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My mother was transported to Glenbrook Health Center on Sunday, (May 12 Mothers Day) She has spent 5 days in the hospital after suffering an accident leaving her with a bad head injury, multiple staples and stitches, and fractured ribs. She was scared and helpless, not easy for her since prior to this she was a healthy strong independent woman. I was so saddened and worried leaving my mom on Sunday, seeing her this way. First thing this morning, I called Sadie Spear the administrator. She listened, gave me her time and promised she would go see my mom. She did. She spent an hour with my mom, helping her create her menu for the week (my mom is Italian and English is her second language) She made arrangements for Brenda the Occupational Therapist to help her shower and finally get into clean clothes. She helped her clean her hair which had become matted with blood since the accident. I went to see my mom at lunchtime…she was a new woman. Said she felt Sadie treated her like a daughter would . This afternoon was the first time I went back to work since the accident…this is because I knew my mom was I great hands with Sadie and Brenda. Sadie has incredible knowledge, kindness and compassion. My mom said they made her feel like a queen. Thank you ladies for taking such great care of my mamma. You are a Godsend. I highly recommend Glenbrook for anyone looking for incredible care for a family member. Today was the first time in almost a week, that I saw a smile on my moms beautiful face
Having heard good things about GlenBrook we were very happy they were able to accommodate my partner following his open heart surgery. We never expected he would have many post op complications, but the nursing staff were quick to recognize his problems as they occurred and acted immediately to return him to the hospital each time. The entire staff, medical and administrative, were friendly, caring and helpful and should one of us require a nursing facility again we would only want GlenBrook. The food is good too.
A close family member stayed at GlenBrook for several weeks. The care they received, even down to the smallest things, was excellent. Every single member of the staff was kind, capable, and compassionate. They went above and beyond on multiple occasions, working with us to find creative solutions to problems, and, despite having dozens of other patients to look after, always found time to answer questions or provide assistance. Every single aspect of their services was excellent, from the food, to the laundry service, to the nurses and nursing assistants, to the physical therapy team, to the administrative staff. The rooms are spacious and fairly private. The grounds are beautiful and tranquil and help bring patients and their loved ones a sense of peace and calm. We didn’t make much use of this, but they have activities every day, and I could see how much those meant to the other residents. All that said, what really makes GlenBrook special are the people. I would never have believed this when we first arrived, but I was a little sad when we left, because I felt like I had made friends there. When you see people working so hard to take care of someone you love, you never forget it. I will never forget the people at GlenBrook for their dedication to their work. They truly make the world a better place. The results speak for themselves: in our case, our family member was well on their way to a full recovery, thanks in no small part to the excellent care provided by the people at GlenBrook. If you are in need of a skilled nursing facility, I absolutely recommend GlenBrook.
My 96-year-old mom was just admitted to Glenbrook skilled nursing after a brief hospital stay. This experience and process can be harrowing, especially when one is 96. I am so grateful that my mom was accepted here – it is her second stay at Glenbrook to help regain mobility after a hospital admission. It was an evening admission and that can be difficult on mom as she is tired and stressed from being in the hospital. Mom’s transfer and transition to her room was seamless and smooth. Glenbrook staff arrived to her room just after paramedics brought her in and everyone quickly moved to get mom settled and comfortable. Two CNAs came in immediately as well as two nurses. This is uncommon and does not normally happen at most skilled nursing facilities! I must give a huge shout-out to my mom’s amazing admission charge nurse, Arkady. He greeted us kindly and spoke with me about medical details, daily schedules, and mom’s history. (At the same time, another nurse – Jennifer spoke with mom, reassuring her and answering mom’s own questions – I can’t express enough how helpful this was as it made the entire settling-in process go quickly. Arkady is a very special RN. I have a medical background and have been in many hospitals across the country, meeting and working with countless RNs, including some of the best at UCSD, Rady Children’s, Scripps, and Sharp as well as the NIH in Washington, D.C. I can say most assuredly and confidently that Arkady is hands down one of the best RNs I have ever met. With his knowledge, patience, thoroughness, attitude, and a big welcoming smile, I can tell he goes above and beyond the call of duty for his patients and their families. He was also quick to ask if I had questions, something often overlooked. I am not easily impressed as I have met many amazing RNs over the past 30 years but Arkady truly impressed me. Wow. Thank you, Arkady! I need to also acknowledge mom’s two wonderful CNAs that greeted her upon arrival, Harley and Marilou. And a special shout-out goes to Harley. Mom can be anxious in the hospital and rehab and he immediately got down on mom’s level, spoke gently and calmly to her so she could hear him, and immediately responded to my noting that mom had low vision. It really struck me how quickly he intuitively came to mom’s side, reassuring her with care and empathy, especially when he showed her how to call for help (for someone with low vision it is so difficult to find the nurse’s call button on the remote). Mom’s call button was quickly replaced with a small plastic ball to squeeze when she needed assistance. Brilliant! This admission process, for my mom and me, is the most difficult part of any rehab stay and none of this would have been possible without Joanne, Admissions Director, who managed to accomplish the impossible of getting mom admitted within just a few hours before mom’s transport to Glenbrook from the hospital. All the while Joanne was so friendly and helpful to me, dotting the “I’s” and crossing every “T,” as well as answering every one of my many initial questions. Without Joanne’s knowledge, skill and patience this could not have happened so quickly, I am indebted. I am looking forward to mom’s mobility rehabilitation with Glenbrook’s wonderful Physical Therapy staff and for her to quickly recover as she is being taken care of in every possible way in this beautiful facility. There is a relaxing garden with a soothing fountain, fun activities and great dining, and even a beauty salon! For the first time in months, I have been able to sleep through the night without worrying about my mom. Thank you for that Glenbrook staff and thank you for taking such exemplary care of my mom.
