**Update posted at the end**…read more
I am not a patient of NovaCare but my husband is...or was, until this happened.
To start, my husband was injured at work and referred to NovaCare for a spinal and shoulder injury.
He had always kept his appointments with the exception of one or two because he was in so much pain and couldn't fathom the thought of being "worked on".
He was due to have surgery on May 15th. Prior to this he went to NovaCare for one of his appointments and learned they would not treat him because it appeared he had pink eye. (the surgery ultimately was also cancelled for this reason). That was the ONLY time they have ever turned him away from an appointment.
He was ordered right after the accident not to drive. Therefore, I have driven him to all his appts. After the very first appt, he came out smelling of "alcohol". I said something like, "oh God, what's that smell??" We could only conclude it was the hand sanitizer he used as soon as he walked in the building....THEIR hand sanitizer.
With the pink eye cleared up, he set up more physical therapy appointments while he waited for his new surgery date.
Then his lawyer called and notified him, that he received a letter from workers comp insurance, that per NovaCare my husband often came to therapy smelling of alcohol and "acting drunk". The letter went on to say that he had been turned away from several appointments because of this and if this behavior continued, it would affect his workers comp claim.
My husband and I are two weeks shy or our 31st wedding anniversary. In this time, I have seen him drink maybe twice. The last time being when our daughter graduated in 2013. Alcohol does not sit well with him and he suffers excruciating migraines with even a small amount. As I witnessed years ago and has always been known. There's no question if he'll drink. It's always an astounding, NO.
I, at this time, without thinking too hard, can contact 20 people that have known him for a decade or more and can vouch that he NEVER drinks.
This claim is not only untrue but it is defamatory and hurtful. This is in his charts, medical records, and now, who knows, may impede the outcome of his workers comp claim.
I think everyone needs to be aware they are engaging in this practice of making up untruths about people. Who knows what else they've said about anyone else. And who knows why they're doing this. Its sickening. I can't imagine hearing these claims about myself knowing there is absolutely no truth to them.
He has canceled all the appts that he set up earlier this week and will never go back. He does not recommend this business to anyone. Beware.
***Update- I posted this review on several forums, including, but not limited to, Google and Yelp. Not until this morning did I post it on NovaCare's Facebook page.
Not long after the Facebook review a manager or supervisor (my husband did not get her title) called to speak to my husband.
She, in a round about way, without taking full responsibility, apologized and said it was a miscommunication. She went on to say that the claim that was made was that my husband had a faint smell of alcohol on him. She insisted all other statements were exaggerated by the insurance adjuster handling his workers comp claim.
She agreed that the hand sanitizer they used at all NovaCare locations does have a faint (or strong, depending on who is being asked) alcohol smell.
My husband would also like everyone to be aware of the poor practices exhibited during his treatments. Practices that include the following- two therapists leaving my husband lying there in between exercises while they massaged each other. One therapists smelling "like a brewery", as if she had been out drinking all night before reporting to work. He also witnessed therapists sitting around while he was doing an exercise, talking about other patients. Including private information.
The bottom line is, unless you want to be labeled an alcoholic, do not use their hand sanitizer. If you don't mind being a bystander to gossip, or being ignored while they massage each other, you may not mind going here.