Southwood at Norwell Nursing

Highlander2017

The needs and well-being of their residents are the top priority of every staff member we have met from the Administrator, Head of Nursing, Social Workers to their support staff. Their lines of communication with me has been excellent and I feel comfortable calling if I need guidance. After my dad transitioned from another facility, he feels very welcomed, happy, and secure in his new home. Because of the staff's encouragement, Dad now participates in a variety of activities offered daily. He was reticent at first to become involved, but now gladly makes sure his roommate comes with him. Especially during this challenging covid experience, Southwood has done a terrific job of making sure the residents and their loved ones stay connected. I am glad to have chosen Southwood and highly recommend it as a place to consider and to take their onsite or website tour.

Linda Perona

I want to thank every one at Southwood ! They made my moms life so comfy and happy I am thrilled that she spent her last years there ...so caring and helpful even thru the awful virus! With SOO many facetime visits so many friends, activities, even dining experiences..from watching Red Sox games in activities room to having farm animals visit (little pigs with diapers on) to the many concerts! I have never seen any thing bad there ever! Great Place and was so happy with her care there! Thank You so much! Linda Perona

PQuill

My mother has been in many rehab facility yes over the years following knee surgeries, shoulder surgeries, etc. This was by far the worst experience we’ve ever had. Each time I called I was often interrupted and spoken over; could barely get a word in. Nursing care was poor. After 3 days of Mom complaining and crying over ankle pain, following a recent fall that was documented in intake record, I had to insist on an X-ray, which confirmed a fracture. Her intake history also documented fluid in her lungs, which was ignored. I insisted she be transported to ER. Upon arriving in ER, they were alarmed by her breathing. An X-ray confirmed pneumonia. Please do not leave a loved one here. A neighbor of mine had similar experience with her husband. They had to remove him after a week of horrendous care. This place should be shut down.

Primo

I am so happy that Mom is living in this excellant, wonderfull Nursing Center. it is such a fabulous place Clean, friendly, helpful knowledgeable, and caring staff great nursing care and the activities there have her so busy she could not be happy ant where else! Just so thrilled to have her living there!!

DontGoToSouthwood

Let me preface this by saying that I have no legal guardianship of my relative who has been placed at this facility. This has caused me to lose a lot of sleep over his/her care there. The first thing you'll notice when entering the main reception area is the smell of urine, even though they don't allow residents on this floor. They really need to shampoo the carpets & upholstery here. Everything looks and smells dingy & outdated. The 2nd floor Buttonwood unit is chaotic and appears to be understaffed. One of the activity/dining rooms stinks to high heaven. During one visit, the tables there were sticky from residual food/beverages from a prior meal. Another activity room had wadded up paper towels on the floor during one visit--- and no one picked them up during the two hours I was there --- even though a resident might step on them and slip. My cousin was only being bathed once a week, in spite of occasional night time accidents caused by his/her medications and an inability to get out of bed fast enough to prevent them. This left him/her with an unpleasant smell and a high level of discomfort in between showers. It would be nice if they used medicated wipes to clean him/her properly and prevent rashes or bedsores/wounds. A few months ago, they had a respiratory infection outbreak that resulted in some of the residents being hospitalized. In spite of this, they not only admitted new residents to this wing during this time, they also had residents using public toilets where germs could be passed along to one another easily. The lack of hand sanitizer dispensers is not a good sign, either. Another section of the facility recently had a scabies outbreak --- this is a highly contagious skin disease caused by an infestation by the itch mite. The food is disgusting - processed, institutional mush --- lots of chicken nuggets, jello, pasta dishes. No one pays attention to my his/her dietary needs here. Although his/her belongings (clothing, toiletries, etc.) are all labeled, things keep disappearing. A few times s/he set off the alarm on his/her wheelchair --- it continued to go off for a good 2-3 minutes and no one showed up to turn it off. The alarms do not connect to any alert system in the nurses station in case the staff can't hear them. There are no cameras in the rooms, which is not great - because you want them to be able to monitor your loved one at all times in case someone falls. Medicaid probably agrees with my rating, as they recently downgraded the facility's overall rating and health inspections to "below average".

