I spent almost 6 weeks at Hillcrest in Durham recovering from a fractured femur after a fall at home. Hillcrest came highly recommended by medical providers, friends and neighbors. We had extensive experience with hospitals and out-patient facilities over the years, both for our own needs, as well as those of family members. Hillcrest stands out as one of the very best facilities we've ever come across. The most important thing about Hillcrest may be the quality and commitment of its staff, from on-site doctors and nurses to the CNAs, OTs/PTs, maintenance (Mike) and other support staff. A special shout-out to Scott (OT), AnnMarie and Kris (PTs) for knowing when to push and when to back off, and to being so incredibly upbeat at every step. They are highly skilled and carry out their duties every day with a warm, welcoming and cheerful outlook that gives the center a rare, down-home feel. Nurses (Heather, Chantel, Mustapha) are really attentive and stop by to listen and chat about music; CNAs (Rhonda) even bring flowers from home when I've had a bad day. Apologies to those many staff I haven't named; you're all wonderful and made our stay worthwhile! Hillcrest's facilities are clean and airy. There are patios for getting some fresh air and well-equipped workout rooms to support rehab. Even the food at Hillcrest is worth writing home about!. Internet/WiFi access is spotty at best and is an area that needs attention. So, if you need a rehab facility for yourself, family or friends, you would do well to seek out Hillcrest. FYI, I think one of the key factors behind its consistently high ratings is that it's been family-owned and operated since it began operations in 1951. It retains a family vibe that other facilities owned and operated by equity partners, hedge funds and large chains lack. read more

I had care at Hillcrest for each of my knee replacements. I was especially impressed with the quality of care and the beautiful building. This facility is well managed and it's very professional. I met personally with the manager and the dietician, who both went over and beyond in their help. Thank you! The facility also provided free coffee, which was real special. There was a well stocked library along with board games, as I recall. A small chapel held a service on Sunday. The food was fantastic and meals were served in a beautiful dining area. A special touch were the beautiful aquariums. Physical therapy was great! My PT was Filipino and she was so kind and patient. This place is special and I wish I could have stayed there when I broke my shoulder a few months ago. read more

My mother as there for rehab for 3 weeks. Everyone took really good care of her. The facility is very clean. She was always clean and so was her room. Doesn't smell like a hospitals or rehab centers. Enjoyed visiting her there and talking with her caregivers. read more

Okay... if you're reading this, then someone near or dear to you needs help. Serious help. My very own 'gonna be a nonagenarian next month' mother fits that bill, and needed her own serious help. She'd been a resident at various assisted living facilities over the past five years, but after a week's hospitalization we were told she'd need a Skilled Nursing Facility. ...of our choice. YIKES! There is a dearth of useful information about these facilities! Almost everything you read is either an advert or a news report about something gruesome. Fortunately, whether by divine inspiration or just plain luck we were guided to Hillcrest. It is a newly refurbished establishment convenient to the Durham Freeway (147), and upon visiting it we found the staff attentive and the residents looking clean, comfortable, and (apparently) well attended. Pressed for time (the hospital had given us 24 hours to tell them where to send her), we took the chance - and were delighted with the results! The folks at Hillcrest - from the front desk to the dieticians, the therapists, the custodial staff, and most importantly the nursing staff were all kind, compassionate and eager to serve the needs of their residents. We were regularly contacted about her care, and our own questions were all answered promptly and professionally. The facility itself boasts a logical floor plan, wide hallways to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers; pleasant decorations, large screen televisions (figuring that most of their residents will have eyesight limitations) and even an in-house chef. Although mom was there only for a week, I came to realize that THIS is the place for skilled nursing in the Triangle. read more

Pros: Wonderful facility, probably if not the nicest place to put a family member in Durham. Cons: Activity Director. I am not sure what the issues with her is, but when you can have a conversation with her you get the feeling she is disingenuous. Probably does her job well and the residents like her but from an outsiders standpoint she seems fake and very unhelpful if your interested in wanting to volunteer your time. read more

