Martha And Mary Health Service

I am writing to share my family's experience a week ago, Saturday March 30, 2013, when we attempted to have a tour of the facilities at Martha & Mary in Poulsbo. Due to the ineptitude of their staff the experience was a complete disaster.

On Monday, March 18, I spoke with the director of social services, to whom I was directed to make tour arrangements. I was very specific that we wanted to see all facilities, including independent and assisted living facilities. (Note: At NO TIME during this conversation did the social services director advise me that there are no assisted living services at the Poulsbo location.) She advised that the person I should ask for on Saturday March 30 would be a specific manager. She also asked if we could be there by 1:30 p.m. (earlier than I had requested) in order to allow for enough time for the tour. I said we would do our best to get there early.

On Saturday March 30, we arrived at Martha & Mary at about 1:20 p.m., expecting to see everything that might be appropriate for my mother, expecting to be able to have our questions answered, and expecting to be able to go over the financials for every option. Not unreasonable expectations by the family of a prospective resident one would think.

The manager that we were told to ask for was clearly not expecting to conduct a tour and our request/arrangements had NOT been communicated to her by the social services director. Not only that, she told us she had NEVER done a tour before. It went downhill from there. She took us downstairs to the rehab facilities and showed us around; unable to answer questions without referring to a fact sheet. We asked about seeing the assisted living facilities, and initially she said she had to call someone. After we sat waiting for a good 20 minutes, she told us there are none at the Poulsbo location. So we asked about seeing the independent living facilities and we were told we could not because there was no one available there who could show us around.

Three of us work in the health care field. I work in HR for a mental health facility, my husband is a master's degree in psychotherapist, and my brother is a licensed clinical social worker and MSW who has worked for a nursing home. We did not appreciate the unprofessional, incompetent manner in which we, a prospective resident and her family, were treated by the staff at Martha & Mary.

by JC Patton, Apr 2013