ford150

I have a family member currently at Southwood, Buttonwpod unit. I have to say that the care has been better then I anticipated. There are always a few bad apples, but as a whole they have been excellent. I believe it's the family's responsibility to be a presence and be involved as much as possible with care. I read in earlier comments that Yvette was a blessing, though she only fills in on Buttonwpod she is not a good nurse , I had actually thought she had been fired f for her lack of skill and lack of professionalism Plenty of great nurses at Southwood she is not one of them. All in all very please with this facility.

Nurseratchet2017

I am writing this review as a family member who has had a parent at Southwood multiple times over the past couple of years. My mom appeared to be in good hands especially when Yvette was her nurse. Yvette always took the time to answer my questions and go above and beyond without asking. My real concern is the social worker, Linda ( I believe that's her name). She presents as dissheveled and nervous. She did not provide me any guidance or even empathy as I was trying to organize my mom's life. Being able to compare experiences as my mom was there multiple times, Linda's ineptness never improved. To anyone looking at Southwood, the nursing is good, the rehab is good, but the social worker leaves a lot to be desired. Do your own research about taking your parents home from a nursing home - you'll learn more yourself.

Unfortunately

My mom just spent a month there on rehab floor. It wasn't till she got home that she told us about the attitude of one of the aids. She couldn't remember her name - only that she was younger and a little plump. Made her feel like she was a bother. Always looked unpleasant she told me. Said the therapists were great. Loved Yvette as well.

Misses1947

My mom was recently at Southwood for rehab. While she never looked dirty nor smelled bad when I came to visit, I wasn't overly impressed with the whole experience. The staff in the rehab department appeared to be helpful and tolerant of my mom's occasional rude outbursts and inappropriate behaviors. The nurses were sweet and Sonya, my mom's aide, could not have been anymore accommodating. My true complaint is the social worker. We had 3 meetings to discuss my mom's care, and my family and I did most of the legwork on our own. We really had no idea of what our mom was entitled to when she left Southwood, and Linda couldn't give us any inkling. She came across as apathetic and cold. She looked nervous when we met with her often not answering any of our questions. Luckily the transition to home has been fairly smooth, and the VNA has really shed some light on the services that will help mom stay at home. It would have been nice to have the information before her discharge to home. I think that would have made all of us feel a little bit better and more secure.

MissMarie123

I can not say enough about this facility and their amazing staff. My Grandmother was a patient from 8-9-12 to 9-10-12 and my Grandfather was a patient from 3-26-15 to 5-8-15. Our questions were always answered which helped allay any fears or concerns we had. They took the time we needed, we never felt rushed and they treated us like family. We have a large family, we had a lot of visitors and the nursing staff was patient with us and willing to give us all updates and teach us what we needed to know about each of my grandparents' care. The rehab team was excellent and we were able to obtain the knowledge and info we needed to be able to continue their care at home. Right when you walk in the building you are welcomed into a clean (home-like) environment. During both stays we were able to visit with our grandparents and use the outdoor areas which were beautiful and right off the unit. The food was good (I tasted some things myself) and both of my grandparents gained much needed weight during their stays. Nobody wants to have to go to “a nursing home”, but both experiences were excellent and we would choose this facility again in a heartbeat.

Stephanie 1971

My mother was recently placed on the rehab floor at Southwood. She is a tough woman to please and was very unhappy about the prospect of rehab and long term nursing care. Much to my surprise, she is really happy with the care she is receiving and has even agreed that it is time to make the transition to long term care after her stint at rehab is up. She wants to stay at Southwood and I think that speaks volumes. Every person we have encountered has been friendly, helpful and concerned. Lori, in admissions, is very nice and helped us understand the process. Rubi, her nurse, couldn't be sweeter and more caring if I hand picked her myself. Overall, we are extremely pleased.

