Many people have written telling us what to look for when seeking a nursing home for your loved one. As a daughter who has a mom currently in a rehabilitation center, Whitehall of Boca Raton, Florida located at 7300 Del Prado Circle South, I am going to take a look at the differences between nursing homes and rehab facilities and give you some tips that have helped me personally.
Whitehall once was a nursing home. Their name on all their paperwork is Whitehall of Boca Raton. Yet when I went searching for it I saw it listed as Whitehall Boca Raton Nursing Home.
Nursing homes provide long-term care for patients who may never leave. Sometimes as was the case of Boca Manor in Boca Raton, Florida, the nursing home has a wing for rehabilitation patients. My mom was in Boca Manor many years ago when she fell and broke her hip. Boca Manor was short on staff; short on empathy, and short on patience.
My mom fell at the end of January and was sent to Whitehall on February 3. I didn’t check it out because I was told by relatives that it was said to be good. It is good though not faultless. One of the first things I noted was that unlike Boca Manor there weren’t residents sitting in the halls crying to go back to their rooms. During that time I asked staff if I could take a patient back to his or her room and was brushed off and told that “She always does this.” I mentioned this to the staff at Whitehall and was reassured that would never happen. Other than a 12 day reprieve recently for a vacation in London I was in this rehab for 8 hours a day and have been impressed with their care.
Tips as a loved one/caretaker
1. Make yourself known. There are many patients who have no one and it’s very sad. I’m lucky that I don’t work or have children at home so I can spend this much time at Whitehall. There are two floors with two wings on each floor. The charge nurses know me; the resident coordinator knows me; the physical and occupational therapists know me; the social workers know me; the dietician knows me and perhaps most important the Director knows me. I have called him twice. The first time to let him know my mom was on a bedpan for 40 minutes and the second time to tell him that Whitehall would be providing me with physical therapy if I continued to be the “aide” who picked my mom up from the bed to her wheelchair or walker. Both incidents were looked into and rectified with an apology. Things got better….for awhile.
2. Take care of yourself. There is a fitness room in our condo in Florida which I use. Years ago I connected with a Yoga studio that I like very much. Each night I write which I find cathartic. I knit. My knitting is always with me. Still I find that I’m not eating as well as I should and I am exhausted. If you can afford to pay an aid a few hours a couple of times a week do so. Go to the movies; go shopping; get a manicure; meet friends.
Connect with hairdressers, dentists and other necessary people in your life. I have to have my teeth cleaned every three months. Rather than miss my appointment in Massachusetts I will see the hygienist at a dentist’s office I have been to in the past.
What makes Whitehall good?
1.The facility has a great recreation department. This was lacking at Boca Manor nursing home. Almost every day my mom plays Bingo. Almost every day there is an hour of music. There are jewelry making sessions, nail care sessions and lectures on heart care, diabetes, etc. There was a fair one weekend with food and great information from vendors. They show movies and provide pet therapy. In fact your dog can come visit!
2. The staff listens. They don’t always remember but at least there is a realm of belief in the staff. However, my mom has a wound on her foot and one on her calf. They are causing her to regress. She is being followed by a wound doctor but these wounds are now infected and I’m not sure what to do. I am an advocate by training. If I don’t know what to do then others are really in need of help.
3. The facility is clean. Wastebaskets are constantly being cleaned; the rugs are washed once a week; everyone with whom we come in contact (staff) smells good as does Whitehall.
4. There is a nice patio with tables for fresh air. They have tea parties out their when weather is nice. None of this took place at Boca Manor. My mom stayed in her room all day except for physical therapy.
5. Whitehall is known for its excellent physical and occupational staff. My mom was making incredible progress until these wounds. I was quite impressed with how far she had come and had anticipated an April 2 discharge. We are now up to April 30.
6. There are food choices which make eating at Whitehall not a horrible experience. At Boca Manor we paid for an upgraded menu so my mom would eat. She had been at another nursing home where she went on a hunger strike. I found Boca Manor which, though awful, had food she would eat.
7. Anytime something medical comes up such as a cut on my mom’s hand Whitehall must call a family member which they do.
What makes Whitehall bad?
1. The staff doesn’t come as quickly as we would like. They meet the standards of ratio of patients to staff but they don’t go above that standard. The charge for a semi-private room is $238.00 a day, which Medicare will cover. The length of time they will cover it depends on your plan. The private rooms are $100 a day more which you will pay out of pocket.
2. There is lack of communication among staff. There are team meetings every Wednesday which is great but in between that time things happen and it isn’t always communicated to other staff. For example she had an immobilizer on her leg. Her physical therapist had suggested that she not wear it for periods of time to let her leg breath. That was never communicated to the nursing staff resulting in another wound on her leg!
3. There is no facility for family members or visitors to have a cup of coffee of get some food. We are told that if we call the kitchen two hours in advance we can pay for lunch ($7.00) but I would prefer a cafeteria/café of some sort.
4. The staff can be rough. I do understand that they are underpaid and overworked but my mom is a frail 78 year old. When she is treated with less than 100% dignity or less than 100% gentleness it makes my blood boil. I have gotten calls from her at 10:00p.m. that when Melrose was changing her heel bandage they were too rough – almost spiteful. In fact before the staff realized how bad her wound was and that she had a second one Melrose accused my mom, who rarely complains, of “not tolerating pain well.”
5. Whitehall of Boca Raton needs more parking!
In Summary
Whitehall of Boca Raton is a decent facility if you have to unfortunately have to get rehabilitation services. As I write this I have arrived in Florida. My mom is already doing better because I am here! Still I am frustrated… Who will listen to me long enough? Should I call David Alexander, the Director, and ask for a meeting? Should mom be on an intravenous antibiotic? I know I don’t want her back in the hospital so I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her out but at times I feel helpless and hopeless. I know I need to take care of myself so I won’t get sick. This whole process is hard on everyone but one thing I know: a rehab facility that doesn’t take long-term patients is a better place for rehab than a nursing home with a wing for rehab.
