Skyline Healthcare Center - San Jose

Arthur L.

I was admitted to Skyline Healthcare Center, room 410, on November 17, 2020, following flap surgery on August 20, 2020, at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center on my left trochanter to close a decubitus ulcer. I am a T-4 paraplegic, complete, paralyzed from the chest down with no function or sensation. I was using a Foley catheter and I have a colostomy. I was required to lay on my side or back for nine weeks following surgery to ensure that the surgery was successful. Following that, I was to start transferring into my wheelchair for 30 minutes a day, increasing the time I spent in my wheelchair every two days until I was able to tolerate three hours in my wheelchair without any skin redness. A series of poor care ensured: 1. Incision site wound was to be cleaned twice a day per surgeon’s instructions. Skyline has only one treatment nurse (wound care nurse), who was on site only five days a week (which five varied from week-to-week) and did not always clean my wound when she was on site. The wound care nurse said the floor nurse should clean the wound and the floor nurse said the treatment nurse should clean it. 2. I required a bed mattress that has rotating air pressure underneath my lower body to reduce pressure on the incision site. I was provided with an air mattress that had horizontal air cells that rotated air pressure. I did not become aware of this until I was able to sit up in bed, five weeks after being admitted to Skyline. This was not the type of mattress prescribed by my surgeon. 3. The mattress was too long for the bed, resulting in bunching of the mattress at the foot of the bad. A “new” mattress was brought in on October 10 which was no better than the existing mattress. It took maintenance workers two days to figure out how to lengthen the foot and head of the bed to accommodate the mattress. 4. The air mattress was non-functional when fully inflated and I requested to have my air mattress from home brought into the facility. A group of managers met, and I was told that I was not allowed to bring in my own mattress. The following day, the maintenance manager told me that the mattress could be brought in and he would clean it. Typical lack of coordination at Skyline. 5. Following surgery, I had a J-P drainage tube that allowed drainage to be suctioned out of the surgery site if the soft plastic ball was squeezed. Eventually the drain no longer worked and when I asked the nurse if it should be replaced, her response was, “We’re not a hospital and don’t have those supplies.” 6. I take Clonidine four times a day and a note on the computer underneath the medications states to take my blood pressure and not give me the medication if my blood pressure met a certain threshold. This was rarely done. 7. The blood pressure cuff was not cleaned between patients. 8. Half of Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) did not understand English well enough to perform some of the most basic tasks. I was repeating myself, pointing, making gestures with my hands, and any other method of communication. 9. I had to request medications that the nurses missed bringing into my room on a frequent basis. 10. Sore on right foot was discovered on October 5. It has not healed to date. 11. Urinary tract infection due to improper care of Foley catheter on October 29. 12. Most of the staff did not wear their employee badge where it could be seen, and if it could be seen, the print was small, and it was black text against a dark green background. Nurses and CNAs would typically come into the room and say, “I’m your CNA for tonight” and not tell me their name. I was moved to room 207A on November 12. 1. This was another room for three people which made performing routine tasks difficult. 2. Two patients already in the room were coughing consistently all day long. I told the nurse to get me out of the room because I did not know why they were coughing and if they were infectious. No response. 3. Call button was not working. A makeshift call button was installed at 5:30 PM, when the maintenance workers had to go home. 4. I had requested a new CPAP face mask cushion on the second day that I entered Skyline. I was told that I would have to pay for it. This item is covered by Medicare. I ordered a new cushion and paid for it out of pocket. On November 12, a respiratory therapist brought me a complete CPAP face mask. 5. Room 207 has a sliding glass door out onto a patio area that is designated for smokers. The glass door did not close all the way and I and my roommates were breathing in second-hand smoke. A skilled nursing facility should be a non-smoking campus, especially when the desires of the smokers override the health of non-smokers. 6. The sliding glass door was not sealed with tape until November 18, after I tracked down anyone I could to tell maintenance workers to seal the door. 7. I found out on November 12 that I was put into a unit for people with dementia. I am fully cognizant, and it did not occur to me that I was put in this intolerable situation. I had a roommate that talked to himself all day long. Patients were yelling in the hallway. 8. Two televisions were in the room, both located next to the third bed in the room, with the sound coming out of the televisions. I was constantly increasing the volume on the television so that I could hear it and my roommate would do the same. 9. On November 16, I initiated the process to go home as soon as was medically feasible because of the intolerable conditions in my room. 10. A typical night was dinner at 6:00 PM and then another three hours to brush my teeth, have my colostomy bag emptied (up to 1.5 hours after pushing the call button), and positioned to go to sleep. 11. Multiple CNAs would come into the room to answer my request for help and would tell me that the CNA was on break or helping other patients. CNAs would not help me if they were not assigned to me. 12. Shortage of CNAs and CNAs who knew how to empty my colostomy bag. 13. On November 13, my call light would not turn off. The solution was to turn off the call lights to all the rooms in the row of rooms that I was in. Big safety violation. I was given a small bell to ring if I needed help. 14. Continuous problem of no towels and/or wash cloths. No delivery of linens on Sunday because no showers were given on Sunday. 15. I gave the Director of Nursing, Jennifer; the administrator, Josephina; and the social services supervisor a list of complaints (see attached up to November 18) on November 19. The social services supervisor came to my room to acknowledge receipt of the list and agreed with my concerns but would not move me out of the room. She said, “This is good information for future patients.” 16. Patients were put in the hallway with no masks because they did not know any better. 17. I was discharged on November 26. My wallet was in a safe in the social services office. Because this date was a holiday, nobody could retrieve my wallet. I had to return the following day to retrieve my wallet. 18. I entered the facility with three prescription medications and two over the counter medications that were given to a nurse. When I retrieved my wallet, I asked the social worker for my medications. She said that the nurse on the unit I was in was a floating nurse and did not know where to look for my medications. I have not received my medications to date. 19. Nurses would consistently bring in my medications and then leave before I took the medications. This is poor nursing practice, if not a violation of nursing standards, even if I am cognizant and knew how to take the medications.

