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Vickery Emeritus Towers, Dallas, TX
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2010 Dec 7, 1:33pm 2,488 views 5 comments
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elliemae
2010 Dec 8, 9:20pm
From what it looked like on their site, they're an assisted living (not a nursing home), They're not set up to provide the level of care you describe. I'm glad that you found a place that serves your father better.
I have to say that they came and evaluated him at the SNIF. THey said he could get daily PT. THey admitted them to a rehab bed, understanding the purpose of the admission, the care needed and offered "rehabilitation" services. They did agree to the arm band, the locking doors, the PT appointments, etc. How can they come offer it directly to us at the SNIF? They are an assisted living that offered no assistance. They have rehab beds in addition to assisted living and did not offer any of the assistnace that was offered. They offer assistance with bathing in assisted living. He didn't get requested help with a bath in the 9 days he was there.
Latest update after seeing surgeon this week, his condition worsened while there for rehab. Now no weight bearing at all and may have to redo the surgery.
If they don't offer it, they should stop coming to do assessments and offering directly to patients. I call BS on that.
elliemae
2010 Dec 14, 4:57pm
If they don’t offer it, they should stop coming to do assessments and offering directly to patients. I call BS on that.
There's an ombudsman listed on the wall of every nursing home - call them and complain. They have jursidiction over ALF's too. But you don't have to send him back there ever.
I will call the ombudsman. A small update is that we did move him last week. THe difference in the quality of services between Vickery and the new place has been striking. His first roommate at the new place, did a bit of wandering at night. The roommate went to the window in their room the first night and was confused and calling for help. (I think it was a bit of dementia or delerium.) Whatever the cause, they had my father moved to another room by 11 the next morning. I got a call when they made the determination that he would be on medicare part B, not A. I got a call when they went by to do the PT asessment to let me know they were starting PT.
My father had too far to walk on his walker to the lunch room at Vickery. They suggested moving him to a room closer to the dining room. They then made and broke 4 appointments to show him the room. THen they never managed to move him in the 9 days he was there. New place took 12 hours to make a move. Vickery 9 days and no move was made. Also, the new place just did it. I heard about it after it was done. No need for repeated phone calls from me. The problem was solved before I even knew it existed. If there had been any remaining doubt about how poor Vickery was, the contrast to the new place eliminated it. Vickery was absolutely unresponsive and irresponsible. They are harmful.
AND, you are right. He will never go back there. Ever.
elliemae
2010 Dec 17, 1:50pm
If he's on Medicare B, your father is responsible for the room & board payment. This can either be totally private pay, or his income plus Medicaid or a similar program.
I'm glad that you are having a better experience, and that your father is well-cared for. It makes all the difference when they have their shit together.
good luck - ellie.
My father has had a terrible experience at this facility. I tried hard to give them the benefit of the doubt. They are forcing me to be unable to give them that benefit. He was promised a monitoring arm band as a part of his stay in assisted living. Two weeks in, he had not been given one. The room he is in had no keys, so he was very uncomfortable joining the activities when he could not lock his wallet or his brief case in the room. He was there over a week before getting assistance with a bath. Assistance that is promised as a part of his level of care. The phone in the room didn't work and it was over two weeks before it was repaired. They said that they would come to his room to get him to take him to a physical therapy appointment and they no-showed and rescheduled multiple times. His whole point of going there was for rehabilitation surgery. How will he rehab with no services? His room is something like the distance of two city blocks from the living room, but they don't reliably offer him assistance to get to the dining room (MD won't let him walk distances, yet.)
Absolutely unresponsive staff. They are very busy giving tours. I would suggest that they increase their census by retaining people with good service. My dad is not some super picky guy. He has tried to be a good sport, but his stay there was terrible. He has been very pleased after moving to another facility.