Thank you everyone for the excellent care that you have provided me during my time here at GlenBrook. No one wants to have to go through a “rehab time” but my experience here has been a pretty positive one – and I have met a lot of nice, kind, and thoughtful people!
I thank you for all the help you have given me and I hope you will enjoy the enclosed “A day in the life of a GlenBrook resident” sketches as a token of my appreciation of your very good care.
This is to express our thanks for the extraordinary care GlenBrook Skilled Nursing extended to my wife. She presented a significant challenge to the therapists and nurses due to her recent surgeries for hip replacement and relief of spinal cord compression. Physical therapy was challenging due to nerve damage affecting her legs. GlenBrook staff nevertheless rose to the occasion, enabling my wife to meet the threshold conditions for discharge to in-home therapy. Every aspect of the GlenBrook system operated smoothly and professionally. We were particularly impressed with the coordination by GlenBrook among Georgia’s medical providers outside the facility. We didn’t know this was going on until after the fact. We want to extend a special thanks to every physical therapist and nurse (including but not limited to Tiffany, “tall” Jamie, Harley, Sheila, the list goes on) who attended to my wife. To a person, they were professional, cheerful, and helpful. We believe their attitudes and encouragement contributed to how far she’s come since arriving post-surgery at GlenBrook from Scripps Memorial Hospital. We understand that recovery from nerve damage is slow and that we still have a long road to travel. But we feel we are now launched, and we owe this to the friendly people of GlenBrook. Thanks to everyone who spent time with my wife.
I’m one of those fortunate people who has enjoyed being active and in good health all of my life. But wear and tear took it’s toll and I needed knee joint replacement surgery.
After 3 days post-surgery in Scripps hospital, I was transferred to the GlenBrook Health Center.
Because of COVID restrictions I had a room to myself. It had all the amenities: TV, a hospital bed that could be articulated to at least 137 different positions, a urine bottle should I need it. Most important, I had this wonderful remote control that would summon staff almost instantly at the push of a button. I was told to call if I needed anything at all.
I started trying to keep track of all the staff who assisted me in some way during my stay, but found there were way too many people taking care of me to keep track of everyone. And, the last thing I wanted to do was accidentally leave someone’s name out.
I learned a lot. For instance, there are at least two kinds of therapists; occupational and physical. I didn’t see them as therapists; I thought of them as activity directors and coaches. Always pushing me to go farther and inspiring me when the going was a bit rough.
The occupational therapists were the more practical in that their focus was making sure I could manage my daily affairs such as using a walker, getting in and out of bed and take showers by myself. They also did an audit of our residence to make sure there were no unnecessary hazards such as throw rugs, slippery floors, grab rails where needed. They were the MacGyvers of therapy. No matter what the obstacle I needed to overcome at home so I was independent, they figured out a creative solution.
On the other hand, the physical therapist’s effort was to make sure that I regained the movement range and musculature I had before the new knee hinge.
They know a whole lot about muscles, ligaments, bones, etc., and have at least 3,000 indecipherable medical terms describing them. They also need a good understanding of human nature.
Full disclosure, the rehab therapy required after a knee joint replacement isn’t easy and involves pushing yourself to the limit with exercises every day.
Like I said earlier. They were like coaches, pushing me when needed and passing out an attaboy when deserved.
Most of my daily contact was with the nursing staff including LVNs, RNs, etc.). If it was up to me, I would call them VEPs for Very Exceptional People. This job requires a special calling because they spend their days dealing with people who are sick, hurt or mentally unstable and often not in the best of moods.
They were always kind and helpful if I needed anything at all. I think my recovery was accelerated because of the positive attitude of everyone and their desire to make my stay as pleasant as possible. It sure worked with me and I know it accelerated my recovery and helped me keep a good attitude.
I was also visited by a nutritionist and activities director. I’ve never been so spoiled in my life.
Everyone was exceptionally nice, but I was especially fond of several of the staff who helped me (you know who you are). On more than one occasion people went out of their way to get me pudding or ice cream in the middle of the night, extra blankets (I’m a night owl) or just spend a few minutes chatting with me. That’s powerful medicine.
I had mixed emotions when I left. I had enjoyed being waited on hand and foot 24 hours a day and getting to know the staff. I’d compare my stay to a luxury cruise, but without water.
My wife, Joan, came to visit often. As I told her of the great service and how I was waited on hand-and-foot she let me know that I best put those days behind me when I got home or I would be sorely disappointed.
I’m doing well with my therapy and able to walk about 1/2 mile a day already. I couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you.
With great appreciation and respect for all of the staff at GlenBrook.
As an entertainer at several nursing/assisted living homes, I have seen a lot of different approaches to caregiving.
I work many facilities throughout the San Diego area. What struck me about GlenBrook is the connection between the residents and the staff.
My job as an entertainer is to engage the audience and make them feel at home and have a good time. The staff at GlenBrook does exactly that. They are there and engaged with each and every resident. The staff at Glenbrook really care, they are right there with the residents, participating in the activities and making sure they are comfortable. Whether it’s skilled nursing, memory care, or assisted living, the staff treats everyone like family. It’s a wonderful activities staff, led by Lorena Morales Anderson. She is a positive energy and a true blessing.
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© 2023 GlenBrook Health Center — We are an equal opportunity employer. Continuing Life LLC provides support and services to leading senior housing communities under a services and licensing agreement that allows for use of the Continuing Life® mark. The company does not own, nor is it financially responsible for, GlenBrook. State of California License #300613274.
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