My mother was in the Care Center here for 8 years, at Oakcrest Village Retirement Community, owned…read moreby Erickson. They tried hard to do right by her, but theft and neglect were on-going issues. The Independent Living residents were mostly warm and friendly. Assisted Living residents were not as friendly or ready to socialize.
Care Center residents were mostly kind, but of course they are not in the best of health, so that was difficult. I feel Erickson cares more about the carpets & drapes than they do about making sure they have competent Nursing Assistants, Nurses, Unit Managers, Nutritionists, Social Workers, Doctors, et al. Staff should be patient with residents or family members, and they were mostly not. Fortunately, we found the few who were, but not often enough. Messages were often not conveyed until I made a real pest of myself, and even then I could not rely on most staff to do so.
They have a great cognitive learning program however, which greatly helped my mom; for that I'm truly grateful. Everyone loved my mom, she's not one to ever complain. It's a big job, but when carpets are more important than residents, and stolen items routinely are stolen, and common areas in the Care Center are more like One Flew Over the Coo-Coo's Nest, something needs fixing.
Disruptive patients should not be forced upon the calm residents. There are certainly enough different units to keep them separate. For $10+k/month, it was heart-breaking to watch her endure these things. But a live-in nurse is more expensive and we could barely afford Erickson. I became the proverbial squeaky wheel, aka Pain in the Neck, trying to correct these situations. The doctor seems overworked and not very available. It took a while to feel she was caring. She also at one point said my mom had cancer when in fact she did not. That was a big scare.
My mom lost several teeth while there. When I approached the nutritionist about this, citing the frequent sugary snacks they gave her every afternoon, the response was, and I quote, diet has little to do with dental health. How do they vet their staff? Diet has nothing to do with dental health? I was stunned, but I knew I had to choose my battles wisely. I was able to have some dietary restrictions enforced, like no aspartame or diet sodas, or letting them know her favorite foods.
Also, my mom had bruises and no one ever knew why. I began taking pictures and the unit manager told me it was illegal to take those. I asked, How else should I document such things? She tried intimidating me but I knew my rights.
I tried correcting all these issues but was mostly blown off and had less than sympathetic responses. People's well-being needs to come before pretty curtains and fresh carpet every 3-5 years. The restaurants & related staff in the Independent Living buildings were mostly fair to good. Occasionally great. The food in the care center seemed like it was too often bottom of the barrel.
In the area of theft, I don't know who took things, residents or attendants, but over the years, gifts I gave my mother were routinely disappearing; perfume, clothing, knick-knacks. I didn't dare bring my mother's favorite keepsakes or decor for this reason. I was told only $50 per item would be reimbursed, if a receipt was submitted. I even had my coat stolen from my mother's room when we went to independent living for dinner this past January.
Another issue with attendants is how they would congregate in resident rooms or watch TV in my mother's room. She had so little left at this stage of her life, I thought at least she could have her room kept as her sanctuary, but this was not addressed or dealt with by the unit manager or other decision makers. And of course, I was disliked by most for asking for such basic respect for her and her things. So here I am writing this as I can expect very little from either corporate or local decision makers. If you're loved one is here, please be their advocate and pay attention to everything.
The elderly of our society deserves better, and this is supposed to be one of the very best in Baltimore. Perhaps with the Baby Boomers, things will improve. We strive all our lives to improve our lot in Life. The last few years should have more compassion and expert care. Hiring minimum wage workers when residents are paying $10+k/mo is another example of corporate greed, in my opinion.
I watched aides talk down to my mom, get angry with her, be consistently rude to me because I was trying to get attention for my mother's pain and suffering. Some were eventually released or reassigned, and most of my suggestions were eventually heeded but after 8 years, I feel exhausted by the on-going effort required and minimal satisfaction. I hope in writing this negative review I can effect positive change for the long-term residents who deserve much better than they are receiving. Yes, they have activities once a day, the facilities are very clean, but more needs to be done
