Unfortunately, my mother was a resident of Holly Heights Nursing Care Center and Rehabilitation…read morefrom December, 2023 to December, 2024. She passed away on December 3, 2024. I believe the extremely poor quality of her life there, and the lack of medical attention shortened her life significantly.
During the first six months of her residency, she received subpar day-to-day care. She did have one CNA that she really liked, but she left when management changed. Complaints during this time period included being soiled for extended periods, slow response to the call button (upward of an hour), filthy living conditions, a mouse infestation, no emotional support and overall rude management that dismissed the family's concerns. My mother's vision greatly declined so it was hard for her to use a phone. We had to rely on staff to bring her a phone to have any type of communication. The staff was always so put out with this request, and would often hang up on family members. You were lucky if someone even answered the phone! It was hit or miss.
Fast forward to September, 2024. This is when my mother truly suffered and declined. Ownership changed, which included a whole new administrative staff. They also cut staff and wages for existing employees (which was relayed to me by one staff member). Mom suffered a stroke that sent her to the hospital. Unfortunately, the stroke was undiagnosed by the hospital. She should have had an MRI performed. While in the hospital, she was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. This to me, is a result of her not receiving proper hygiene care from staff.
The biggest health concern, is that my mother was complaining of lower abdomen pain. This was ignored by the staff, doctor and social worker that got involved due to the family constantly asking for help. Because the facility refused to have additional testing done, the family had to go outside of the facility for further testing. As a result of a CT Scan, it was recommended that a colonoscopy be performed. By the time we got the clearance for this procedure from the Cardiologist, it was too late. We waited 8 months for this health condition to be addressed by the facility. My mother was just too weak for the procedure. I believe she had a serious health condition, as this was a hereditary condition that we were concerned about.
The food menu changed dramatically once ownership changed. Many food items were discontinued, and food quality was so bad. Many residents complained of how awful the food is. How do I know this? Well, because many residents shared this with me. The food was so bad, that my mother had no desire to eat.
Also, due to her stroke, she was unable to properly feed herself. The food was just dropped on her table. She had to fend for herself, and it was a real struggle for her. Every time family visited my Mother, we consistently had to clean off the food that was slopped on her chest, bedding and the floor. She was not able to hold a cup without spilling the contents all over herself and floor. We eventually purchased a non-spill cup for her.
My mother was severely depressed in this facility and declined quickly as a result of living conditions and lack of empathy from the staff. The activity director only visited my mother one time (toward end of life). My mother's existence consisted of laying in bed all day, with headphones attached, listening to the same TV program over and over again. Unfortunately, I was out of state, so my visits were not as frequent as I'd like. They did become more frequent once I learned of the appalling living conditions. When I did visit, I was shocked, deeply saddened at what my poor mother succumbed to. She felt helpless and just checked out emotionally.
All of the above was reported to the facility, Ombudsman, Colorado Health Department and Adult Protective Services. An inspection was completed by the Health Department 1 1/2 months from my initial complaint. This was just too late. The facility was fully aware of pending inspections from various agencies, so they were able to portray a false impression of what normal conditions are really like because of the heads up. It should be noted, that the staff often blamed my mother the lack of her care. So, let's blame a stroke victim for her declining care? It's just easier for them this way I guess. She did this because she dreaded interacting with many employees, especially the social worker and the new management team. Her concerns fell on deaf ears. This is so shameful and inexcusable!
Sadly, new management (director and nursing director) was not accountable in any way for the lack of care for my mother. I was told that weekly communication with the family was a courtesy only and should not be expected, and that they had lives outside of work. Yep, that's what we were told on a phone conference.
If you are considering Holly Heights for the care of your loved one, please do your due diligence!
