Arcadia Management

I am writing to describe the treatment my father received while staying at The Arbors West Assisted Living in Islandia, NY. I went out to Long Island to visit my father on a Wednesday, this past July. He had only been at The Arbors for a few days, and I wanted to check in on him. I knocked on the door to his room and no one answered. As I went to look for him elsewhere in the facility, the door to his room slowly opened, and I heard my father call to me. I turned, and could not believe the person standing in the doorway was my father. I saw a defeated looking shell of a person, who was doubled over, holding his side in pain, and looking at me with a vulnerability that left me speechless. I took his hand and went into his room. I asked my father what was wrong, and he said he had a severe pain in his lower right side in addition to lower back pain. He said that when he told the 'doctor' at the facility about the pain, he was told to start taking Tylenol on a regular basis. I brought my father into the dining hall as he told me that he had been unable to eat due to the pain. While at the table, an aide (?) came in with 2 pills in a small cup, and told my father that he needed to take them. As she walked away, I asked her what pills she was giving him. She glanced over her shoulder and said "Tylenol", and kept walking. I stood up, and told her that he needed some water in order to take the pills. She said "Oh, I don't have any water.", and again went to walk away. I then stood up, walked over to her and told her that she needed to get him some water so he can take his pills. She grudgingly left and came back with a small cup that was halfway filled with water, placed it on the table, and then again walked away without even waiting to see if he had any difficulty taking the pills. I then told my father that we were going to see whoever is in charge of basic care. I knocked on the door of the Wellness Center, and spoke with the woman in charge. I said "As you can see, my father is in severe pain, and has been like this for the last 2 days. I need someone to see him." In a bored, dismissive tone, I was told "I don't have time to see him, I am having someone discharged from the hospital." Struggling to control my anger and disbelief, I asked "Then what do you suggest I do?" She then said "I don't know. Maybe Urgent Care or an Emergency Room?" I then told my father to have seat in the office, and went outside to call my sister who lives in Virginia, and is a Registered Nurse. She told me to immediately take my father to the Emergency Room. I left The Arbors West at 2:00 in the afternoon and was in the Emergency Room until 2:00 am the next morning. The doctors told me that my father had a hernia. My father was then admitted to the hospital where he had to stay for over a week to address the issue. As with any elderly patient, my father had been dealing with “Transfer Trauma” when he arrived at The Arbors West. This trauma, the appalling apathy, lack of attention/empathy from the staff members, and the severe pain of a hernia are the reasons I had to see my strong, steady father looking utterly defeated, dejected, and terrified. This, I will never be able to forgive or forget. Can you imagine a 95 year old man in a new environment, scared, confused, dealing with the pain of a hernia, and getting absolutely no help or attention from the staff members? Needless to say, my father never want back. My siblings and I had already paid a substantial fee for a 1 month 'staycation' which is a term The Arbors West use for a 'trial' month to see if the resident and the family are comfortable with the facility. When we called and told them that my father would not be returning, they started with "Well, according to the contract...." We explained that the extenuating circumstances were enough to grant an exception and a refund was expected. After going back and forth, we were told that we would be getting a refund, but will be charged for every day that my father's belongings were in the room. My brother quickly cleared the room of his possessions that same day, and we waited for the refund check. When the check came, it was only for half of what we had paid for the month. We called and were told that it was probably an issue for the Accounting department, and they will look into it. As I write this, we are still awaiting the remaining funds. My father is now in an assisted living facility in Virginia. It has been about 2 weeks and his transformation to his old self has been remarkable. The care and attention from the staff members have made a huge difference, and he is progressing in leaps and bounds. I could not be more grateful or thankful for their efforts not only toward my father, but to all of the residents. They treat everyone like actual people, as opposed to faceless distractions that can be ignored due to the vulnerabilities that come with ageing; as was evidenced at The Arbors West. I am sickened and saddened by the indifference and neglect I witnessed at The Arbors West. My father, thankfully, has my sister and I completely invested in his well being, and we were able to remove him from such a degrading environment. My heart, however, breaks for the other residents who are not as fortunate. The Arbors West need to be held accountable for their actions. Their residents may not have the power to address this, but their loved ones certainly do. This will be the first of a series of steps I will be taking to make sure another person will not have to witness the atrocities, or experience the heartbreak that I did when visiting a loved one residing at The Arbors West. [Name removed]

We didn’t put my father there. The evaluation was a very bad experience overall.

I really am at s loss for words to describe my moms care at the arbors westbury facility. From The director to the aids there was blatant incompetence down the line. The director [name removed] has no training in this capacity and should not be in charge of a building and the people in it . The staff tries very hard but they are short handed constantly, which makes for very dangerous conditions for the elderly people living there. It’s unfortunate that ownership only cares about making money and not helping take care of people.

I would give no stars, but the most of the staff were nice and very helpful. My mother began her stay at The Arbors walking the hallway with a walker and enjoying conversing with peers and staff. Not even 2 months after her admission she was a shell of the person she was at admission. Her conversations consisted of one word answers, and most times she was incoherent. She was discharged to the hospital with dehydration and a UTI. Her basic needs were not being met. Water/fluids were not given to her a regular intervals; she was unable to obtain it by herself. She was overmedicated with an antianxiety medication; even though I had asked for the medication to be discontinued. As a matter of fact, it had been increased without my knowledge. Concerns were constantly being brought up to staff; my sister and I had to constantly be on top of mom's care. If your loved one only needs a place for supervision; if they can take care of themselves, then maybe this might be a good place for you. Mom was on the "Secure unit" and the care was horribly lacking. I have written to the Director regarding these issues and have not received any response.

Most front desk and some wellness staff are friendly and helpful. Many, including those in management, are not. The activities staff are friendly and caring and the activities are adequate. However, the overall management and care are unacceptable. At first glance, the place appears clean. However, the shared bathrooms (used by guests as well as residents) often smell horribly and are often soiled with fecal matter and urine. Housekeeping does not keep up well with cleaning in both private rooms (the few that I've been able to observe) and in some shared spaces. Wellness has made a series of different errors (some with serious consequences). Showering and dressing assistance are inconsistent and inadequate, resulting in poor hygiene and health concerns. Any concerns brought up to management are not addressed in a timely nor a professional manner. Calls and emails are not returned. Questions and concerns (including immediate health/safety issues) are not taken seriously nor addressed adequately. "Promises" to fix issues related to showering, dressing, laundry, wellness, health/safety, roommates, etc. are not kept. Over and over again the same issues arise. Employeee and management turnover rate is high. There is serious lack of communication among and between staff members. It's sad that people entrust their loved ones to a place that on the surface looks great, paying 4-star prices for 1-star service.