First of all there are some really nice people at this facility, secondly my husband said that the…read moreway the nurse, etc. treated him in front of me when I came to get him out of this place and when I was present was different than her treatment of him when I was NOT present. If there as any way I could give a minus grade I would. Residents are treated like cash cows and Signature is an prime example of how healthcare for disabled and elders are treated by the private sector. I was never so happy as to return to the VA hospital where my husband has been treated for years. My husband is a Marine veteran and as a result of service related toxic exposures his condition is terminal.
1) My husband lost weight during his stay because the food is awful. I have seen food presented to patients that the racoons and possum in the back yard wouldn't touch. He had no weight to lose before he was transferred from Duke. His chart noted that he weighed 137 which is INCORRECT, he hasn't weighed 137 since 2024 when he was first diagnosed with throat cancer.
2) When my husband arrived and we had the first "care team" meeting we told EVERYONE that his stay for for 20 days, Medicaid was NOT an option and that we did not have the financial ability do pay $214 copays per day (WHO DOES) and that they had to have a plan in place prior to the end of the 20 day time period. They had PLENTY of time to get him into a VA approved facility for hospice.
3) His 20 day time period ended on Monday, August 31. I started on August 21st prodding them to action. NOTHING WAS done until Friday, August 28 late in the day. It was the VA social worked in oncology/radiation who provided all of the VA approved facilities for transfer, and it was the VA social worker who was able to locate a bed for him, NOT the social work department at Signature. Yes, social work at Signature emailed and faxed information to the facilities that the VA provided. When I asked WHERE the facilities were located they didn't even go so far as to say how close they were to our home. Because I am not familiar with NC, because I am not from NC, I have not idea where the counties, towns were in relation to our home without doing the research myself. It's not up to the patient's family to do this work, the social workers at the facilities have the responsibility to the caregivers and patients' families. Again, Signature is a BUSINESS and not in the business of going the extra mile.
4) On the first day of his stay, the social worker came into the room and took history. Not ONCE did she look up from her laptop, NOT ONCE did she make eye contact with my husband ir with me, NOT ONCE did she even acknowledge his service as a Marine. In fact, when he said he was a Marine, she looked up with a BLANK STARE. I don't know how she was hired or what credentials she had other than a simple BA in social work which she is quick to put on her business card, but she needs to bone up on her people skills which are non existent or find another line of work more in keeping with her flat personality.
5) Approaching the end of his stay, I went into the facility, talked to social work, the director, the business manager about my husband leaving on the 20th day to avoid further charges. I was assured that "Signature is a BUSINESS". The business office manager never once offered a payment plan for the charges and again pointed out that : "We are a business". Yes, Signature is a business, and obviously the residents come second while Signature drinks at the public trough of Medicare and Medicaid. They are passive aggressive in their approach while being quick to say "we are praying for you". I would like to see the breakdown of costs, the pay levels of the executive officers, directors, the amount of money Signature bills to Medicare and Medicaid and how everything is broken down. I wouldn't be surprised that the executives are getting triple digit salaries while many are barely paid a living wage. After all, Signature is a business and into the profit.
6) I am not a Christian, I am not an atheist, but I find the Christian references throughout this facility to be off-putting. Although Signature says their direction is spiritual, all of the references are Christian in nature. Since it's a private facility, they can apparently present whatever they like in their offices and common areas. The director's office is filled with Christian material, a huge bible on the desk, etc. Religion is a very personal and private matter, I don't want it shoved at me on every wall, desk, etc. when I am in a public place. I want to see beautiful landscape photos on the walls as you see at the VA hospital. Not everyone who comes through the doors of Signature is a Christian.
Staff members assured me that they would "pray for me", I know they think that their intentions are good. That being said this can be viewed as a degrading and morally superior attitude.
7) My husband went d