Altercare of Big Rapids

Randall

Rooms are kept clean , but the lack of nurses on duty make the patients have to wait for medication way pass time it's due. One nurse for 40 some patients is way to much for just one nurse on duty for 2 hallways. Sometimes only one nurse available in whole building. Also they supplies are always running short or running out of some supplies that a resident needs doesn't get reordered so they have to continuously reuse supplies that are only meant for one time use over and over again. The staff are very nice but it's the shortage of them that is hurting the residents and nurse is more likely to have med errors due to being overworked.

RAS

Altercare is not a 5 star hotel ! It is a very busy care center with a lot of demands placed on a very pleasant and no doubt overworked staff. The nurses aides, nursing staff, etc. are kind and caring to the residents, I have never seen even a hint of abuse. Are they always quick to respond ? How can they when the needs are greater than the hands? They do well, and I have seen staff take an interest in my client, beyond their duty. Ex: there was about a week that went by when the cable tv service was down...(that's a huge deal for my Chuck, the tv is on from am to pm) but there was an aid who actually hooked up his own cell phone to the tv so that Chuck could watch the ball games. Those little kindnesses are not in the job descriptions, but they mean a lot ! Could things be better? of course, but frankly I don't know how they care for so many so well, and I'm grateful.

James

My wife went to Altercare of Big Rapids for one day, and then she was all done. I'm not pleased with them at all. They were the worst nursing home I've ever seen. They're way understaffed. The traveling nurse was the only one that was even remotely kind of responsible. They don't take care of their patients. They just leave them laying around. They put them in diapers so they don't have to take them to the bathroom like they're supposed to. My wife said the food was terrible. She had a mini-stroke and she lost the use of her left foot. They were supposed to be rehabilitating her. The whole day she was there, nobody ever showed up to talk with her or anything. They should improve everything (staff, the way they run it). I took a walk through the facility while I was there with my wife, and there were people just sitting there. I'd seen one guy who had no legs, and he was just sitting there sound asleep in his wheelchair. They should be at least put in bed or something. People were hollering. I didn't see anything good about that place.

Lyl's Daughter

I had a chance to visit Altercare. It seems to be a very nice place but I didn't get to see the Alzheimer's wing. But they took me through the regular part. The people were all really nice. The place is very clean and the patients look well cared for. It is a great place and probably I would recommend this to others.