DMD_ART

My 84-year old mother-in-law is currently at Southwood on the rehabilitation floor following cardiac surgery at St. Elizabeth's Hospital. We could not be any happier with her care. She is well taken care of and is getting her IV antibiotics daily and is getting proper meals and exercise. We look forward having her continue her stay in the long-term area once her rehabilitation stay is complete. Communication with Admissions Director, Lori has been outstanding during this difficult process.

disappointedinNorwell

Not what I thought it was going to be at all. The rehabilitation unit is depressing. There are patients sitting in wheelchairs by the nurses' station screaming out or sleeping. There is a t.v. room on that floor as well, and there are patients in there who were either asleep or yelling out. I found it quite difficult to find a staff member, and my experiences with them were mixed. Yvette was very helpful and seemed to be a great advocate for my mom. Crystal, on the other hand, was rude and acted as if she couldn't be bothered with me or my mom - she tried to hide her attitude but she failed. Linda, my mom's social worker, was, frankly, a joke. She could not answer any of my questions. She appeared antsy and kept stammering throughout our meeting. Her responses to my questions were vague and often overridden by other people in the meeting. She was late for our meeting, didn't apologize, and even called my mom by her wrong name. I remember the days when Southwood lived up to the nice facade and actually had competent staff and good care. My mom is not the first family member who has been there, but I will tell you, she will be the last.

Option

They don't deserve one star rather 0 I know a relative there and the staff on the second floor are horrible !! Nurses and expecially nurse director Dorthothy is very unprofessional she Was not concerned to care for my relative at all. She didn't answer questions she's racist and needs to be fired!! Her nurses don't work they just sit around the nurse station and talk to each other and neglect the patients. The director just lets them because she does the same thing I would never recommend this place

ejzuber

My mother is a resident at Southwood at Norwell Nursing Center, and I couldn't be happier with the care that she's received there. Every step of this difficult process - from working with Lori in admissions while my mom was still in the hospital to the day-to-day care that she receives from the nurses and aides - has been made easier by Southwood's exceptional staff. The facility itself is consistently clean, beautifully decorated and free of odors. The activity rooms are always busy, and the dining room is lovely. The patient rooms are fairly spacious, especially the bathrooms, and are nicely decorated (I was able to bring some pieces from home to make my mother's surroundings more familiar and home-like). That aside, the staff are what really make Southwood special. The nursing care is wonderful. They maintain frequent communication and are quick to contact me with any questions or issues. Staffing is consistent, making it easy to get to know nurses and aides quickly. It's perhaps because of that consistency that they also seem to be so aware and intuitive of their residents' needs - many times I've stopped a nurse or an aide to ask a question and was surprised by how aware they were of my mother's routine and how quick to deliver just the right response. There's so much more to say about this place than I can fit in a brief review. There's a lot of smiling from the staff that you pass in the halls. There are a lot of hugs for the residents. There are a lot of people who probably stay tucked away in back offices in other facilities, but at Southwood turn out to help deliver meals and cups of coffee and tea. There was a housekeeper a few weeks ago who knew my mother's name, who smiled and did a little dance with her in the hallway. If I had any remaining doubt about choosing Southwood, that sweet moment erased it.

Care25

Several months my family chose Southwood for our mother for a variety of reasons. We loved the facilities and location. From the beginning, the administrative staff worked hard to facilitate this difficult transition. Since that time, we have enjoyed our many visits. I greatly appreciate the care she is receiving.

mustanglov

My dad was at Southwood, unfortunately, as a hospice patient. My time reference was only several weeks. The staff there was extraordinary. They could not have been more attentive and accommodating. They all knew his name and would take extra time when attending to him to make sure he was comfortable. The building /setting is very nice and it's sometimes tough to look beyond the façade, as to what the staff is really like. However, I can only tell you that my family's experience was as positive as it could have been, despite obviously, adverse circumstances.

