Rylie Phillips
Aug 2026
Please! Please! Please! read this before choosing Kemper House.<br><br>This is the hardest review I’ve ever had to write. My father is in the late stages of Alzheimer’s, and I trusted Kemper House with his care during one of the most vulnerable periods of his life — and mine. The staff members at first seemed genuinely kind — and I still believe many of them are — but when my family needed support the most, we were abandoned.<br><br>When I first met the admissions director, she was warm, reassuring, and confident. I told her I was worried about my father’s aggression. She told me they handled behaviors like his every day. She told me he would be safe. She told me they were trained.<br><br>I believed her.<br><br>We started at Highland Heights, where we had concerns about cleanliness and treatment. When a room opened in Strongsville, we moved him, relieved to be closer and comforted by staff who communicated kindly and consistently. We received messages saying he was doing great.<br><br>Then everything changed.<br><br>My father had a behavior — something we never deny or excuse — but something that is part of his disease. Nurses told us they understood this wasn’t who he truly was. Then suddenly the story began to shift, becoming more dramatic each time, as though someone was rewriting events to justify removing him.<br><br>A staff member who had once been kind became cold and condescending, speaking to me as though my father’s Alzheimer’s was a personal choice. She told me her father had similar treatment, but she didn’t care what happened — she would never take mine back.<br><br>We asked for our legal 30‑day notice. Instead, I got a call from the director of nursing, we were told he would return. We were texted hearts and reassurance. My father was sent to a geriatric psych ward nearly two hours away with strict visiting rules. We missed his birthday. The tears my family shed from missing these final somewhat conscious moments with my dad is so painful to accept. Then without warning, we were told there was an “investigation.” No one had mentioned it before.<br><br>Then, right before the July 4th weekend — when no legal or government help was available — we were given a three‑day notice, including the weekend. When we asked what to do, we were told staff wanted to start their holiday weekend. Kemper House stopped answering calls. Stopped responding to texts. We couldn’t even pick up his clothes without resistance.<br><br>Later, we learned the owner had been calling other facilities, sharing private information about my father without our permission. We were told he was “doing amazing,” yet when I asked what are these stories others are being told and not his daughter she would never tell me.<br><br>Only after rereading the contract did we realize how easily Kemper House can discharge residents for extremely common dementia symptoms — wandering, confusion, suicidal statements — things they originally told us they were fully prepared to handle.<br><br>I now know my family is not alone. Many families have been blindsided by sudden discharges. I'm come to realize from other clients and companies the reputation Kemper House has is a home for those who are “pleasantly confused,” not those who need real Alzheimer’s care.<br><br>I’m writing this because I don’t want another family to experience the pain, fear, and helplessness we did. Please research carefully. Please protect your loved ones. Dementia patients deserve compassion, not abandonment.<br><br>My Reply Back to Kemper's Comment:<br><br>My father’s information was shared with people who should not have had access to it, and I learned that the hard way. I have every call, text, and event documented. We were left in the dark with very little communication and no real answers, which forced us to miss work and tour facilities on our own.<br><br>We later learned you were calling others for updates instead of contacting us directly, which was extremely concerning. The mentioned leadership also spoke to me in a dismissive and disrespectful way.<br><br>My review reflects our firsthand experience. I agree, families deserve honesty when making decisions for their loved ones.
