Kirkwood Manor

Elaine R

I have a dear friend there, my former neighbor. I visit her a couple of times a week. My skin crawls every time I enter there. The place is dark, quiet, and is completely lacking in joy of any kind. My friend complains bitterly about the food and and isn't eating. Nobody cares. She doesn't get taken outside at all for fresh air and sunshine. Worst of all, the staff apparently is too busy to help her with her hearing aids and so we all have to scream at her when we talk. She lies in her bed, in a dark, drab room, every day either staring out the door at those passing buy or at the ceiling...waiting to die. From what I've observed, this place is the worst! Our elderly deserve love, respect, and compassionate care. Even the garbage gets taken outside once a week,,,

Carolyn

My uncle was a resident of Kirkwood Manor for more than 3 months, and he was unhappy there. His room looked like a shared hospital room with a curtain pulled between the beds. If he reached out, he would have probably touched the bed next to him. That's how close together they were there. He was kind of in the darkest room and he complained to me about the staff being rough with him. They were very understaffed. They never took him anywhere. He stayed in bed all the time. Almost 9 out of 10 times that I visited him, he was laying in bed in a hospital gown and not even dressed for the day. The overall atmosphere of the facility was depressing. It was dimly lit, they didn't have enough workers, and they didn't have a lot of attention to the patients. I wasn't happy with them at all.

E

My sister is at Kirkwood Manor. The place looks very nice and clean, and it does not have any odor. I've been in some that are really bad. My sister was not happy when she was put in a 14-day quarantine, but I know it is for her safety as well as for the other patients. She does feel like they answer quickly enough, and she worries if she has an emergency. The staff has always been very nice when I go there. As a matter of fact, they're a little overly nice which makes me kind of uneasy to be honest with you. They seem to have our best interest in mind, but I don't know. Maybe it is just me. I just expect too much. They seem to be short-staffed. Sometimes I'll ask questions and they don't know what I am talking about. I take down names. One time I said, "Well, you know Marie is supposed to be the supervisor there." They said "No, the supervisor is so and so." I think it was a gentleman. I said "What about Daniella? She was the receptionist" and they said "I don't know her. " That is when I asked them if they even communicate. I know they say she works this shift and I work that shift, but surely they must cross paths at one time or another. I had to get my sister a cellphone because I had the hardest time trying talk to her on the phone that belonged to the facility. Her care seems to be good, and the staff is very nice. I guess it is just in my old age, I have become suspicious of people. They are just like overly, overly nice. The staff being overly nice and not quite informed, just makes me uneasy. My sister is happy there, though. Her room is very small, and they got two people to the room. When you first walk in, there is a restroom to the left-hand side and a closet to the right-hand side. It belongs to both residents in the that room. It makes it inconvenient for my sister when she is trying to sleep, and the other person is doing stuff over in that side. She is closer to the door where the restroom and the closet are at. Sometimes the lady is up in the middle of the night and it disturbs my sister, but she is learning to live with it. They can both have a dresser in there, and they can both have their own TV. She has a little nightstand and right now that is all she has because I have not taken her dresser to her. I've never taken a tour. It seems like something is always going on, and I cannot go in there which I do not like. I do not like that I have to make an appointment to visit. I think a nursing home should be open at all times. I think I should be able to visit whenever I want to, without letting them know ahead of time because I know what happens if you let them know ahead of time - they clean up stuff. I know they have bingo, craft sessions, and stuff like that on different days. They give them a chart every month to let them know what is going on. Every once in a while, they have Facetime where you can through to facility phone and talk Facetime with relatives. The reason we got our sister a phone is so we could do it whenever we wanted to. I have not really seen much. I go in the front door and they lead me to her room and that is it. I've seen the lobby and it looks nice clean. As you walk, the reception is to the right. Walking a little further, there is a lobby, where you can sit down. Walk a little further to the left, there is a restroom. Then you walk further in and there is the activity room or the cafeteria. If I go to the left, I go to her room. And that is all I have seen. I may request a tour, but it seems like there is never enough people to be able to request that. My sister is not very happy about the food.

Cayers42

Please do not allow your loved one to go Kirkwood Rehab. My husband was there only because my mother was a nurse there for many years. The rooms are small, they took a private room and made it into two rooms. The nutrition leaves a lot to be desired. How in the world can a kitchen slap chopped up turkey and throw it on plain bread and call it an open faced sandwich? Really. Most of the staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Some of the staff take it upon themselves to do what they want to do and not what is best for the patient. If you are anywhere in New Braunfels for wound care, run, run as fast as you can from here. This town has become a cesspool on wound care. There is no way a stage four ulcer can be called a scratch, but that is what one of the wounds was called. They took my husband from being infection free upon arrival to being sepsis and having to be sent back to San Antonio. The wound care team lacks so much knowledge, the reason being is they are complacent and no desire to excel. The follow through is so bad, they put alot on a family member to do their job. I as a family member of someone who was here, will be filing complaints with Medicare. Many complaints. Do your loved one a favor and not let them go to Kirkwood period.

je white

My older sister has been a resident since 03/16. She loves being at Kirkwood Manor. She participates in as many activities as she can. The residents play Bingo, and win prizes. They have talented musicians come in and sing for the residents.The residents have ice cream socials and there is a room where you can watch TV or just visit with each other. The staff is "all hands on deck" when it comes to the care they provide. I would definitely strongly recommend this facility.

Jesus

We chose Kirkwood Manor for my mom because it looked really nice and the reviews online looked pretty good. We're pretty satisfied. The staff is pretty good. Sometimes they get busy, but if you ask them to do something, they eventually get to it and they do their best. They have a lot of activities going on, like on Fridays the Catholic church comes and they do communions and they preach. The residents also play Bingo and they have an activity room. Everything is included, so there's no extra cost.