Life Care Center of Scottsdale

poor help

Left dirty laundry on floor in closet. Not in a bag. Didn’t encourage dad to eat. Lost weight rapidly. Didn’t encourage to drink a lot of water. Made him stay in bed instead of walking him off and on. Cold food. I got my dad out of there as soon as possible. Not friendly staff. To busy to keep him from being lonely. Dehydration often and didn’t take care properly. Lazy staff. Just there to make money.

T.G.G.

The facility could be a very nice one if managed correctly. Promises of a high level of care feel short. I was there daily and had to hire an outside care giver for my mother after the incorrect medications were given to my mother. Areas that should be looked into and corrected are communication, leaving patients sitting over 40 min after signaling for aide . A few excellent care givers carried the work load and really cared about the patients. The lack of scheduling releases in time and the organization of documentation for a release including scheduling transportation . I was charged for an extra day due to the facilities lack of ability to schedule the transfer. I had to hire an attorney to handle this bill. The senior living facility my mother was being transferred to was ready and waiting, I was actually at the facility when the call came in to the director from Life Care explaining that they were unable to get the paper work completed for the transfer. Then billing me for the extra day. There are too many excellent facilities to even consider Life care of Scottsdale.

paminaz

My father was admitted to this facility for rehab to include physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy, due to his Parkinson’s and some recent falls. His stay was 2 weeks. I have been less than satisfied with the services offered, to say the least. Starting at the top…. The case manager, Crystal, had an initial conversation with my mother, explaining how the facility worked, what to expect, etc. That was informative, but to actually get in touch with Crystal after this time was impossible. There was no measurable level of communication as the stay progressed, including the fact that Crystal ordered a wheelchair from Preferred Homecare that we had no knowledge she was doing until Preferred called us. Trying to nail her down for discharge information entailed my mother chasing her down the hall. While I understand the nurses and CNAs have 17 or so patients under their care during a shift, their responsiveness to a call from a patient is questionable. The first few nights I was there, and needed help with my father, it took over 40 minutes to respond to the request. When I looked out the door at the nursing station, I would see several staff members just hanging out or sitting at the desk. The therapy itself is OK, but not enough. On more than one occasion, my father was not dressed (not sure whose responsibility this is but he was in no condition to dress himself), so the therapist spent a majority of the time dressing him and his therapy was only 15 minutes. On another occasion, the therapist put long pants on him, but he had shorts on and was ready for his session, so another waste of 30+ minutes. Cleaning of the rooms is an issue too. My father must have spilled juice on the floor one evening, because the floor was sticky. I didn’t go see him until the following evening, and I ended up washing the floor with wipes. It wasn’t a great job but made it slightly less sticky. On the next night, the floor was still sticky. With my father’s condition, he can no longer answer questions regarding his health – he needs a guardian with him. My mother arrived at the facility one day to find my father gone. He had been transported to HonorHealth for a doctor’s appointment that we had no knowledge of. My mother had cancelled this appointment prior to the appointment time. I wonder what the insurance company was billed for this mishap. On the day of discharge, we had transport there to take him to another location, and my father wasn’t even prepared to go at the time that we were told he would be discharged. My mother had to call a nurse to get him ready to be moved. There were a few caring people that went above and beyond – Brian (CNA), Paula (CAN), Bonnie in the dining room, and Jared (PT). They deserve 5 stars.

MrsWonderwoman

Very clean facility, staff is friendly and attentive as well. Therapist push the patient to improve as much as possible. Rooms are clean and updated, I love their Ice Cream Parlor they use every day. They also have their own transportation van which is very helpful.

Hummingbird

Excellent wound care nurse and responsive staff. Quick response to resident's change in status and action: call Dr., monitor vital signs, administer meds, monitor change, action and positive results. A high quality facility that provides excellent, caring and professional service to those in need of skilled nursing care.

West Nile

My Mother was there for 5 days she got CDIFF they took her to Scottsdale Shea hospital for treatment. She got better and we called to have her transferred back to Life Care and they said she could not comeback. She was at the hospital for 4 days and no one from the center contacted us to tell us she could not comeback VERY UNPROFESSIONAL!!!!! boxed up her stuff and had it waiting for us at the front desk. BEWARE DON'T GO TO THIS FACILITY.

Pam Z.

