I am a healthcare provider, so I know what quality care looks like. I do not recommend Charter Senior Living of Hazel Crest because they do NOT provide quality care. My experience is too long to share in detail but in short; my mother is 89 years old. I would visit her 3 days a week after work. My mother was neglected and overly medicated to the point where I thought her Alzheimer's/dementia was progressing and she did not have much time left. Before a nurse recommended that I place my mother on hospice at the facility, my mother was frequently falling while walking; and falling out of bed. When I asked to see her medications, I found out my mother's Seroquel was doubled at bedtime without my knowledge. I told them to reduce the dosage to what we agreed upon immediately. It was not until after I had her transferred to a different facility that I realized she was being given Lorazepam without my knowledge as well.
Prior to her move to another facility, my Mom spoke in "word salad" and slept all day. She was walking and talking when she moved in. I later found out after I moved her that this was due to the change increase in Seroquel and the prescription Lorazepam without my knowledge. I also started to see a difference in her care. She was always wet. She was forced to sit in urine-soaked pullups and her bed linen was always wet. I personally changed her linen every visit. Either the linen on her bed was smelly or had been removed and not replaced by the staff. Even her Broda chair reeked of urine. I had to wipe it down with antimicrobial wipes. When they moved her to a different room, the company that supplied the air mattress ordered her a new one because of the condition of the one she had. I was told she needed a new mattress because her old one was saturated with urine. I was unaware of the condition of the mattress, but I was aware of the urine-soaked clothes and linen because I washed her laundry. Although I complained about the subpar care, nothing was ever done about it. Although I washed her laundry, her clothes still came up missing.
Every time I went to management about a concern, it was not addressed, I never received a call back with an apology or a plan of care to increase the quality of care, nor was there any accountability at all placed on the staff. In fact, I was avoided by top management and the facility charge nurse. Even after I gave my notice to move my mother, they continued to neglect my mother. One night, my mother was left in her bed without a pullup or pants on, with a throw thrown over her bottom and legs, no sheet on her vinyl mattress/air bed, her head facing the footboard. She had her arms wrapped up in her sweatshirt because she was cold. I was shocked. When she opened her eyes for me, they were blood shot red. I went to get the nurse, and she claimed she was unaware that this had occurred. The Caregiver did not inform her there was a problem! This is clearly neglect. The pad to prevent harm from falls were left on the floor leaving me to believe she was going to be left like that the rest of the evening and night. No one ever called me to explain why this happened and to apologize.
They promise weekly outings but that never happened in the eight months we were there. The only ongoing activities, they offer is drinking beverages at a "drink bar" that is made to look like a café while listening and singing to music. I noticed in the last several months since we left on November 2, 2024, they held activities with guests and posted pictures on their FB website for advertisement purposes because they have a lot of empty rooms to fill and are trying to market the place. A lot of residents have left around the time we moved.
In the 8 months my mother resided there, the carpet was never cleaned. It was visibly soiled with dirt and food and smelled like urine in the hallways. The walls were scuffed and dirty, and the furniture in the common areas where the Residents sit and watch TV smell like urine. I complained about that as well and told management that I would spray down the furniture and carpet in the hallways with Lysol and Febreze every time I visit. They started painting the week we moved out. Good nurses have left the facility due to the working conditions. Ninety-five percent of the time, they do not have adequate Caregiver staffing on the floor. As a masters-prepared nurse of almost 20 years, I feel obligated as a fellow nurse and Advocate for the elderly/patient population to let the public know my experience at this facility. I absolutely do NOT recommend Charter Senior Living of Hazel Crest.
Only 24 hours after my Mom was moved to a different facility, she was walking and speaking coherently. That let me know she was overly medicated. I got my Mom back. She is currently receiving PT/OT and is doing much better. She has to use a WC sometimes due to arthritis in her knees but she is alert and knows her family. read more
