Home of the Good Shepherd at Highpointe

Linda

I toured the Home of the Good Shepherd. Everybody first of all was very cordial to us that took us on the tour. It's smaller. There seemed to be more wheelchairs and more walkers. I only saw probably one, possibly two men, very quiet facility, which is good and bad in some cases I think. As far as interacting, it seemed like a lot of people were alone. But what was of concern was that there were not too many men. We only met the one person who took us on a tour, and she was very good. I did see other staff around. They seemed to be very friendly and caring towards the residents. It was an older facility. I know they're going to be updating it. I would have liked to see more outdoor facilities for them to be independent. The dining room had to be cleared out to do activities. They have a registered nurse and LPNs on staff. They distribute medication. So, I felt confident that if there was a problem, they would be able to handle it until someone, an ambulance or whatever would get there.

Lisa

Rooms are nice. You can bring in personal items including furniture to make the room feel like home. Food is decent. Unfortunately staff is inept. Mother fell out of bed numerous times. They di not allow bed rails of any sort. Failed to disclose all of her falls to me. She became agitated and they had her MD prescibe heavy tranquilizers and mood stabilizers. She was pretty much out of it. Told me she had dementia. After they said she needed higher level of care she was transferred to a county rum facility. Turns out she had a fractured hip from one of her falls which was never diagnosed or addressed at HOGS. She did not have dementia and they took her off all medications. She was herself in about a week. While HOGS looks nice, the care is subpar.

Pat

Home of the Good Shepherd at Highpointe was an older facility, and the residents looked older. It looked more like a nursing home than an assisted living. The staff was very helpful, accommodating, and friendly. The rooms were only studios and they were small. They had a beauty parlor, an activity room, and TV rooms. They had more basic amenities compared to the other facilities we looked at. We saw the dining area and it just looked like a basic dining room.

Patricia

I'm in the assisted living center called Home of the Good Shepherd. I chose it because of the location and the fact that I could bring my dog. They are very kind here. We get great care. I have a small apartment with no kitchen. I came because I was really sick. Right now, we're on lockdown because of the virus, so we can't go out to lunch or leave the place without getting a week of quarantine. The room is adequate. I got a big bedroom and a small living room. The staff is really kind. The experience is pretty good. They're really great. The place is comfortable. This is non-profit, but it's not shabby. The activities are more for people who are less able than I am right now. I don't want to play bingo and I don't want to do group crossword puzzles or listen to somebody giving talks about the life of some movie stars. I'm just kinda bored doing all of those things. However, I have friends and we watch good movies.

RosalindFranklin

My grandmother moved into Home of the Good Shepherd (HOGS) approximately 4 years ago, to the assisted living side. When she was there, I (and my other family members) felt that this was a well-maintained, safe place, and that she would do well there. On that side, there are frequent activities to engage the residence; I too would stay and play games on Sundays. The nurses and other staff on the floor were friendly and trained me how to change her oxygen tank, since I and my other family members were regularly taking my grandmother out. When her level of care needed to be increased, she was moved to the enhanced wing. Ironically, for being enhanced this is when there was the beginning to a sharp decline in the care she received, her self-esteem, and her health. The enhanced side had advertised that residence would have a smaller faculty to resident ratio; this was not always apparent. For example, on Mother's Day two years ago, I began calling my grandmother's room in the early afternoon. She did not answer for hours, so I made the drive to HOGS. My grandmother was missing; the staff who assisted me stated that she was doing an activity, but she was not there. We looked for her for approximately a half hour. When my grandmother was found (in a corridor between the two wings of their building), a staff member said, "She likes to wander." Being that HOGS is for the elderly, and that the elderly are more prone to falls and other injuries, wouldn't one want to know where the residence are? Later, my grandmother was transferred to the memory care floor. I understand that the residents on this floor do have more needs and often cannot communicate sufficiently; this should not deny a high level of care to these residents. Often, when I would go visit my grandmother, her oxygen tank would be completely empty, despite having a regulator. Being that oxygen is incredibly necessary for life as well as people with forms of dementia (so brain cells do not become deprived from oxygen), I find that of utmost importance that tanks have oxygen. I would visit her approximately an hour and a half after her regular wake-up time; one could therefore assume that she had been without oxygen for an extended period of time. Since the nurses had trained me before on how to exchange the tanks, I became her tank changer on visits. I had been told by a staff member not to on one occasion and that someone else would do it. I referenced the many times I had visited and her tank had been empty after that point. In another instance, there was a woman sitting alone, so I invited her to our table to enjoy some of my grandmother's birthday cake with us. After eating two slices of cake, this resident mentioned that she shouldn't be eating cake because she typically chokes on food. We were at HOGS for over an hour and did not once see a staff member in the common area where we were. Again, for a floor that claims that they have smaller staff to resident ratios, where are they? Quickly, my grandmother's memory unraveled. I find it fundamentally worrisome that the individuals who are most able seem to be getting the best quality care, whereas those in enhanced and memory care are thrown more to the wayside. HOGS would call our family to tell us that they had to administer her a band-aid, but neglected to share that she had rapidly been losing weight, allowing doctors that were not hers change her medications/dosages, as well as other larger-scale issues. Ultimately, we decided that HOGS was not a suitable place for her to be, if we wanted her happier, healthier, saner, and safer. Since leaving HOGS, approximately two months ago, she has put weight back on, become somewhat more social, and has received a much better level of care elsewhere. I do not write this to overtly bash HOGS; some of the staff there are wonderful and do work hard. If you are seeking high-quality care for your loved ones, please deeply evaluate HOGS before making that your choice.

Couldn't move fast enough

If you are interested in an assisted living community, the facility is delightful. Beyond assisted living (enhanced or memory care) the facility lacks the staff, staff skills, and compassion to care for your loved one in a positive healthy environment. Being at the Home of the Good Shepherd (HOGS) dictates that there is a direct relationship between a person's age and their propensity to fall, forget or become frail. Thus, it could be inferred that the whereabouts of the resident should be known, to prevent injury at the very least. The importance of elderly freedom, self-sufficiency and self-esteem should not outweigh safety and yet was frequently dismissed by staff. As a small example, every week, we would find our loved one in someone else's clothes and the closet filled with clothes that belonged to others. Assisted care has a lovely entrance to accommodate residents in inclement weather. Access in and out of the facility for those in the memory or enhanced care units, who rely on walkers and wheelchairs and often need additional assistance, is difficult at best with no protection from the elements. These residents can use the assisted living entrance; however, it is a far walk through staff corridors and an elevator, and for the memory care residents, requires staff to unlock doors. Lastly, the organization’s accounting is riddled with errors that you spend more time correcting. After four years at HOGS, we would not recommend this facility or organization for anyone’s loved ones.