If you care for a loved one, whether a family member or friend, AVOID the Rehab Center of Santa Monica!!!!!
My grandfather (age 87) fell and fractured his back. When in the hospital, they recommended several rehabilitation centers nearby in Santa Monica since he had could not walk nor sit any more. After speaking to a physician and some faculty at the hospital, we decided on the Rehab Center of Santa Monica because we heard they recently renovated, it doesn't smell horrible, and the close proximity.
When we got there, it was nice, pretty clean, and the nurse came in to learn more about the diet to prepare meals which he will eat. Once we all of us relatives left, than the problems began. I will provide a few examples:
1. One day my grandma went to visit in the morning. She found that he stayed asleep till late afternoon and wouldn't wake up. My mom asked a nurse if they had administered a sleeping med, the nurse denied with attitude because we clearly stated prior we didn't want him on sleeping meds. My aunt asked, "I don't believe you, let me see your med logbook." There was no documentation of administering a sleeping med. My aunt later asked another nurse who claimed, yes, they did administer a sleeping med. The other nurse had lied and they didn't document the med they administered!!
2. When we first took him there, we informed multiple nurses, "he rejects taking meds, you must crush the meds, mix in applejuice, and force the intake". He was on a blood thinner. 3rd or 4th day, had had major confusion. We later realized, they didn't administer his blood thinner and he got a stroke while residing in there.
3. My aunt found a big bump on his abdominal area and we asked the nurses about it, they didn't even know. It is the nurses job to make sure the patients stay healthy!!
4. One day I was visiting, he wanted to roll over on his side and we needed assistance. I went outside and asked a nurse to help, waited but received no assistance. Then, I asked for them to come in and crush a Tylenol so I could try to get him to sit down….no response. I told a nurse to come put on a diaper because I needed to empty his bladder, he took 5 minutes just for that. After I went down stairs and informed the manager of these issues and threatened that we will transfer him, all the nurses came running in to finally take care of everything.
5. The final day, we aunt went in and noticed he could barely breathe. He immediately called in a nurse and they found his temperature to be sky high. If my aunt didn't go there, he would have past away within hours.
5. He finally left the Rehab Center of Santa Monica because he acquired Pneumonia while in there. Now hes back in the hospital with IV antibiotics with more fatigue than ever because of that horrible place.
When seeking a Rehab Center, please visit the location. Not just the lobby, but the actual rooms. Learn what is the ratio of nurses to patients. Are any nurses actually sitting with patients conversing or are they running around like they have way too many patients? How is the attitude of the nurses? Even spending 1/2 hour there might enlighten you.
It's all about business. All they care about is the money. They just try to make family members feel comfortable and hide the fact that there is a lack of sufficient nurses. They spent a ton of money remodeling the lobby just to attract people, but the patient care will lead to the illness and possibly death of your loved one.