I will give this facility one star, only because there is not an option to give it fewer stars. My 92 year old mother was in this facility in July 2017. She was transferred from the hospital for rehab, after having surgery for a broken hip. While hospitalized, she developed pleural effusions (fluid in the pleural space around her lungs, which caused shortness of breath and difficulty breathing). She had bilateral thoracentesis in the hospital to remove the fluid, and was transferred to LifeCare in good shape, and breathing fine. She arrived at LifeCare on a Friday. The physical therapy staff did not work on the weekends, so other than being pushed in a wheelchair to the restroom and to the dining room for meals, she was not allowed to get out of bed. "Physical therapy" was to be given 4 times a week, for less than an hour each time, but as you will see below, she only received therapy a couple of times in the 10 days she was there. She was in bed most of the time, which ultimately caused her being rushed to the emergency room. By Tuesday, she was getting short of breath and the LifeCare staff put her on oxygen. No testing was done to see WHY she was short of breath. By Thursday, she was so short of breath and fatigued, she could not do physical therapy. I told the nursing staff that she needed a chest x-ray to see if her lungs had filled with fluid again (since she just had a procedure the previous week for this reason). I was told that the doctor would be notified. Friday - I found out that no chest x-ray had been ordered. I, again, told the staff that testing needed to be done, and was told that the doctor would be notified. Saturday - I could not visit, since I was ill, but later found out that the chest x-ray still had not been performed, even though I had already requested it twice. Sunday, I walked into my mom's room, and she was struggling to breath. I ran out of the room and found her nurse standing just outside of her room, in the hallway. I told him that she couldn't breath, and he said, "She's fine. I was just in there." I ran down the hall for the charge nurse and told her that she needed a chest x-ray and lab work NOW! I was concerned that she either had pleural effusions (again) or a pulmonary embolism (just had surgery, had not been up and moving around and could have developed a clot). I asked that she be transferred to the emergency room. I was told that they needed to talk to the doctor before they would call an ambulance. A chest x-ray and labs were performed at LifeCare, and she was rushed to the emergency room via ambulance with a PULMONARY EMBOLISM and SEVERE bilateral pleural effusions! Neither of these life threatening diagnoses were recognized by the LifeCare staff, and even when I brought them to their attention, they did not recognize that this was an emergency situation. Needless to say, the staff at LifeCare is not trained or equipped to handle any medical issues - even when life threatening issues are staring them in the face. DO NOT trust LifeCare to care for your loved one!! I am in the medical field, and would never recommend this facility to anyone. P.S. My mom was at this same facility three years ago, and the staff administered the wrong medication and almost killed her - major medication error. We said at that time that she would never go back to LifeCare, but, unfortunately, her insurance is very limiting when it comes to skilled nursing facilities, and she chose to give LifeCare another chance. Obviously, that wasn't a good choice.

former unhappy

Poor nutrition and communication of Dr's orders in a timely fashion. It was all about what the staff wanted you to do, and when they wanted to do it. I am just glad I had good friends and my wound care and antibiotics were handled properly because the rest of the care was substandard.

Dana61

This facilty was not equiped to help my wife after a heart operatiom. The staff is disorganized, and their goal seems to be to keep a patient as long as possible. The place smells bad as in need of an upgrade, from computer systems to staff. The nurses and doctor are nice, but the care is exremely limited. The beds are old, the food is bad and the communication between staff and patients is terrible. If I had it to do over again, I wouls insist on a better facility.

lgcy79

My husband spent the last few weeks of his life in this facility and I could not have asked for more. The staff was very caring and supportive to the very end. The social worker went above and beyond her required duties working through several challenges. I was all alone dealing with this and they were with me all the way.

Poorchoice

My father broke his hip so he needed a facility to get better so he could function on his own . If I would have know that the staff here cared more about socializing in the halls and left there patients to fend for themselves most the time I would have told my mother to find a different facility. She spends every waking hour here making sure he eats, gets to the bathroom, and does his excersizes . He suffers other medical conditions that requires regulated medication multiple times a day. They can't even be bothered to do that on a regular basis. I watched a patient walk out on her own and fall. The patient do not get enough movement to heal and manage on there own. They rely too much on family members to do all the work. Your better off staying at home and having the dog watch over you. You would get more attention.

