Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center — Attraction in Downey

My mom was admitted to Rancho for rehabilitation after a debilitating stroke. As stroke patients and their loved ones know all too well, the days following a stroke are immensely distressful. The sudden loss of independence and mobility was particularly hard on my mom - a normally super energetic, active, gregarious woman who would impart that warm, fuzzy feeling in everyone she'd cross paths with. She spent the first week at an unrelated hospital - which treated the underlying physiology of the stroke - reduced to a confined ball of anxiety and helplessness. It wasn't until her admission to Rancho when we saw the first signs of her recovery - her characteristic smile and a dollop of that famous humor.

Rancho's rehabilitation service is highly organized. A strong team of professionals is assigned to each patient. My mom's team included a doctor, physical therapist, occupational therapist, recreational therapist, speech therapist (she ended up not needing speech therapy), social worker and a rotation of caring nurses. The team was wonderful in their approach to my mom's treatment. They therapists began by understanding my mom's lifestyle, customizing her therapy so she could go back to doing the things she loved - painting, cooking & working out. She spent several days rotating through a well crafted regimen of occupational and physical therapies before being allowed to return home. Her wonderful team provided mobility devices and recommendations for home fittings that would reduce her risk for falls. Post discharge, she continued to have weekly sessions with Rancho professionals to monitor and shape her recovery. It has been almost a year since her stroke. My mom's back to her everyday self - walking to the gym, strolling the farmers market for fruits and flowers, becoming a proficient watercolor painter and doling out humor of course.

Thank you Rancho for the care and treatment, and GARGANTUAN thanks & high fives especially to the following All Stars: Brandon, Jennifer, Jojo, Dr Oranusi, Yolanda and Shelly! I was filled with admiration and appreciation watching these professionals go about their work. On top of their proficiency in restoring patients' abilities, they brought smiles, joy and energy to the hospital floors. I can't recommend them enough, and wish them all the success in the career goals they aspire toward - they...

My brother has Muscular dystrophy, is 40 years of age and needs the care that can be provided by Rancho Los Amigos. Because of his condition, he cannot speak or communicate therefore he needs a family member who has power of attorney to make decisions on his behalf as well as communicate his wishes. The team, Alex (administrator) and Sheila (charge Nurse) at Rancho Los Amigos has denied the access by either one of his caregivers to be with him during his stay at the hospital. Once more, my brother cannot talk or comprehend without the help of his sister and mom/dad, therefore his transfer to Rancho Los Amigos has been cancelled because of their lack of caring for their patient. My brother has been there several times before as well as his two brothers who have past and have been able to get the help and care that was needed. My brother is in grave condition and we can only hope that this incident does not become more costly to the family than just a refusal to be treated.

Not to mention the law states: Hospital policies that deny entry to essential caregivers for people with disabilities violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, California Gov. Code § 11135 and California Civil Code...

I will only edit this post to add additional details or incidents.

Today March 15th, 2019 I spent about an hour trying to get a hold of the nurse message center but no one was answering.

I hung up and called again and again. A lady named Tammy answered twice. The second time I explained my concern that no one was answering and I asked if she could find out why that was BEFORE TRANSFERRING ME AGAIN and her response was that she was only supposed to transfer the calls and nothing else.

So she transferred me yet again!

Using a second cell phone I called the general line again and demanded to speak with a supervisor while still waiting on the other cell phone for the nurse.

After waiting for about 20 minutes yet again, a nurse finally answered and she explained to me that 1. She has meetings in the mornings 2. The other nurse was late 3. There’s only 2 nurses taking calls 4. Today is has been very busy.

I find it comical that an old hospital with a brand new facility with several clinics, and perhaps hundreds of patients has only 2 nurses taking messages.

The nurse was respectful and helped me with everything I needed so I don’t hold it against her.

This is...