Margaret Tietz Nursing and Rehabilitation Center — Attraction in New York

One star, and that's generous. My mother has been at this facility since last Monday afternoon. I read good reviews about their rehab., which is why she is there. Every day there has been at least one issue, usually more. My mother has had therapy, but I happened to arrive the other day when she was in P.T., and observed a bit of the session. I was disappointed. The P.T.A. was treating more than one patient concurrently (not unusual), and there were long lapses in treatment/attention to my mother (they had my mother-90 years old- seated in a wheelchair rest her legs on a therapy ball, and pull her legs in and out, and walked away. I think that they did some stretching and walked her down the hallway...that was it). The food is terrible, and she is left to sit in a wheelchair in her room for most of the day. She has complained about how they wash and dress her in the morning, and I have had to ask that they allow her to complete as much of her ADLs as possible independently with assistance, instead of doing it for her (after all, she will be discharged and she needs to do this at home safely). They provide a phone, but she cannot call out to save her life...she has reported that she has to dial the switchboard, and is left hanging on until she gets so frustrated that she hangs up the phone. I realize that the staff is busy, but come on! This is short-term rehab. I expect more...a lot more. The one star is for the cleanliness of her room. Don't trust the website, and send you loved one elsewhere. I will update this post later this week (if I haven't had her transferred).

4/16/18: Update: My mother will be discharged tomorrow. So here's what I have to say; The facility is clean and well-lit. If you need to speak with someone, there is usually someone available without an appointment. If you are available on a daily basis to ensure that everything is being implemented and everyone is doing their respective jobs, then perhaps they will. You have to be a presence. You have to be a good advocate, and unafraid to speak up on your loved one's behalf. Make sure that you request a team meeting, and ask questions! Once I discovered that certain things were in my mother's chart but not being implemented, I started calling, and speaking with the department supervisors. Then, and only then did things start to happen. My mother has made progress, and feels much more confident of her ability to transition to assisted living...after a lot of stress and tears on my part. I hate confrontation, but I have learned a lot. I will increase my overall impression to 3 stars, but that is only really for the social worker, and the rehab....

My mother stayed at this facility for about 1.5 wks and overall, it is a decent facility with attentive and caring staff. I researched ratings on medicare.gov and Google before deciding on this facility and in the Queens area, this place had better reviews. It is clean, and from my experience, the nurses and staff are attentive (at least on the 6th floor). Any concerning issues brought to their attention were addressed. If it couldn't, they'd explain why. My phone calls were always returned in a timely manner. To get around the voice prompts, ask for a direct number or extension. If no one answers the call, call Hannah from admissions. She is absolutely wonderful and responsive. Regarding activities for short term residents, there doesn't seem to be much or any activities for short term residents to participate in. This weekend I did observe some residents lined in the hallway in wheelchairs for music time. There is also a nice little garden outside with a water fountain and benches to sit, relax. On the weekends, it seems they may be short-staffed. For food, there is no menu selection. You eat what is provided. My mom was not fond of the food, but she said it was edible. One thing I recommend to the owner of the facilty: Before you test the security system, an announcement should be made on the intercom for the residents that the security system is about to be tested, and repeat, that this is a test. My mother started to hear alarms, and 'Intruder Alert" several times. She got really scared and didn't know what was happening or what to do. Lastly, please be consistent with checking COVID vaccine cards and any other covid protocols for the protection of the residents. Good job with currently being COVID free and keeping everyone safe. Special thanks to Marissa, Mazal, Dr Corey, Kiara and Vivian, but a very special thanks from the bottom of my heart for Ruanty (sp ?). She went "above and beyond" for my mother's comfort and bathed her although not on the schedule. A true gem, and so sweet and caring. Overall, good facility and happy with the care and attention my mother received and responsiveness to all my...

1 star but I wish I could give them 0 stars. Worst place ever. My mom was there for rehab following surgery for a cranial hemotoma in late 2017 through early 2018. The goal was to get her to walk again. Not only did they fail to do so, but when they saw they were unable to help they failed to recommend trying other places. However, this isn't the worst of it. Insurance is supposed to cover the first 100 days. My mom was only there 76 days, so her stay should have been covered. Instead, the insurance company cut her off due to failure to improve after only 37 days, which is illegal per the Jimmo vs. Sebelius lawsuit. The staff at Margaret Tietz should have known this and forced the insurance company to pay. Instead, they billed US for the remaining 39 days, at nearly twice the rate the insurance company was paying them! Because my mom couldn't walk, it took some time to prepare the house for her eventual return. We had no options other than to leave her there until the work was done, and hope they could get her walking again.

They sent us a bill for $23,000, which not only could we not afford to pay, but also which we shouldn't be obligated to pay since the insurance company was legally required to pay for the first 100 days. I tried explaining this to them multiple times to no avail. Now we're being sued, with the summons naming my mentally incompetent mother as the defendant, even though I told them I have power of attorney. Moreover, they're doing this in the middle of a pandemic, which is frankly ridiculous and unethical.

Anyway, I highly recommend that people...