My mom was a resident at Brookdale Baywood from 2015-2018, and I'm posting this review with her encouragement. I would have done it sooner, but feared retaliation from staff.
My mom is physically disabled and needs help with everything from bathing to dressing, as well as transferring, and uses a motorized wheelchair. Throughout all this, I was in constant contact with Brookdale- either their corporate office or the heads of this specific location. I'd speak with someone and they'd make changes, but the changes never stuck. They changed out directors and staff repeatedly, which always gave me hope, but each change brought more of the same, meaning this is a Brookdale corporate problem, not just an issue with this location. Due to length limitations, I'm going to briefly touch on each area.
Verbal Abuse: My mom was called "fat" and other derogatory terms by the staff. The staff wasn't fired, but was moved to a different area.
Lack of Showers: Policy dictates my mom should have gotten a shower twice per week. There were times she went more than a month. Staff initially blamed my mom saying she refused (she did sometimes when they'd show up unannounced at the end of the day and she was too tired), then said they didn't have time, then they'd lie and say they went to do it and that she had refused, when they'd never gone in at all.
Intimidation: When my mom complained about the lack of showers, they pulled her and a caregiver aside, then the director told my mom that if she liked the caregiver, she shouldn't cause a stir and make things hard for her because it would upset the caregiver, which could have consequences. It was worded prettier, but it was a threat.
Infestations: Roaches and bedbugs were an ongoing problem.
Waits: Pushing the pendant meant nothing. It could be 1-2 hours before someone came. They said it wasn't so and that they tracked it, but I personally witnessed it repeatedly and the staff admitted it was true. Initially, my mom would get frustrated and try to transfer herself so she could get to the bathroom in time, resulting in falls. She ultimately gave up hope of being taken to the bathroom at all, meaning she became reliant on her briefs. There were times she fell and remained on the floor without contact for more than an hour. She'd call us and either we'd come out or we'd call the front desk and then they'd go in. There were also times she waited hours for a necessary change.
Failure to Manage Meds: Medication management is a paid service. They have a pharmacy they work with and they're responsible for making sure the meds are always there and are given according to the prescription. My mother went without specific meds repeatedly. The worst was when she came back from oral surgery. Despite having days to fill it, they didn't. The morning after the surgery, she was in tears and still didn't have the meds and they weren't even checking on her. Even when I called, they did nothing. I literally drove down there, spoke with them, and went to go fill them on my own before they finally gave them to her. This was neglectful and inhumane treatment. How they could know a resident was suffering, in tears, and not only not take action, but not even go check on her is beyond belief. (This was the last straw, BTW. We moved her a soon as we could get her in somewhere else.)
Staffing: They're always understaffed. There would regularly be one caregiver per floor working a 12-hour shift. If the caregiver went on break, nobody covered the floor in their absence. I spoke with several staff members about this- this was their explanation for long waits and no showers.
Meals: My mom said the food was bad. There were also a few times, like post-surgery, when they refused to bring meals to her room as well. Meaning, she went without unless I brought her food.
Neglect: In addition to the long waits, my mom was actually told once around 2-3pm that they wouldn't help her transfer again until morning because they were short-staffed, leaving it up to her to decide if she wanted to be in her recliner or wheelchair throughout the rest of the day and night. She opted for her recliner because she couldn't sleep in her wheelchair, meaning she was in it from 3pm until the next morning- no changes and no dinner.
Theft: My mom got a shipment of briefs sent to her each month with her name clearly on the invoice. The staff would keep it, then claim she didn't get them.
Again, the reason why we stayed with it so long was because it looked like they were trying to fix things, and things would get better for a little while after we complained. They'd treat the bedbugs. They'd replace staff. An employee would take ownership for a problem. But, the good staff members never stayed long, and care would eventually slide back to where it was. I have reported this location to every agency that will listen, from the state through the insurance company. I can only hope it gets shut down to save others this heartache. read more
