Hillcrest Convalescent Center

In the past, I would have given Hillcrest excellent reviews. After the recent experience a family member had there I would say otherwise. My uncle had his knee replaced and was going to stay here for around 3 months for rehab. The room he was placed in was shared with another man. The thermostat was set so high that my uncle was sweating as was everyone else in the room except for the other man. The high temperature of the room caused my uncle to become dehydrated and had to be placed in the hospital to receive fluids and blood. During his stay he had to bring in his own prescriptions that he was previously taking (2 in the AM)Although several family members told the RN that the morning nurse was only giving him 1 of the 2 required pills (even though the bottle says 2) the RN did not speak enough English to understand that he was not getting the correct dose, and the morning nurse just wouldn't give him his medication.

The Hillcrest facility is truly one of a kind. The staff was attentive and always put the patients safety and needs first. My family was always informed and taken care of. The food and dining was always excellent and well prepared. The activities that were availible to the residents were always stimulating and entertaining. My recommendation for any one looking for top of the line care goes to Hillcrest.

My grandmother had a wonderful time at Hillcrest. She was there for physical therapy following a knee replacement, but I heard much more from her about all the nice people she'd met than about how hard the therapy was. (That's atypical for her.) She and her roommate agreed that the food was great, and they loved the free ice cream! Apparently afternoon coffee and cookies were quite a social event, and hanging out on the front porch was quite popular too. She got her nails done twice during her stay, and made some beaded jewelry. There were beautiful birds in the main lobby and huge fish tanks in the smaller lobbies between the resident rooms. The whole place felt very inviting more like a big family home than a medical facility. We were allowed to use a meeting room for our Sunday night family dinners while she was there. There were even games in there for the kids. Being able to visit with her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids was a big emotional boost for her.

Hillcrest is a newly renovated convalescent center located a few short miles from Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina. With over 150 beds, the oldest nursing home in North Carolina is nothing short of breathtaking. Walking in to the home, you are greeted with warm, neutral colors, self-playing pianos and colorful parrots in the lobby. The home gives a vibe of safety, security and high quality. Once familiar with the home, however, it is very apparent that the home is lacking in the CNA department. The nurses' assistants are distant and rarely check on patients. We once asked for someone to help with a catheter at 10:30am and no one had come until 2pm! They are extremely short staffed when it comes to LPN's and Pharmacists and the CNA's are rude, sometimes disrespectful and sometimes just down right lazy. After using Hillcrest's services, I doubt that I would recommend them to anyone else. Other places may not look as nice, but maybe the care provided will be better.