Review of Blueberry Hill Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center

5 Star User Review

My Mother entered Kindred on January 9,2014. She was transferred from Beverly Hospital where she had been a patient for about two weeks after being rushed from the facility she had been a resident at for over a year. When she entered the other rehab facility she was on a walker and the goal was that she would receive some short term help with her mobility issues. By the time she was transferred to the hospital she was being mechanically lifted in and out of bed into a Geri Chair, could not use her hands and we were told she had dementia which seemed to come on all at once. She also was extremely susceptible to bronchitis and pneumonia and had been taken off a blood thinner that she had been on for many years to prevent clots from forming in her legs, we were told she was too hard to regulate on it. We were told she had pneumonia that was the reason for the transfer. At the hospital we found out she did not have pneumonia but had blood clots that had traveled to her lungs and her survival was in doubt. We decided if she lived , which was in doubt , we needed to find a new place to care for Mom. We toured a few facilities but stopped touring when we visited Kindred. The first thing we noticed was how nice all the staff was , everyone seemed to be happy. As we toured the rehab unit Mom would be in we noticed all the patients seemed to be cared for and engaged in something. There were none of those forgotten people staring at the walls you so often see in other facilities. I'm not sure if I am properly describing that but if you've ever been in a nursing facility you know what I mean. We decided that day if there was a bed available we would take mom to Blueberry Hill.

When my Mother arrived at Blueberry Hill she was on oxygen around the clock, was largely uncommunicative and when she did talk it was just to answer yes or no questions . She was still in a Geri Chair and we didn't hope for anything except that she didn't decline. The physician upon her discharge from the hospital told us that we could not and should not expect any improvement. He was wrong, in less than ONE month my Mother is in a regular wheel chair which will make it possible to take her out of the facility and allow us to take her home days. It also has lifted her spirits as her goal has always been to come home ,something that became unrealistic but now is attainable. She was off oxygen in the first week. The respiratory therapist Steve is amazing , my Mom asks when he is coming to see her almost every day. Each of her nurses treat her like she is their only patient. The aids that care for her personal needs , especially Jessica, do so while maintaining her dignity which we appreciate more than we can possibly express. Her hygiene and the condition her skin which is something my sisters had to constantly monitor in at the other facility is no longer an issue. The physical and occupational therapists have started to reverse damage that was allowed to linger for more than a year. She is off of the pain medication which seems to have cleared up many of the symptoms we were told are associated with dementia, we see more and more of our Mother reappearing every day. She is talking all the time and even does Facetime on the iPhone with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The director of Blueberry Hill, John Thuo ,has taken the time to meet each of us, including my Mother , we all have his business card with his personal cell phone number he asked us to call him any time day or night with any questions or concerns we have .

Blueberry Hill / Kindred has improved my mothers health more than we ever could have hoped for in less than one month. They continue to work for goals that we never dreamed of setting for her. It has not only improved her health but her outlook on life. It has done the same for my sisters, my brother and for me. We no longer worry all the time that Mom isn't receiving the care she needs on a daily basis. We no longer feel like someone has to be with her at all times. If you have family or a friend that needs care I would highly recommend Kindred / Blueberry Hill .