disgustedfamilymembe

Horrible place. Absolutely horrible. I cannot believe the lack of apathy and professionalism found at this place. I am so sorry to have put my loved-one there. The rehabilitation unit is disgusting....period. Nurses on that unit need a new career - asking them for help can be detrimental to YOUR health. The occasional eye roll and sigh from behind the nurses' desk was just sad...what were they doing when my dad needed some assistance? I had trouble understanding one of the nurses as his accent was so thick, and his co-worker could be heard talking about her boyfriend even when I was far down the hallway. I knew nursing homes were pretty bad, but this takes the cake. We'll be sure to take my dad home next time he is discharged from the hospital. At least my wife and I don't feel bothered to care for elderly people. Shame on you, Starr family.

msanborn

My mother in law was recently a patient here on the rehab unit after a brief illness. She loved her stay! The care she got from the CNAs and nurses was excellent and she felt well taken care of. The food was great and her private room was nice and clean, almost hotel like. The therapists worked with her daily and got her back up and walking. We were very satisfied with her car and would highly recommend Southwood!

anonymousfamilymember

Southwood at Norwell = NoGood at Norwell I will try to be as positive as I can about this facility, but I have a feeling my efforts will be in vain. First off, the facility is beautiful and presents really well when you enter through the main door. The smell is pleasant and the decor is striking - this is where it ends. My dad was a patient on the rehab floor sometime back. I was not a frequent visitor, but I did visit enough to have some sort of semblance as to how the unit operated. The nurses looked miserable, tired, and stressed; I did hear them complaining about the working conditions quite vehemently on one occasion. The patients on the unit appeared well-groomed, and I was happy to see therapists walking with patients and encouraging them. There were no foul odors, and the unit presented well aesthetically. Although the housekeeping staff NEVER smiled, they were working hard. After time, I realized that there was always a different nurse taking care of my dad, and the common answer I received when I inquired about his status was, " I don't know. I had the last couple of days off." Are there consistent staff up on this unit???? On one occasion, I walked onto the unit and could not find a single staff member. Nobody was around to help the gentleman who was standing at the central station with a package, nor the woman screaming out from the T.V. room/recreation room. The family meeting we had about my dad's progress was comical. The case manager, Linda, looked harried. She had difficulty getting her point across, and I left feeling like she really didn't have a grasp on his situation. Nursing, Kari, provided a brief synopsis of my dad's medical condition, and the physical therapists updated me on how he has done thus far. All in all, the meeting proved to be informative, but not worth me taking time off of work. We chose Southward because my sister-in-law's mother was there years back and the experience was pleasurable. I have a feeling that my dad's experience there was less enjoyable for him, and I believe the facility to be disjointed and poorly managed despite the beautiful facade.

MyClane711

The facility was beautiful, clean, conveniently located, and well staffed. Residents appeared happy. The facility was right off the highway and not far from the mall or the Norwell Council on Aging. While the staff appeared overall professional, we did suffer an incident in which my grandmother had been robbed of her diamond engagement ring from her late husband, my grandfather, just days before she died. We do not know if this was by a staff or visitor, but the situation was well handled by the management of the home.

prexxx37

In terms of amenities and facilities, Southwood seems to be about up to par with what you might expect from the average nursing home in a suburban area. The facility offers activities for residents such as bingo, musical performances, special holiday dinners and more. Overall, I would say the staff is my only complaint with the facility - my grandmother, a 96 year old woman who is mostly dependent on the staff for care, has dealt with several adverse events having to do with staff over the 5 or 6 years she has been a resident there. In one instance, it was discovered that the staff had gone so long without cleaning my grandmother's ears that she had developed a blockage of wax so severe that it affected her hearing; a doctor had to refit her hearing aid after removing the blockage. In other instance, a staff member left bruises on my grandmother's hip while helping my grandmother to dress in the bathroom. My grandmother described this as "a sort of push" because the staff member was "getting frustrated when I couldn't lift my arm all the way up to put my sweater on". This was reported and taken care of accordingly (I have heard of no problems since) but I have been on alert for any potential injuries since hearing about this incident. Most of the staff that I have encountered have been helpful and kind. I am hopeful that the incidents I've described were isolated cases and will continue to keep an eye on what goes on with my grandmother's care.