simo1

Most of the staff during the weekdays were very well trained and did a tremendous job of taking care of the number of patients that they were being required to attend to during the day. Most issues with staff were either night staff, or weekend staff when they would not get pain medications to patients in a timely manner, or would have an attitude when you would continuously put your call light on when they were not bringing you pain medication. Waiting 2 hours for pain medication and then having the nurse have an attitude when she did finally bring the pain medication is just unprofessional. The worst part of the facility is the business and social/case workers and their staff. They are not there to help you as a patient!!!! I never did see a single case or social worker until the week that they were ready to discharge me from the facility. When asked why I was being discharged they would only say it was because Physical Therapy felt I had met my potential and there was nothing else they could do with me. When asked if they had contacted my insurance carrier or surgeon to determine if there was still a medical reason for me to stay they told me that they don't usually do those things and just follow the industry standard on when a patient needs to be discharged from the facility. So sad because it actually started out really well with this facility, but when it came down to it they do not want to help the patients. You will end up doing all of the leg work to help the administration and case workers understand your insurance and get doctors orders actually followed. My advice would be to avoid this facility if possible, but if not I would watch everything like a hawk (from doctors orders being followed to medications be dispensed correctly) and prepare to be your own advocate because they are not going to be there to help you...when they want you to go, you go no questions asked! Just sad!!!

Caring95130150

I checked out a few facilities and I was most impressed with Life Care Center. They did a pretty good job. The people were friendly and helpful. It was well-decorated. It was a nice place. At that time, my mother had a private room. It was very spacious. The food was fine. She was in her final stages, so food wasn't a big deal for her. Overall, they took care of my mother there. What I like best about this facility is they seemed to have a capable staff.

horrified1

This is probably one of the worst facilities out there. The staff is incompetent and they have a nurse practitioner that thinks he is a doctor.My family member was given wrong medication, neglected physically, and several times was not given the physical therapy that they were scheduled for. When they became sick and requested to be transported to the hospital, they were denied. They had to call 911 and a ambulance transported them. Needless to say, they were admitted to the hospital due to the care they received at this facility. If you wish a death wish on your loved one, then send them to this awful place. If you truly love your family member, keep them as far away from this place as possible. They need to be shut down!

unhappy spouse

My husband was a patient here following back surgery and the implantation of two stents as a result of a heart attack following his surgery. It is a good thing his heart attack occurred while he was still in acute care at the hospital or he surely would have died with LCCS. Two days after admission a urine analysis detected a bladder infection. 4 days later, they still had not started any antibiotics, had only increased his meds which rendered him in almost a zombie state but experiencing continued pain. Upon bringing family in which includes a former LPN knowledgeable about medical conditions and health care, it was discovered that five days earlier blood work done at an outside lab indicated his hemoglobin was very low at 7.6. The facility should have been aware of this, but they obviously paid no attention to the lab reports and failed to do anything necessary to rectify the situation. On that 5th day we had him moved back to an acute care hospital where he is now getting the best care as they are trying to get him back to a somewhat healthy state. The bladder infection has now gone into his kidneys making him one sick individual. All of this is due to the lack of competence, care and compassion provided at LCCS. I would strongly recommend no one sends their loved ones to this facility !!!! I am grateful my husband is alive and now in good hands. Consumer Beware !

Cobby

When I went to visit my grand dad, I thought the place was great. Then I started to see care issues. So when I heard this place as an option for my grandmother I was afraid. This place has turned it around. The building looks and feels so much different and better for rehabilitation. That therapy team rocked it. We were kept informed from day one until the end. If I could change anything it would be more choices of foods. Other than that my grandmother loved it. She knew the staff by name and was always happy to see them. Great facility. This place has impressed me on the improvements and that's not easy!

Out of town relative

This was a disappointing experience. The room was neat and clean and the staff appear caring. The cafeteria, food and courtyard are all pleasant and attractive. The issues were with care. It often took 20 minutes or more after pressing the call button for assistance to arrive. My mother-in-law developed sores in her mouth and these were not treated until she left. Her primary doctor stated her was shocked. She also developed sores on her buttocks. Cause? The scariest was despite being told the medication being given was not appropriate it took a meeting with the administrator and family and a couple DAYS to get her medication changed. For Life Care there seems to be two choices - stay with your loved one and feed them yourslef and monitor treatments or go elsewhere.

christopher12

My mother was a patient at Life Care of Scottsdale after her knee surgery. I was told by friends that this facility was not good. I took a tour and decided that this was where Mom should go. Everyone has a private room, the food was very good and the care was good. Mom really did not want to leave. She had outstanding therapy every day and recovered quickly. On her second day, a whole team of experts met with Mom and I to discuss how they were going to care for her. Someone called me twice a week to give me updates on hoe much progress she was making. Both Mom and I felt like we were in good hands. I want to tell my friends who warned me against going there, that they were wrong. I will definitely recommend this facility to anyone. Mom is doing great and she still calls some of the therapist just to say hi.

