Brookdale Paddock Hills

I have mixed feelings about Brookdale Paddock Hills. The staff working directly in the memory care unit were generally kind, welcoming, and interactive with residents. My mother liked many of them, and Jill, the head nurse, communicated well with me. The common areas were clean, and the secure outdoor garden was a nice feature for family visits. Unfortunately, our experience with safety, overall well-being for my mother was extremely disappointing and it all stems from the administrator, Jeane'e. Before admission, I expressed concerns about my mother having a roommate because she could not afford a private room. Amanda, the sales director, assured me they would place her with a compatible roommate. During sales process, she was attentive, supportive, and reassuring and assured me they would work with my mother's budget needs. That changed after move-in. Afterward, Amanda told me she could no longer help me with any issues or concerns because it was not her job. On my mother’s first night, her roommate cried, screamed, and begged for help throughout the night. Staff openly stated they did not understand why the resident had not been given a hospital bed and acknowledged she had serious health issues. My mother was terrified and unable to sleep. Staff members told me they did not think this was an appropriate placement for my mom and said management knew the roommate was in hospice care and frequently distressed. This continued for days, leaving my mother emotionally exhausted and distraught. I repeatedly emailed the director, Jeane’e, requesting help, but received no response for days. When she finally responded, the only option offered was a more expensive private room, which my mother could not afford. After repeated emails and calls, my mother was eventually moved. Unfortunately, the second roommate situation was also difficult. The room constantly smelled strongly of urine and soiled diapers, and the bathroom was unsanitary and full of dirty diapers. The roommate screamed at my mother and our family members often. She would throw my mother's belongings and bedding on the floor, and steal personal items. My mother became afraid to leave the room because she worried her bedding would be thrown on the floor. She endured 24 hours of this behavior. The most unacceptable issue involved the bathroom. The shared toilet repeatedly clogged (by her roommate flushing non-flushable items) and sometimes remained unusable for up to 12 hours. On more than one occasion my mother had no bathroom access for extended periods and ultimately had accidents because she could not access a toilet. It was humiliating for her and completely unacceptable. Staff members in memory care acknowledged these issues but repeatedly stated that only Jeane’e could address them. I continued emailing her documenting the concerns and again received no response. The final straw was receiving a call informing me that my mother had accidentally been given another resident’s full daily medication regimen. They told me they would withhold her own medications that day and monitor her. We were lucky that it did not seriously affect her or kill her. What frustrated me most was the difference between the promises made before admission and the lack of responsiveness afterward. Once contracts were signed and fees were paid, our concerns about my mother’s safety, mental health, and living conditions were ignored. Residents in the assisted living section appeared happy, and I do believe some staff members genuinely care. However, our memory care experience was not safe or sustainable, and management was unresponsive to repeated requests for help and safety and were only concerned about payments. They are a for profit company, but they should be held to a higher standard.