My mom was here twice for rehab and my dear neighbor stayed after a spine injury. It is a reasonably good place-- I waffled between 3 to 4 stars. 3 because the review that noted insufficient personnel to help at night were correct. Mom fell and broke her wrist because they assigned her to independent travel to the bathroom the second night there (while still with an anesthetic catheter running to her knee) she lost her balance and thus starts a long trek to recovery. Communication during transition of care could be better, not just at the family meeting 1 week later but on day 1 and 2. My recommendation, stay yourself in room or hire private duty "sitter" for first few nights. Once you know how it is going, then this can be dropped. This was valuable for Mom second time around. Phys therapists and Occup. therapists and facilities were awesome every time!!!! Nurses reasonable but understaffed. Nice to have the alternative options for meals...Mom used this and was very satisfied. read more

While Hillcrest is a nice facility, make sure to read the information packet carefully or you will be quite surprised at the charges. The staff on Recovery Road was wonderful, always cheerful and helpful. However, other halls are not as good. My mom was moved to the Pinehurst Hall in the late afternoon. The employee on duty told her it would be best if she got in bed then because they were short staffed and she did not know when she would get back to her. This is not the attitude or attention I expected from a place like Hillcrest. This hall seemed to be short staffed quite a bit and the wait time for someone to respond to a call was often 30 minutes. Lots of room for improvement there! The administrative staff could also be more helpful and compassionate. While they did answer questions, they sometimes had an attitude and it was clear that this is a for profit business. Overall, an okay place for a short stay but quite expensive for the quality of care. read more

My poor father has been there since Friday August 4 and so far I am NOT impressed. My dad suffered serious injuries three weeks ago and is currently going through rehab at Hillcrest. We have had nothing but problems from day one. The major problems include not enough staff for the number of patients they have, staff with bad attitudes, and the lack of quality in the food. The lack of staffing is a serious issue. My dad started out in "recovery road." This part of the facility houses 2 patients per room with 20 rooms and only 2 nurses to tend to them all. So if a patient needed something they would have to press the red button and wait for at least 8 minutes for someone to come and help. My dad suffered a serious back injury. He had to have surgery on his back and he cannot get out of bed by himself. If he tried he could damage his back further which would require more surgeries. This information is not only in his records but was passed on to those in charge of his care. The lack of staffing became an issue for my dad the first night. He had to go to the bathroom and do he pressed the button. No one came and he wound up going to the bathroom all over himself and the bed. My Father is a 77 year old man who has never been incontinent. This has happened every night since he has been there. He would call for help and no one would come and he would pee himself. My Father is NOT a two year old potty training but we are at the point that we have no choice but to put depends on him at night. The altitude of the majority of the staff has been horrible. The first night there the man who shared a room with my dad and who suffers Alzheimer's had a really bad bathroom accident. He pooped and peed all over himself, the bed and the floor. The nursing staff grew angry and began to berate this poor man. I'm a preschool teacher and even I know it's wrong to yell at someone for having an accident. My sister was able to get my dad to a private room and so I thought my dad would receive better one on one care. I was wrong. My dad got some pee on his shorts when he went to the bathroom so we asked the nurse on duty for help. His first suggestion was to put the "padded underwear" on. We said no those were only for nighttime and he didn't need them for the day. He knows when he has to go he just needs help getting up and to the bathroom. The nurse started to complain "what if he has another accident?" We said it's okay he won't." He said "no it's not okay because I'm the one who will have to change him." Really?! IT'S PART OF YOUR JOB! The attitude of the dining room staff isn't any better. Food is served in the dining room from 5 pm to 6 pm and if you want to eat with your loved one you have to tell someone by 3 pm. My sister and I didn't know this so we went to eat with our dad and the woman working informed us of this in a not so nice way. On Sunday my dad's nephew Eddie, who we haven't seen in 5 years, came down to see him. We didn't get to the dining room unto 5:50 pm. We sat down and the woman working looked at the clock and looked at us and said "we only serve dinner until 6 and the kitchen already cleaned up." Eddie pointed to my dad and said "he is the resident you have to feed him." With that she disappeared into the kitchen and brought back sandwiches. Last night we walked into the dining room at 5:45 and I overheard our "server" talking to another worker and she said as she was looking in our direction "at least they are on time tonight." Now the food. I would not feed this crap to an inmate on death row. My dad has yet to be served a hot meal. Last night was chicken and waffles. The chicken was the frozen chicken strips that you can get at Costco. The chicken strips were cold, hard and dry. The waffle was cold. This "food" meets the minimum nutritional requirements. The proteins served thus far have been processes meets, the vegetables are frozen and he fruit comes from a can. The only good thing is that my dad will not be there for much longer. read more

