Billy Hawkins
May 2026
Review of Holiday Heights Health Care Center First, let me say there are two nurses there who are truly excellent and go above and beyond for their patients. Their care, compassion, and professionalism deserve recognition. Hollie and Ginny My mother was transferred there after a hospital stay. We were given a list of care centers, and Holliday Heights was listed as one of Medicare’s 4-star or higher facilities, which gave us confidence in choosing it. My mother was admitted on a Saturday, and we were informed that the employee who normally handled patient admissions was unavailable that day. A manager came in over the weekend to complete the check-in process. She arrived dressed casually in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, which immediately gave us concern about the level of professionalism and organization at the facility. Upon walking into the facility, the atmosphere felt drab and there was a noticeable urine odor throughout the area. Very few of the nursing staff were dressed in scrubs. Most appeared to be wearing casual clothing that looked worn and faded from years of use and washing, which contributed to an overall lack of professionalism. My mother was placed in a shared room with another patient that was approximately 12’ x 20’ in size. The room contained two beds, two dressers, two bedside commodes, two wheelchairs, two televisions, one lift chair, and only one guest chair. The space felt extremely crowded and cramped. There was only one window in the room, with the shades kept pulled down. The walls and window coverings were painted in similar dark gray tones, making the room feel even darker and more depressing. The building itself appeared to be an older structure that may have once served as military barracks. The rooms had exposed cinder block walls, and fire suppression pipes ran along the ceiling and through the walls. The pipes, along with the window shades, appeared to have accumulated years of dust and had not been cleaned in quite some time. My sister and I both had a sinking feeling in our stomachs about my mother being placed there. After we got Mom settled into her room, the manager took us on a tour of the facility. She was very upbeat and energetic, but at times it felt forced, almost as though she was trying too hard to convince us what a wonderful place it was. She even told us we should come visit her office before leaving. Her office was decorated entirely in pink, and she mentioned that the patients called her “Pinky.” Ironically, her office was one of the brightest and most cheerful rooms in the entire building. I could not help but think that she made sure her own space felt warm and inviting while the rest of the facility felt dark, neglected, and depressing. The weekend staff appeared very laid back and lacked energy or urgency. At times, it felt as though some employees were simply there to collect a paycheck rather than provide attentive care. The weekday staff generally seemed better organized, and the facility itself appeared somewhat cleaner during the week. There also seemed to be frequent miscommunication between aides, nurses, management, and doctors, which created confusion and frustration for both patients and family members. “By now, I believe you have a clear picture of our experience. While there were a few staff members — especially nurses Hollie and Ginny — who genuinely cared and worked hard for their patients, the overall condition of the facility, the atmosphere, communication issues, and the lack of consistent professionalism left our family deeply disappointed. As for the Medicare four-star rating, our personal experience did not reflect the level of care and environment we expected from a facility with that designation. I can only speak from what my family witnessed firsthand.”
