Union Printers Home — Attraction in Colorado Springs

This is by far the worst nursing home I have ever set foot in. The resident to staff ratio is horrendous. Staff was overworked and curt with residents. The first time I walked in was in the evening and the entire floor reeked of excrement. The "private rooms for your nursing care needs" are mostly miniscule and resemble cells. Each floor has a communal bathroom with no doors and only shower curtains in front of the stalls. Very few CNAs available to help residents. Many residents appeared sick. Food handling techniques were atrocious. A meal was delivered to her room in the morning and was still there in the evening. Food requests are only begrudgingly accommodated. Fruits and vegetables are canned, not fresh. Lettuce is iceberg. "Fresh from the grill" items need to be ordered in advance. Rooms were not regularly attended to. My mother was confined to her wing of her floor unless she had a chaperone. The facility is open to the public and there are some nicely staged rooms on the first floor, but those appear to be for visitors only. She had one tiny window in her room, otherwise she might as well have been in a basement bomb shelter. Every time I had to bring her back, she started crying hysterically and screaming for me not to bring her back there, she can't go back, please don't put her back in that place. They told me they had a neuropsych eval from the hospital that she was incapable of making her own decisions and cognitively impaired; but I contacted the other facilities and was told no such evaluation had ever been done, in fact they had told me previously that she had been determined to have decisionmaking capacity at the previous facility. I got very little support from the staff. They sidestepped many of my questions. Communication was terrible. The phone system is ancient. If you want to call a resident you are sent on a phone tree to the nurse'a station. Residents are not allowed to use the nursing station phone, so they have to call you back on the resident phone, because they can't transfer calls to the resident phone. Sometimes the phone would ring for 20 minutes straight before anyone would answer it. She has been transferred to a new facility. I hope the damage is...

Knowing that I would eventually need long term care assistance for my brother I began researching what was available in and around Colorado Springs approximately a year ago. The results offered many wonderful places to consider. Each offering their own unique housing, resident assistance as well as health and activitiy programs that make their places more than just a bed but as much as possible a place to belong, to live and thrive as much as personally possible. It's a challenging task for family to find that special place for our loved one, especially with our limited resources of finances and time. Unfortunately immediate needs caused the decision to come sooner than planned, thus my focus continually turned to the Union Printers Home. The administrative staff went above and beyond to help me in this time of need. Empathetic, caring and compassionate are but a few words to describe this team of professionals. They made me feel comfortable with the decisions I had to make. Their assistance was then complimented by the amazing welcome that my brother received by every other member of the UPH staff, be they an RN, CNA, even the facilities men. And as we took my brother on a tour the other residents greeted us with smiles and hellos. Obviously UPH is not a modern complex, but indeed it is an amazingly beautiful place in its own right. Then again all the frills of a five star resort doesn't make it a home. It's the people caring for our loved ones and the residents residing there that make it home for all. Leaving my brother for his first night was very difficult for me. However, as the evening wore on I came to feel and recognize that he is in a safe, caring place that he...

I am a current employee at Union Printers Home. I have been a nurse for 26 yrs. I can honestly say that working at Union Printers Home has been the best facility I have worked in the past 20 yrs. We have an outstanding management team who will have your back as long as you are doing the right thing, you come to work, you have a good attitude and strive to help the people you re caring for. Do we have bad days ? Of course, but the good days far outweigh the bad days. We have a diverse population of residents and it can be challenging but there has never been an instance where I felt my concerns were not taken seriously. Management listens to the employees. We work hard but we have fun working hard. Everyone at Union Printers Home, from the Staffing Coordinator, to Human Resources, The DON, The ADON, Social Services, and Nurses bend over backwards to make sure that not only are the residents happy but the employees as well. The schedules are flexible, the pay is very competitive, and management gets out on the floor and actually works right along with us. What more can a person ask for ? I have found my forever career home. Dont listen to the negative reviews of the facility. The Castle on the Hill is by far the best you will find. Other facilities may have the latest, most expensive furnishings and amenities but everything that shines isnt always pretty. This is truly the only place you will ever want to work. No other facility even holds a candlestick to Union...