Jiao
Aug 2026
My Worst Experience at Trellis Chino<br><br>I have serious concerns about medication management and medical care.<br><br>My mother takes several medications, including a targeted cancer medication for her lung cancer. This medication was kept in a special bottle that we brought from home, so I could personally check whether it had been given to her. During the first week, I noticed several times that the nurses had forgotten to give her this important medication.<br><br>When she was discharged on the 23rd, I checked her medication cards and found that the medications for the 21st and 22nd were still there, which made me very concerned that those doses had been missed.<br><br>The most serious issue involved dexamethasone 6 mg and my mother’s diabetes. Before coming here, her blood sugar was well controlled, around 120. After starting dexamethasone, her blood sugar reached 560 and remained around 400–500 for serval days and requiring repeated insulin.<br><br>The doctor comes to the facility only once a week, on Tuesdays. When I asked why my mother was taking dexamethasone, the doctor told me it was beneficial for her lung cancer. I explained that my mother had her lung cancer surgery two and a half years ago and had never taken this medication during that entire period. I asked why she suddenly needed it now.<br><br>The doctor told me the medication had come from City of Hope and asked me to contact her cancer doctor myself to confirm whether she still needed it. I did exactly that. After speaking with the City of Hope doctor, I was told that my mother did not need dexamethasone for her lung cancer at this point.<br><br>After I raised the issue, the dexamethasone was gradually reduced and is still being tapered rather than stopped suddenly, because it cannot be discontinued abruptly. As the dose has been reduced, my mother’s blood sugar has gradually begun to improve.<br><br>What was most disturbing to me was the cycle that developed: my mother was taking a medication that her cancer doctor later told me was not necessary for her lung cancer at this point. After starting the medication, her blood sugar rose dramatically to 400–500 and even 560, and she repeatedly needed insulin to bring it back down. Then the medication was given again, her blood sugar rose again, and she needed insulin again.<br><br>It became a continuous cycle of medication → extremely high blood sugar → insulin → blood sugar coming down → medication again → blood sugar rising again.<br><br>For an 83-year-old woman who has had diabetes for approximately 20 years, I believe repeatedly putting her through this cycle was extremely dangerous and potentially very harmful to her health. What makes me especially upset is that this situation could potentially have been avoided if the medication had been properly reviewed and reassessed in the first place.<br><br>What concerned me most was that the Trellis doctor seemed to simply continue the medications my mother arrived with, rather than reassessing whether they were still appropriate as her condition changed. I felt that I had to identify the problem, investigate it myself, and contact my mother’s specialist before the medication was addressed.<br><br>My biggest concern is that if I had not personally investigated these medications, I don’t know how long these problems would have continued.<br><br>I would not send my mother back. If you are considering this facility for an elderly family member, I strongly recommend being personally involved and closely monitoring their medications and medical condition. For us, the lack of confidence in the medical oversight was simply<br>too concerning.<br><br>I intend to file formal complaints with the appropriate medical and licensing authorities and pursue further accountability for the care my mother received at this facility. Based on our experience, I do not believe this facility has demonstrated the ability to safely manage patients with complex medical needs. I also have serious concerns about the doctor’s level of responsibility and medical oversight.