I am so very pleased that my 92-year-old father is at Hillcrest. The facilities are clean, attractive, and bright. The staff members are not just physically present -- they use their brains and their hearts to do their jobs, and they anticipate patient needs and family member needs. The doctor takes the time to explain things to patients and family members. I loved the way Dr. Prasad communicated with my father, making certain that he was understanding her. read more

I ask around and was told that Hillcrest Convalescent Center and Nursing Home was a very good place and had excellent rehabilitation services. My mom had a bad experience years ago and I was hoping this one would be good. Looks can be deceiving. The nursing and cna staff have bad attitudes and make you feel like you are bothering them whenever you ask them for anything. My mom got worst there instead of better. I had to request for them to send her back to the hospital otherwise she might not be here today. I would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

Don't send your loved ones to this hell hole. From the outside this place looks inviting and admissions were very pleasant. Once your loved one and in this case my mother was there, it was a totally different story. I stood at the nurses desk because I had a question about my mother's care. The nurses station was full of employees. After standing there for a long while someone finally said are you waiting for me. I told them I needed to speak with my mother's nurse. The nurse finally came after I waited another long while. She did answer some of my concerns, then she said another nurse, CNA, med tech, not sure what her title was would help me. That employee, I believe her name was Tamika was very rude, unprofessional and she never acknowledged me at all, she never even attempted to find out what I needed concerning my mom. I ended up leaving because that employee left me standing there. My family and I told the nurses several times that my mother needed assistance with feedings. And on several different occasions we would find my mother's tray sitting on the sink, where she couldn't reach it. Then one time they left the tray sitting in front of her, but they didn't help feed her. My mother tried feeding herself because she was hungry, and the food was all over my mom's clothes and in the floor. My mother was only there for a short while, but so many unacceptable things kept happening we moved her and it was the best decision ever. My mother is happy where she is now and the facility is clean, the employees are welcoming, helpful, caring, knowledgeable and they treat my mother with the utmost respect. In closing Hillcrest is a terrible place to leave your loved one's. This is my honest opinion, please beware, my experience here was not a good one at all. I never want to see that place or their employees ever again. read more

While working here as a nurse, I was lied to REPEATEDLY. The deal breaker was when I was bit by a vicious dog in a patient's room while caring for a patient and when it was all said and done, the CEO, Ted Smith, threatened to call the police on me for trespassing (AFTER poorly handling the situation and me quitting as a result) after asking to see documentation about my worker's compensation claim. He threatened me because I was "verbally aggressive" over the phone, but we were on the phone discussing the situation for 45 minutes. I don't know anyone who would stay on the phone with someone who was verbally agressive for 45 minutes. Then tried to say "Well the patients are frail and brittle etc." I was sincerely offended. Before I'm an employee, I'm a NURSE and a decent human being at that. I WOULD NEVER even bring myself to disrespect and much less lay a finger on a patient. But anyway, what a surprise, they DID NOT pay for the workers compensation care that I received after the attack. I would NEVER trust a patient there, because if management can't even properly care for their staff, God forbid if a dog bit a sickly resident! DO NOT risk it with your family members. Would never recommend. read more