S d
Oct 2024
We placed mom in the memory care (MC) unit at the Lighhouse Senior Living at Hopkins Creek facility. She was there for almost two months when I got a call one evening to tell me they sent mom to the ER, I was met with multiple people on the other end on a speaker phone. There was no compassion, concern, or understanding. Instead I was met with distrust, anger, accusations that we are “working against us, and not with us” and whether she, an Alzheimer’s patient, was going to call the local TV (WBAL-TV news) station, or whether or not “I believed” that someone hit my mother. My mother was not allowed to return. We had to scramble to find another facility for mom before her release from the hospital. This was over the Christmas holidays. It was a trying time for my family. Further, there are little to no activities to engage those in the memory care unit. The other unit for assisted living (AL) did have activities. During the ‘sales process,’ we were promised that those residents in the memory care unit would participate in the AL resident activities. It rarely happened and then it was for just one or two of the MC residents. The attitude of caregivers was unacceptable. They lacked compassion or concern. The culture of the staff was an “us against them” attitude. It’s funny that we were accused of the same. Any concerns that we raised as a family was met with ‘we are the professionals. We will handle it. Her (mom’s) behavior is all part of the transition. Let us handle it.” Never again. It was a very difficult time for us as a family as you can imagine. After this experience, we have been educated: trust your instincts. Ask many questions. And most importantly look at the current residents to see if they are happy. Instead many if not most stood by the door begging to leave. This is not normal. We are fortunate because we found a new place. I am very limited in space for this review. Otherwise I would leave a longer review.