TedsKid

My father liked the ice cream. They served that every day and to someone like him, that was a big deal. Over the course of nearly 5 years a lot of the staff were the same so my dad had the same male nurse every time he stayed here. Many of the other nurses were the same and while I didn't visit as much as my mom (who knows their names) I knew who they were. They were very good about moving my dad so he didn't get bedsores. He fell out of his chair once and so far as we can tell they found him pretty quickly on a routine check (he had no way to buzz for help.) The facility was clean enough, but really -- this is Scottsdale Arizona -- nothing less could be expected.

ceres1

M spent 3 weeks at the facility, before needing to be moved to a hospice care provider. The facility was well located in Scottsdale, near the 101 Freeway, and had good parking for visitors. The physicians were specific to the facility, not M's own doctors, but that is standard for assisted care facilities, I believe. M became extremely depressed upon leaving his apartment where he lived with my mother for 25 years. I don't think he even noticed his surroundings, even though the lighting, TV, furniture was in good condition. M was kept clean. He did not like the food, complained that his bed was uncomfortable. We asked that the food have chili pepper powder added to it, and the staff did so, which was great. The worst part of the facility: Old wooden crank style beds that weren't easily adjustable. They weren't like modern hospital beds or even regular beds at home. Everything else was modern and relatively new. M did not have his own room but that didn't matter to him. After a few days, his roommate was transferred to another room, and M did have his own room at that point. The care providers gave M his medications regularly as he had taken them at home. M was ambulatory, did not have a catheter nor need any help going to the bathroom. He needed some help bathing, which was given. He only got one bath a week, which he was unhappy about. Life Care was very good about arranging for M's transition to Hospice of the Valley when it became clear that he would need that. M had easy access to a telephone, and could make and receive local phone calls. He was able to receive long distance calls too.

smileygal7

The visit to LifeCare of Scottsdale was very pleasant, the staff was friendly and accomodating and the facility was very clean. There were numerous therapy room with lots of activities for the residents. They also had a monthly calendar of activities that the residents could participate in. Overall, I really liked the facility and could see my grandfather living in this place.

jiggs16

This is a skilled nursing facility. This facility has a good, quiet location. It's not very accessible to much, and it's kind of hard to find. However, the location itself is really nice "“ it's in a quiet neighborhood near a school on a small street. They have a few well-kept patios outside, but they could use a lot more parking for staff and visitors. The common areas look nice "“ they're decorated nicely, and there are freshly baked cookies and water out. There's nice tile or carpet, and nice wide spaces for everyone to get through. There's not much common space if you're visiting though "“ only three smaller spaces, and not a lot of extra chairs. I also think the common areas smell really bad all the time. I've never been in a place that smelled so bad every day. The residents' rooms are very sparse. The bathrooms are well-equipped and wheelchair accessible. The rooms do have pleasant views. Residents can bring in their own decorations or furnishings. The staff are all really friendly and generally nice. As usual, they're overworked and could have a little better training. They are patient and caring with the residents. However, the staff is so overworked that resident care is actually compromised. They have a lot of falls and acute hospitalizations there, but I don't think it's the fault of the care staff "“ they're just too overworked. The food is okay "“ it's not very nutritious, and I'm not sure that residents can request things that aren't on the menu. There's only one set snack time during the day, and it's always ice cream. I don't think they have very many activities here, and they have very few participants.

leezee

After being diagnosed with a terminal illness my father moved from the hospital into this facility. Upon my first visit, I wasn't thoroughly impressed. The hallways smelled strongly of disinfectant, but this was, in some way to me, expected. I noticed while looking for his room, many residents sitting alone in wheelchairs in the hallways. They weren't actively doing anything. I felt that they had simply been parked there. The wing that my fathers room was on was noisy. I could hear a lot of crying and yelling from other residents. The staff seemed rushed and stressed, as if there weren't enough employees to go around. Although I did meet several aides who were kind and cheerful, but they did seem like they had so much to do in a shift, they weren't able to spend long with each resident. I moved my father into another facility within 24 hours, where he spent the last few weeks of his life.