Functional Nutrition Saratoga
Jan 2026
It’s interesting that there are many reviews not here that I have previously viewed that were one star and faded so they could not be read. My experience at this facility was very good while my mother was there several years ago, and while they had a different director then the current one. I visited my mother often with my father.<br><br>Under current director.<br>Hostile threatening manipulating legalistic director. The first time she ever spoke to me she stated she was concerned about “ my mental health and safety”. Her tone was anything but “concerned” . She knew I was upset because I had just been harassed by one of her hostile assistants. She’s very demeaning and shaming. She does not speak with family members, she intimidate's. I have heard people who have had to deal with her describe her as "beyond diabolical" and I would agree based on my experience. She puts a lot of intention and effort into it. I have never experienced anyone like her in > 3 decades of working as a NYS Health Care Provider.<br><br>She denied my fathers requests four times in two days to place me as a family call contact . Everyone - including she and my fathers attorneys - understood my father wanted this because I was his family advocate. I have audio recordings of my calls with her on this. My father was very distraught and this experience was very hard emotionally on my father. It’s abuse and I was so concerned. I told her I was recording her and she stated “ I don’t care”. She doesn’t. I don’t believe the owners do either. She clearly has no accountability. I was the only person in touch with my father on a regular basis. This place is all about power and control - from a hostile director. Have heard similar experiences from previous staff, current staff, families of past residence, and even the VT Protection Services, the VT Bar - had candid "shares" consistent with my fathers experience there.<br><br>As a daughter and a health care provider I would highly caution anyone considering this facility for their loved ones. Erratic chaotic strange environment. My father fell and was placed in a dementia unit the last couple years of his life. His cognitive state was fine and it was horrible for him.<br><br>The director called for an immediate guardianship a couple days after she learned my fathers legal was making me full POA. A couple days after her staff refused to help me help my father the last time I took him for a ride. My father loved leaving the facility anytime he could - because he was thrown in there against his wishes. My father and I asked the head nurse how long I should take my father so he could properly be “changed” when needed. The head nurse responded -in front of my father - “ I don’t have to answer that because you’re only POA Finance”. ?? What ? This is abuse to my father and evidence of their lack of concern, knowledge of basic continuity of care for their residence There’s so much more. Each time I called the State of VT they told me they could not do anything, the actions were abuse and they HIGHLY rec’d I take my father elsewhere. Only I couldn’t. Even though the local judge stated - in a court hearing - that if my father wanted to go to a facility near me someone can help with that process, they made that difficult any way they could and he never got to visit another facility per his wishes. He requested that a medication be reviewed that could have been causing his slurred speech the last couple months of his life. He was able to recall our on going conversations we had about this - whihc is evidence of his cognitive state. I asked the staff and the guardian if they could review the med, possibly try to decrease to see if the speech returns clearly. They refused and told me I was causing him psychological stress.<br><br>I will continue to work with the state and federal offices in VT to further report what my father went through, to help better protect Vermonters in the future. Both federal and state offices are well aware of the abuse in the state and are open to hear what is taking place with residents and patients.
