Hillcrest Convalescent Center

Hillcrest Convalescent Center is wonderful. I went there twice. They're very good and they have good physical therapy. They have a gorgeous dining room and the food is delicious. Every afternoon they have ice cream and you can make your own sundae. I had a private room. The facilities were nice, clean, and attractive. It was a very good experience.

Hillcrest Convalescent Center has rehab and skilled nursing. I was in rehab and skilled. The staff members were wonderful. They had both a dining room and a sunroom, and in the sunroom, they had ice cream, so any time in the afternoon or evening, you could scoop your own ice cream, which was lots of fun. It was a beautiful, well-landscaped, and very nice place. The reason I left was because they’re quite a bit more expensive than the assisted living facilities, and I did not need the skilled nursing care. There were a lot of things going on in the community. Wonderful activities. The reason I picked them when I was being discharged from the hospital was because I only heard wonderful comments from people that had gone there following hip replacement or injuries. They have a very good reputation for getting good recovery care.

My sister is at Hillcrest Convalescent Home, and that is an excellent facility. We don't call it Hillcrest; we call it a hotel because it gives you an atmosphere that it is not a nursing home. She has been down there since April, and they have taken excellent care of her. The dining facility is excellent. What they do is they give bigger meals to the clients during the afternoon meal. It is a good dining hall -- very formal looking -- and the food is good. They also had a facility for those who cannot feed themselves and they help feed them. She loves it. It is a privately owned facility, and they have their own hospice program. They don't allow hospice to come into that facility. They have their own doctor for the people who have that need. Her room was very spacious with a private bathroom; she has everything she needs right there. They always have some sort of activity going on. They have jewelry making class, and people come in for entertainment. They have a festival, they decorate the dining room, and they invite the family, but they didn't charge the family any money to eat there. One thing about this facility from all the facilities that I have been to, and it doesn't matter what time of day, but there are always people interacting with their loved ones. They have a chapel in there, and they have different worship services. They have an activities room, and they were well known for their OT and PT. One part of the building is for the recovery, and they are always busy. It is amazing because these people were no pressure for the workers, and they enjoy their jobs. The security is good. There a lot of doors in the facility, but they have alarms on their chairs. If they go by the door, the alarm goes on.

Hillcrest was excellent. They were top of the line. They had a gym, but they don't have a pool.

Some of the nursing assist. can be rude and very rough handle somebody. When I went in I could hardly move by myself and most of them were very good. But I had one that tried to move me by herself and it really hurt. I was there 2 months and still could not even turn over by myself when I left. The Physical Therapist were very good. The room was great the biggest bathroom I have every seen. The food was okay, not great but thats the way it goes. That was 5 years ago and I hope they still have the ice cream in the lobby most of the time that was a good thing. It wasn't that bad but I was so glad to get home of course I almost slid out of my wheelchair on the drive from there to Pfafftown. I was a long ride.

I ask around and was told that Hillcrest Convalescent Center and Nursing Home was a very good place and had excellent rehabilitation services. My mom had a bad experience years ago and I was hoping this one would be good. Looks can be deceiving. The nursing and cna staff have bad attitudes and make you feel like you are bothering them whenever you ask them for anything. My mom got worst there instead of better. I had to request for them to send her back to the hospital otherwise she might not be here today. I would not recommend this place to anyone.

My only consistant complaint is the food service. Not too good. Trays are not checked for accuracy and the menu selections are not taylored for residents ages and abilities to handle selections. For example: Hoagies, ruben sandwiches, hot dogs, chicken on the bone....I think you understand. The folks of this generation seem to want meat and 3 vegetables for dinner, lighter lunches, ie soups, sandwiches and fruit plates ( homemade spreads and quality meats on loaf bread). Not heavy meals in the middle of the day. Hot and cold items at the proper temp; not preparing meals too far ahead or sitting for long amounts of time in the hot box on the hallway. That's it in a nut shell. Other issues are just general houskeeping issues and renovations needed in certain wings.

My sister was there during the last weeks of her life (she was younger than most residents at age 50). She was dying of cancer and in home health care was not sufficient for her needs. The staff was caring, compassionate and responsive to her needs. They were able to help her die with dignity and respect. Even though she was only there for a few weeks, they cried with us upon her passing. The nurses and nurses assistants really cared about their patients; it was more than just a job, it was a calling. I would not hesitate to place a loved one there.