Moving my parents into an assisted living facility was a tremendously hard decision. My family and I spent years, literally, searching for the right place. We thought the Kensington was it. After a year, we have less and less conviction in that notion. Most important, we worry for my parents' safety.
No doubt, the Kensington has much to boast about, especially staff members who are affectionate, kind, and skilled, as well as a beautiful environment. Some of the aids are truly loving and have become treasures to my mother and father. They've come through in times of need more than once. Moreover, the Kensington welcomes the families of residents with open arms, and have often made my extended family feel at home, comfortable.
That said, there is something seriously wrong with how the place is run. First and foremost, the Kensington is severely understaffed. Last night, two people fell in the dining room because no aids were watching (granted, elderly people fall, but I was observing, and this was because no one was there to help them get up from the table); in addition, a person was screaming for help from the bathroom and did not receive help quickly or adequately, to my estimation. My own father was not properly medicated last night because of an oversight in the charts--again, not the staff's fault. Not enough caretakers=not enough care. I suspect, for good reason, that many people did not get their medication in a timely fashion last night, if at all.
All this pales in comparison to the lack of nursing staff, the momentous numbers of time staff calls in sick, and the long wait times when a resident rings the pendant she is given in case of emergency. Be very wary: the Kensington's wait time for an emergency call is 8-9 minutes "at the longest." But all too often the wait time is much longer (half an hour, an hour), or no one comes at all. I personally have instructed my parents to call 911 in case something happens. Even if the 8 minutes were a true estimate, which it isn't, that's far too long: someone could die, of course, in the interval.
Also, the levels of care seem to mean nothing: though families are charged more and more for more intense care, the higher level (level 3 as compared to level 1, for instance) has no bearing on the actual care given. There are not enough people to accommodate all the needs. The only thing that changes hands in that transaction is more money--for the Kensington.
The dining room, though beautiful and often a pleasure to sit in, with wonderful aids sometimes available to join and lift the spirits of residents, is becoming more frequently dirty, without place sets cleared and with long wait times (half an hour, in general?) for a staff that is running to serve everyone, trying their best. I was told that the Kensington will not hire more people for the restaurant. Not surprising, when they won't even hire more nursing staff. The dining room situation is a relatively small problem, but a disgrace, especially when one considers the extraordinary amount of money the Kensington charges. It would take so little for the Kensington to fix this simple problem of hiring more help. I sat at a dirty setting last night; no one, when they received their food after a good hour, had napkins or silverware.
We have spoken numerous times to those in charge about our complaints. Nothing ever changes; in fact, the situation gets worse as more and more residents move in. Although others who have parents or loved ones at the Kensington may not post reviews, they openly talk about the same serious concerns. Again, the problems stem from inadequate staffing, not an inadequate staff. What a misfortune,to so many people, that nothing is being done to remedy the very obvious, very dangerous, and very easily corrected conditions that have surfaced at this facility.
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