Lisa Child

Skyline is a great place for your loved one to be looked after. Leni, Fe, the nursing staff and Dr Frederick are kind, competent and truly care for their patients. My father could be very difficult at times due to his dementia progressing, but the staff treated him with compassion and understanding. He had a hip replacement and they were quick to spot if something was wrong and get him checked out. I highly recommend Skyline.

Mary

I found Skyline Healthcare Center for my mother. I'm really not happy with it, because we can't visit or anything, and lately I've been having a hard time communicating with them to talk to her on the phone. It's hard to communicate with the staff, but I did see my mother recently. I went there, I was brought to the window, but there is no phone, no nothing, and we just try to read lips. There's no outside facility where I need to wear a mask and visit. The price is fair enough so far.

Shirley Young

I do not know why this place has bad reviews. In my situation they saved my husbands life 5 times over the course of two months. I found the staff friendly and caring and helpful. The facility is amazingly clean and bright for its size-they serve over 250 patients or more. The physical therapy is very adequate and the food was much better than the hospital food. For this type of facility I'd give it 5 stars. End of life or nursing care is a touchy business-so many emotions running through our minds. But I always found empathy and even laughter there.

loca55

If your family member needs rehab to walk...do not send them here! My Aunt was suppose to have received therapy, well now she dont ealk cause all they do put a diaper on them, keep them on chair or in bed..take your love one home and give them therapy yourself!!!!

Katie O

My husband was in there for 11 days. The staff was very caring (especially the CNAs),but were very overworked. The physical therapy was terrible! After 11 days they still didn't have him standing or walking. Our doctor suggested we move him and we did. After 2 days in the new facility, he was standing with some assistance and walking with assistance! Don't let this happen to your loved one!! Go somewhere else.