Highland Assisted Living Center

DO NOT even consider this assisted living facility as an option for your
loved one. First of all, Azzy and Paula Reckless no longer own this
facility-Azzy and Paula are wonderful, caring owners to the residents
and staff of the facilities that they do own. Highland Assisted Living,
also known as Village View, 1 Grove St. Highland, NY 12528, 845-691-
8399, RN Administrator Sherri Brittain, Owners: Issaic and Steven and
It is filthy, run down, constantly infested with bugs, mold throughout
the building, especially the kitchen where resident's food is prepared,
there are diabetics that are improperly cared for to the point of
swelling that causes open wounds and no wound care treatment,
residents that are extremely disabled, physically and psychiatric,
including severe dementia, that need a higher level of care and have
rooms with direct access to unlocked exits to outside of the facility and
have been found lost and wandering around the streets, sometimes
walking in the middle of a busy highway. There are residents that
require nursing home attention and/or specialty care and are
neglected. RN Administrator of the facility does not seem to have any
knowledge of common geriatric illnesses, does not investigate
concerns or complaints by staff or residents. There have been
unexplained marks, cuts and burns on residents that have been
unexplained and disregard. Residents that have required sudden
emergency assistance have waited up to 6 hours before 911 was
called. There are residents that are wheelchair bound and physically
CANNOT transfer on there own, they are not informed on medical
illnesses or medications even when they have questioned their own
health/meds, are not showered/bathed, are made to sit in urine-
soaked diapers and clothes because the staff will wait until bedtime
as to only have to change them once. Staff is not informed about
resident's communicable diseased/viruses/infections, residents leave
the facility to drink alcohol heavily, return known to be very intoxicated
and still given heavy duty narcotic medications by medication staff,
there are "medication techs" alone in the med room that are not even
certified to dispense medication. Staff that have voiced concerns are
either disregard or eventually terminated. There has recently been 2
deaths at that facility which could have been possibly avoided if
administration had investigated some staff concerns on those
residents, which they did not. 6 month re-certs are not done, care plans
have not been updated, medical records including current diagnoses,
illnesses and medications are never updated, which is why a resident
that needs to go to an ER has to wait for the RN to actually find and
update the records on that individual so the facility does not get cited.
DOH has failed them numerous times, but allowed time to "correct"
the citations, which is basically destroying and/or hiding info and
documents. The facility uses a run down, sewage filled, water
damaged, ant, spider, bedbug, rodent and sick stray animal infested
house on the owner's property for storage of confidential records and
documents, resident belongings and resident food that is actually then
served to them. This "storage" is unknown to the NYS DOH. Residents
who have contacted the ommbudsman have been reprimanded and
then intimidated into taking back any complaint or question. Resident
finances are mishandled, residents that have over the $2000.00
allowable to be kept in their facility financial account mysteriously
disappear, and strangely turns up in a private facility account and the
only records of that are at the main office, PSJJ Management, 28
Whispering Willows Rd. New Jersey. Petty cash and company credit
cards are mishandled by the administrator, has put certain employees
in the position to pay out of pocket for facility costs-without
reimbursement. One employee put out close to $1000.00 for facility
necessities when administrator unexpectedly took a leave of
absence-with all of the petty cash, and the employee was then never
reimbursed. Aby employees that were required to use their own
vehicles for any sort of driving for the job was not given gas
reimbursement, yet there were plenty of gas receipts for personal gas
use by the administrator, who rarely drove for the facility. There are so
many awful, cruel, disgusting things that go on at this facility and it's
appalling that it has been allowed to continue, and how DOH waits for
the facility to fix there citations before there final report just because
the Operations Director, Owners and Administrator
have "understandings" and "certain relationships" with DOH
investigators that do the annual inspections. Employees are
underpaid, some overworked due to the downright laziness and
disregard for human life of other employees. In 1 week, about a year
ago, I witnesses an employee commit at least 6 serious violations
that had put residents in either immediate or potentially immediate
discomfort and/or danger. There are some resident rooms in which the
resident, if in bed, has no access to their emergency alarm. In one
incident, a resident with known dementia and walking disabilities was
moved from his first floor room to an upstairs room. When tried to
use the staircase, had a bad fall, was not properly examined, 911 was
not called. The resident was then bed bound due to pain due to broken
ribs and was not sent to an ER for 4 days. The facility is run under the
agency "Golden Care," which has recently been under the "Legal
Notice" section of the newspaper, under investigation. PLEASE, if you
care about anyone who needs assisted living, not only do not even
waste your time even calling, but also inform others who inquire about
this place.

— Verified visitor, Oct 2011