The Guilford House — Local services in Guilford

The Guilford House is TERRIBLE!!!!!!! I am writing on behalf of my grandmother and the negligence that occurred to her while at the Gilford House, which resulted to her passing. My grandmother entered the Guilford House on August 5, 2020. Since her admission there, her emotional and physical well-being immediately declined. There were several incidents that occurred while she was a resident at their facility. Upon admission, the staff were unprofessional and not providing the family with any update on her treatment plan. They would screen our calls or just not answer. We would visit outside her window for 5+ hours at a time, where we witnessed that no one would check in on her during the entire visit. We would call the nurses’ station and/or front desk during our visit, and no one would answer as they would screen the calls. Gianna would request water, food, diaper change and no one entered for hours. Being that she was Italian speaking and the staff notified us that they did not understand her or have a translator available, we as a family expressed concerns surrounding the ability of a facility to responsibly treat her. We spoke with nursing directors and our concerns were minimized and not addressed. My grandmother would constantly tell us during visits that she was hungry and thirsty and it took hours before a nurse would come into the room. They did not follow legal guidelines with changing her diaper as well as feeding/drinking. She was often found without pants on and freezing cold. We would call staff to dress her and once again, we would wait hours before someone would answer the phone or even come into her room. She also had a fall from her wheelchair while there due to irresponsible staff leaving her unattended for hours without a belt or the foot rest. She lost weight and always reported not having energy which was witnessed during our visits. She was a very active person with an appetite and due to the lack of treatment, she immediately declined at the Guilford House. When we made these complaints and expressed our concerns, the following day she would be completely sedated and they would explain that they gave her pain medication, although she only requested Tylenol and did not complain of pain. They would always give pain medication after concerns were expressed and after she would notify us that they did not provide her with food or water for hours. She was also left in the dark due to staff not coming in to put lights on. Since admission, she continued to regress. They offered limited physical therapy and due to not having a translator they were incapable of completing the exercises. No one suggested return to home or hospice. Family had to request information from outside resources on how to remove her from the facility. The social worker explained that we needed treatment to be set up prior to removing her. RN supervisor, Ann closed window during family visits to avoid family from having communication with our grandmother. We were always told that there were staff shortage and other visitors were always complaining of neglect. In addition, after her passing their MD, Dr. Perera called with an update on her condition unaware that his patient passed away. At this time, we are asking for justice. Our geriatric population needs to be treated equally and we need to hold these agencies accountable for their lack of treatment. It is illegal not to present to a patient’s room for over 5 hours. It is also illegal to not change or feed a patient for those number of hours. My grandmother was well aware of the lack of treatment and the family was working hard on trying to remove her, however the facility did not assist at all which prolonged the transition and unfortunately lead to her death. Please help me...

I have stayed at Guilford House multiple times. I spent 20 days in 2015 for rehabbing from hip replacement. Second time, I stayed 12 days for rehabbing for balance issue due to concussion from a bad fall. First two months of 2021, I was at Gaylord acute rehab hospital for 3 weeks recovering from broken neck surgery due to a fall. Unfortunately, in midst of Covid pandemic, Guilford House was not admitting any new patients. So, I spent 5 weeks at Elim Park Rehab facility in Cheshire. Recently, I came back to Guilford House third time as a patient due to physical instability.

I required much hands-on personal care assistance on many things due to afflicted paralyzed left side of my body due to a stroke. I need assistance with bathing, dressing, brushing teeth, going to bathroom that includes wiping my butt. The Personal Care Assistance, PCAs were friendly, always ready to help. Although, there were times, the response time could be faster, but I knew the PCAs were doing their best to be attentive to complete taking care of a patient before PCA moves on to response to next patient. I certainly would not like if PCA stops helping me in order to respond to a patient who just rang the call bell. I have witnessed lot of PCAs are on their feet entire time of his/her shift. The therapy department at Guilford House is staffed with experienced therapist with sound evaluation skills and ability to determine each patient’s limitation. Th food is excellent! All my three stays at Guilford Hose, I ate all my meals in the dining room where I got waited on like a sit-down restaurant.

Truth is I feel everyone, both patients, staff and owner in Guilford House is part of my family. I volunteered at Guilford House over 10 years until pandemic. I used to come to Guilford House on every Friday , have lunch with residents in the dining room, then I walked around the entire facility, visited with residence/patients , stopped at the therapy room and observe therapists working with patients. Often, I also played a role of cheerleader, encouraging patients not to give up. Does Guildford House need room for improvement? Answer is definitely Yes! However, based on my 10n years of volunteering experience and three separate stays as a patient and my experience s at other rehab facilities, I feel confident to come back to Guilford House when I need a...

I can’t express enough how grateful I am for the exceptional care and compassion shown to my loved one at The Guilford House. From the moment we walked through the doors, it was clear that the staff was not only highly professional but genuinely caring. They went above and beyond to ensure my loved one felt safe, respected, and supported throughout the entire recovery process. Every nurse, therapist, and even doctor took the time to get to know my loved one’s specific needs and treated them with the utmost kindness and dignity. The level of personalized care was incredible, and it truly made a difference in their recovery. The team was always available to answer questions, offer reassurance, and provide guidance. It was clear that they were invested in my loved one's well-being, not just as a patient, but as a person. What stood out most was the compassion. The environment was warm, welcoming, and full of positivity, which helped my loved one stay motivated during some tough moments. The therapists were not only experts in their field but also incredibly patient and encouraging, ensuring that every step of the journey felt manageable. Thanks to the outstanding care at The Guilford House, my loved one has made significant progress, and we are forever grateful. If you are looking for a rehab facility where your loved one will receive the highest level of care, respect, and compassion, I cannot recommend this place enough. It’s truly a place where healing happens—not just physically, but emotionally as well. Thank you for your kindness...