and neither do we.
Our research
Learn more about Desert Gem Assisted Living Facility
Overview
In our words
Desert Gem Assisted Living Facility is an assisted living home on East Utopia Road in Phoenix, licensed for 9 residents. It is licensed for directed care, the level for residents who need staff to direct their day, including many living with dementia.
Ask who works at night and how long the caregivers have been there. You cannot tell that from a photo, so ask in person.
Pricing and payment
Prices
- Assisted living home
- $3,500 to $10,000 a monthEstimated
These are typical monthly costs, not Desert Gem Assisted Living Facility’s own price. Source: Integrity Senior Placement market figures, September 2026, Arizona rates: shared room $3,500 to $5,000, private room $5,500 to $10,000. Call or ask us for a verified price and whether a room is open.
Details change, so call us to check anything important.
Integrity Senior Placement is an independent placement service, not this community. Our help is free to you.
Phoenix
Other homes nearby
With prices and care levels.
Around Phoenix
Other cities to look at
Reina McRae
Integrity Senior Placement, based in Scottsdale
Five star reviews on Google
Not sure which one?
Leave your number and we will send a short list of homes in your area and price range.