To say that I am deeply disappointed with the care my mother received at the SN Genesis HC – Holly Manor Center (84 Cold Hill Road, Mendham, NJ 07945) is an understatement. What should have been a safe and supportive environment for a two-week rehabilitation stay after hip surgery turned into a constant source of stress and concern for our family, ending with the subsequent decline in health of our loved one and her passing away. The facility has issues with being short-staffed. This created an atmosphere whereby staff seemed overwhelmed and inattentive to the needs of the patients/residents they were responsible for providing quality care. My mother entered this facility with no issues related to incontinence and within a few days the facility was putting her in an adult diaper. Family members witnessed call lights going unanswered for extreme amounts of time. This could lead to an increased risk for patient/resident injuries due to falls as well as incontinence. My mother was transferred to this facility with medical notes from nurses and doctors at the hospital she had her surgery in. As the receiving facility, Holly Manor Center was privileged with the knowledge that my mother was being treated for Congestive Heart Failure as well as finishing up a course of antibiotics used to treat pneumonia. Part of Holly Manor Center’s care plan reports included vigilant assessment of her CHF and for resurgence of infection(s) since this was still a critical post-operative period for a geriatric patient. I was assured by the social worker that this facility was able to provide those assessments and cares should the need arise. This, however, was not the case. Communication was another major issue. It was difficult to get updates about my mother’s condition, and when I reached the nursing staff and asked questions, responses were dismissive or felt like there was an uncertainty in how to respond to questions. On a few occasions, receptionist could not even find nursing staff to receive my call, and would leave a message, but no nursing staff called back. Nursing staff were often aloof with responses and this left you with the overall impression that they did not care. My mother’s health began to decline within a few days of being at this facility. Nursing staff would not take our concerns seriously, despite their own care plan including vigilant assessment of signs and symptoms related to possible infection(s). Less than a week after she was transferred to this facility for physical therapy/rehabilitation, she had declined so badly that we demanded she be transferred back to the hospital. With reluctance, they finally agreed. Once readmitted to the hospital, it was determined her pneumonia had become so severe that now she was septic. She was received back to the care of the hospital with a noted bed sore, and visible decline and health. Within a few days of this, my mother passed away. I would strongly urge others to carefully consider their options before placing a loved one in this facility. What was supposed to be a short-term stay of two weeks, showcased how problematic elderly care is in this country. Poor quality of care, lack of medical assessment, and a reluctance to see the actual signs and symptoms as serious will forever leave our family wondering if this facility’s dismissive treatment of my mother hastened her decline subsequently her death.
