Eisenhower Center - South Main

Very poor buildings most old dirty and in disrepair . Most licenses on the wall are not up to date . They have licensed and unlicensed space in this same building be careful .This unit is for those who are very ill and need the most care. The clients there are great the nicest in the place Small rooms no individual heat or cooling controls Noisy little privacy . Staff can be very rude to unbelievably kind , helpful and amazing . I have seen the good ones volunteer free time to help clients and take money from their own wallets to assist them .

No supervisor is on call 24 hours a day clients can talk to in emergency when staff is making critical mistakes in care . They have a nurse on call but they will refuse to talk directly to clients and are stressed overworked . Staff often get things wrong as records are lost or not kept proper . They assume you don't know what is good for you . Talk down to you . Present their side of events only . They may lie its incredible but it happens everyone is scared for their job . They run you in circles it seems discourage you from attempting to get proper care . access to medications and Doctors . People on staff write up events if they don't like you they may make stuff up . i have never seen any environment like that . This is not a real assisted living environment .

They lost mail for weeks if not permanent . I know I lost a box , you couldn't count on their mail system . I almost didn't vote due to a absentee ballot sitting on someones desk for weeks then they went on vacation without forwarding it .

You have to walk outside to get to the dining room , therapies or anywhere for anything on campus very hard in winter or rain for the disabled . I saw clients in wheelchairs with no gloves or hat when pushed and waiting in lines its rough for some .

Phone system is restricted and you cannot transfer internally without going through staff . They often forget to take messages .Communication with the outside world is difficult .

Most clients do not have their own guardianship and cant leave so complaints are ignored and the place is not policed by normal market forces.

They made mistakes in my billing ..you tell them and they never correct as promised They run out of medications over and over so and you miss doses which can cause terrible suffering if dependent . I had medications prescribed and never filled EVER . They changed some medications to a medicare formulary that made no sense as medicare doesn't pay for mine ! . As I said before they miss-billed parties . I never understood what they were trying to do and was fighting just for my needed medications constantly . I waited many times up to a half hour to get meds and when your dosing 4 times a day its ridiculous . I have no trouble handling my medications with proper safeguards like a medication alarm and safe .

They just never tell you the rules you learn by word of mouth and things get twisted around until you align what you learn with whats expected .

They don't even talk these complaints out they bury them and treat you like your inferior . They expect you to forget treatment like this but it never gets better .

Food is healthy fare the only way you wont get fed is if your sick and cant eat fast enough or get to food . The most prevalent activities for clients are food, smoking and coffee . i

f your sick you have to be very visibly ill to get to a Doctor or help otherwise they consider it a " Behavioral issue " .

Night staff watch TV and play video games at all hours and talk close to sleeping areas . They were moving furniture and buffing adjacent floors at 4 am . Curfews are not enforced its one thing if people cant sleep and sit up quiet suffering with a staff member but not watching TV or listening to radios without headphones at 3 am . Staff members would not always help clients having trouble either . They were often afraid of clients . I was wondering why a Doctor would send anyone there it was very sad . Its a place families that don't want to deal with family members or Doctors upset because their medicine isn't working send problem patients . You don't want to go there if you dont have too . This is not really a simple assisted living environment . Its foster care for people with brain injuries .

They often get lost on activities or cancel them due to disorganization . Clients are sick so its hard to load them all at once . Supervision is very sketchy . Staff have poor driving habits and play music very loud . Vehicles have no window access except in front seats and are dirty ..

Personal counselors to client ratio is very high and the weakest link in the entire place . I don't know who is supposed to police this but they dont . In this unit currently the PC works 4 days a week is training , going to nursing school full time and caring for at least 30 or more clients it just doesn't get done . There is little time for comforting one on one sessions or none at all . Many people are not getting all they can out of the program its sad . Especially when they want to put back in rather then just take . Its management problems ,mistrust ,poor communication and disorganization . The clients in South Main are absolutely the best on Campus .

Most the staff say repeatedly they want to help you so it is very frustrating when things are so disorganized .Most really care but if your sick and that place has so little actual simple comforts to calm down pain . There are no proper chairs with high backs that support the neck and upper body anywhere until you get to the Apartment program and then few . No couches or recliners you can lay on in most sub units . They have no individual thermostats that work in rooms I never could establish a routine which is so important to someone disabled .

I was trying to do volunteer work to build a resume and they paid me for it . Even days I didn't do it ? I felt bad it took away my incentive . If they paid me later saying I did a good job but that's not what occurred . There just disorganized . I didn't even get my w-2 until March and having to call .

What made things even harder is there is no community room for the entire complex where clients can meet people who want to do the same things they do . Living groups are very small and often nobody can agree on a activity . Being able to at least get out on campus , drink some juice , have a healthy snack , talk and play a game would be very therapeutic . They have occasional events but they need a permanent coffee or juice bar for those that made all there therapies daily to meet friends from other units without invading the living spaces which are very small with small TV rooms only . There was nothing much there for me recreational because I couldn't transport out in crowded vans which their program depends on .

I never saw a Doctor monthly or the same one and was called by the wrong name at times by them . Had to fight to get my annual flue shot . No plan of care was ever put together for when I transferred out after 90 days . I never could take being transported by their staff in crowded vehicles . If your stable and are looking for a place where you can smoke , drink coffee and get to a few outings a week you may like this place if your indigent and cant do it on your own . You will make allot of new friends . Otherwise pass . They reported my temperature as 88 degrees at a performance review . They had to be joking but its not funny when your very ill suffering . Either way its scary . They keep saying their not doing this stuff on purpose . Who sane would report a persons average temperature for the month as 88 degrees ? I never did feel safe there . I saw people fall and did myself when it could of been prevented . Staff would run inside when it was cold leaving clients trailing to fend for themselves .They just are not client friendly with constancy not that they don't have some great staff . There is no supervision by management to instill it proper customer care . They truly don't understand in upper management what is going on there and middle management is buried covering up they cant keep up doing the job of 5 people juggling school , families and careers while trying to keep the place floating .

I will update as I still am involved with them if things change . I keep hoping as being part of a therapeutic community was my dream for years . The reality was devastating I expected a place like Bing Crosby Boys and Girls town . Keep the faith . This is not a assisted living its a behavioral institute for people with brain injuries and place where they evaluate people for lifetime care . What a shame so many talented people . There are some wonderful stories so maybe now others will write some and give them better marks .

They throw a nice Christmas Party but i would rather have a better community year round.

by Verified visitor, Mar 2009