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dmanbro Posted July 2015

Don't believe everything you read...

When my mother was discharged from the hospital and approved for rehab I was given three choices as to where to send her. One was just too far to be practical. Another was very crowded and located in a less-than desirable neighborhood. So I settled on number three, although I was concerned that I was being pressed into making a choice before I had the opportunity to really look into the place.

So i get home and start investigating online and the reviews I came across were downright terrifying. They made the place sound like the bottom layer of h*ll. Of course I became extremely upset and worried that I made a terrible mistake, barely slept a wink the night before her discharge.

Now after five days there I'm realizing that those reviews weren't really accurate at all. Like most of these places they're understaffed, which is obvious. But all in all so far I think the staff has been very good overall. I'm spending a lot of time there and chatting up the staff and thus far almost everyone has been professional, helpful and dedicated to doing their jobs. While it's not the lap of luxury or anything, it's better than decent and I'm OK with Mom being there.

So what I'm saying here is that if you're in a similar position there's no substitute for going there yourself and judging it with your own eyes, not basing your choice on some bad online reviews. And take the time to really talk to the staff, as you might be surprised at how candid and helpful they'll be.

Windyridge Jul 2015
Similar experience: As I went through the door of the rehab place with mom and the met guys I freaked. Crowded, busy and I thought moms going to have a fit and want me to get her out of here. Long story short, she did a month of rehab for a hip replacement, got excellent care and sent home doing very well.

freqflyer Jul 2015
dmanbro, that is why I dislike *reviews*, if someone didn't get their supper by 5pm on the dot, a family member will write a review that the rehab/nursing home needs to be closed because they don't care about their patients, yada, yada, yada. Of course, the reviewer doesn't mention the supper delay as the reason they are writing.

You are right about talking to the Staff, because a quick once over just viewing the place isn't going to help. My Dad was placed in a rehab that needed major updating, like some cheerier paint and cleaner looking lighting.... but Dad got excellent care, enjoyed his rehab, and every meal he said was pretty good.

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BarbBrooklyn Jul 2015
We had a similar experience. When mom was being discharged after hip surgery, we went with the 3 star place recommended by the discharge planning nurse rather than the other 5 star rated places. (By this time, we'd had mom in rehab and AL, both highly, highly rated online, neither of which lived up to the reviews in real life. So my brother and I had both reached the point of , I guess you'd have to say humility, by what we didn't know). The place mom was sent used to be a Catholic home, and the chapel, the pictures of the Madonna and the popes, the priest who is still on staff, have made up for the short staffing and somewhat shabby interior. Sometimes, certainly in our case, discharge planning knew what they were doing.

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