NHC Fort Sanders

Longtime resident

Facility was good a few years ago. Staffing was short and turnover was often. Staffing was more intent on supporting each other than patients and family.

Rhonda

My mother is in NHC Fort Sanders. She's been there for a while, but she'll be transitioning to long-term care. What I like best is it's close to Fort Sanders Hospital, and I like the level of care that they provide. I'm there most days to visit and while I'm there, I see how they care for the patients. I'm very impressed with their therapy and their equipment. They have several workout rooms there at the facility for the people. They have a full line of care there. The second and third floor is for the long term. They have a lot of opportunities there for different levels needed for different patients, though sometimes, they can't get to everyone at the same time to clean. They have an outdoor facility. They have activities like a center for the patients.

Laura B. Lockett, FNP

My father in law has been at NHC Fort Sanders for 2 weeks after hospitalization for his third stroke. I am impressed by the cleanliness of the facility and lack of foul smells that occur with chronic incontinence. He is very grouchy but still getting excellent care with the VERY patient and caring staff, especially the physical therapy team, who he literally curses with entire sentences of four letter words. As a medical provider I am well-versed with the “difficult” patient. He is the definition of a difficult patient, but is treated with respect and kindness as well as clinical expertise.

Kelly Rusk

My father was placed at NHC Fort Sanders after another short stay in the hospital. He was in his 17th year with Parkinson's mostly cared for at home by my mother. NHC was pushing us for a new facility to move him to for long-term care. Rehabilitative care was not possible, therefore no more Medicare. His calling-out behavior had progressed. He was being denied by every facility with skilled nursing care. He was no longer mobile. My mother discussed moving him to the only dementia-accepting assisted living facility in Knoxville, but then she decided they could not adequately take care of him either. She told Alexis at NHC he would have to stay there for long-term care, private pay until another facility would take him. Shortly thereafter, on Valentine's Day, my father called my mother to tell her he loved her, to talk, and wish her a Happy Valentine's Day. That evening my mother was called and told that my father had fallen. NHC said they checked him out and he was okay, they told her. He was not taken to a hospital. He was in a wheelchair in the hall asleep the next morning when my brother came by to check on him, not knowing of the fall the previous night. He did not wake Dad and went on to work. Later that day my brother called me to say that Dad had been intubated at University of Tennesseee Medical Center. UT had contacted someone in the family to tell us Dad was there and that he was unresponsive. No one from NHC Fort Sanders called my 83-year-old mother nor any of us seven local children. NHC also did not send any paperwork with my father to the emergency room, I was told. My father did not recover. Eight days later he died at UT Medical Center. These are the facts and they should speak for themselves and perhaps my father, as well as those considering such a place.

Safe Facility

After a recent visit to this center I was very impressed with Covid-19 safety. They took every precaution to protect their patients. Mask were required and face shields if you were in patient care areas. The Director of Nursing was conducting weekly test on all staff. I felt very safe in this nursing home. Great Job NHC Fort Sanders

Caretaker101

My uncle was here for 5 years. He loved it, loved the church service, activities, food, staff everything. He said he was not going back home. Yes there is a slight problem with staff, they dont keep call light within reach or keep the water mugs filled (so a lot of uti's) but overall no regrets with him living his final years at NHC Ft Sanders. I never hesitate at telling the staff how I felt when something was not right, and they fixed it. No problem Would recommend