Preakness Healthcare Center

Squeeg1

My mother has been a resident here for about 4 years and will probably continue to be a resident for the rest of her life or the life of the establishment. When she first moved to this facility I was concerned. The first home she was in had major ups and some real major downs and I was very afraid this place could be worse. They just remodeled the whole facility and it is beautiful inside and out. The walk from the parking lot to the building is long and for someone like me with 3 very small children quite a hindrance. The bedrooms for the residents are very large though they would be nicer if they were private rooms not shared with a room mate. They seem to have picked good room mates for each resident so everyone gets a long really well cause there is nothing worse than a bad room mate. Each resident is given their own TV with cable included. A telephone is extra. My mother says the food is much to be desired. Most of the time I come to visit she requests I bring her food or I catch her eating junk food from the vending machines. Let's face it though, most of these places do not come with a 5 star chef! The important part is that the residents are receiving healthy meals, even if you can't force them to eat at least it's available. I do wish there was more staff available. Every time I need to speak with a staff member it takes me 15 minutes to track someone down in this huge building. Most of the time my mother is still in bed at 1pm which is ridiculous and only bathed twice a week. Leaving her in bed this long has given her painful bed sores which have become infected. I have argued with the staff a thousand times and nothing has changed. Infrequent bathing is a huge issue too, again they tell me they are under staffed. Well, hire more people! They don't and won't. They do make sure she looks her best for holidays and for that I am grateful. Now if they could treat every day like a holiday this facility would be 80% to a perfect place. They also usually do not have her ready in time for any of us family members to take her out so we make sure to come 30 minutes early cause we know we are going to have to wait. They do have a hair stylist and someone who does manicures every so often which is a really nice treat for my young mother of 47. They have movies, games, and crafts for not just the residents but for something fun to do when family comes to visit. The garden is beautiful and my kids love picking flowers for their grandma and running around outside when we come to visit. I can take my mom outside for a cigarette whenever I want but the staff is only available to take her out twice a day. She had an accident occur and she is no longer privileged to go outside on her own. This incident happened over 2 years ago and I wish she could earn the privilege back. This would make my mother much happier. They take the residents shopping sometimes and on other trips outside of the facility. I think this is wonderful. They also have transport for doctors appointments and other medical needs. This facility does take fantastic care of all my mother's medical necessities promptly and efficiently. Her health is most important after all. All in all, I would recommend this facility and are very happy that I was wrong to have doubts in the beginning. I thank them kindly for taking good care of my mom!

Michelle5

While not perfect, I believe the staff made what would have been a very bad situation better. Many staff members genuinely cared about my mother, who was a resident for 8 years until she passed away. If not for the careful monitoring of certain nurses and aides, she certainly would have passed away sooner. There were definitely complaints about roommates and food over her life there, but these were typical of a group home facility and not terribly different then you'd find in a college freshman. The facility was relatively clean, there was room for improvement but it wasn't disgusting. There were some exceptional aides who really took the time to get to know my mother and care for her. The biggest problem is that they were understaffed - there just wasn't enough staff to go around. But the attention when they were there was generally quality.

Lisa Kisch

After visiting many nursing homes, we placed my quadriplegic sister at Preakness Healthcare Center. We immediately appreciated the amazing staff whose personal attention given to each and every resident is remarkable. My sister and her room are kept scrupulously clean. The staff's honest compassion for the residents creates a happy, family like atmosphere. Monthly trips to go shopping or out to restaurants are among the residents' favorite activities. You will often find residents and their families enjoying the game room, library or courtyards. Preakness Healthcare communicates often with the families, immediately alerting us to even the slightest health concern. They encourage and invite families to participate in the residents day to day life, as well as the many special events offered by the facility. It is so wonderful to see my sister happy and zipping around the facility in her special wheelchair, enjoying her life to the fullest.