Concordia of the South Hills

After my grandpa underwent a sudden and serious heart surgery, he spent two weeks in the hospital recovering. When it was time for his rehab facility, Concordia was our only option. We trusted that they would help him, physically and emotionally. Instead they broke our hearts. He was only at Concordia for 24 hours, but the damage in that short time was immense. From the moment he arrived, he felt something was off. He could sense the staff's lack of motivation and care. He was right. Thank God my mom stayed with him that night. He needed to use the bathroom 3 times and the efforts from the staff were lacking. If she hadn’t been there, he would have been left to lay in his own waste, humiliated and helpless. That is neglect. Even during the day, calls for help were left, 20 minutes or more. 20 minutes can be a long time for someone who is elderly and recovering. He was there to get stronger but instead he was left in his wheelchair for most of the day. They ignored the surgeon's orders to keep his feet elevated for circulation. The PT which was the whole point of the stay barely happened. He has gotten more of that at home with his family’s help. He told us the people who handled food didn’t wash or sanitize before touching his food after touching everything else. This is unacceptable in a setting with vulnerable, recovering patients. On top of all this his bed was uncomfortable and the chair he was expected to sit on was sunken and broken. We know not every experience here will be like ours, but we’re also not alone. We have heard many similar stories from other patients’ families. When our loved ones are at their most fragile, they deserve to be in places that feel safe, clean, compassionate, and human. Concordia was none of those things. A beautiful exterior doesn’t guarantee a beautiful interior. We must do better. For anyone who finds themselves relying on a facility. No one should have to go through what my grandpa did. Going forward my suggestion would be to have a physical therapist available from 9am-9pm assessing all new incoming patients. Therefore they can report back to the staff the specific needs of each individual patient. They could benefit from a white board in each room with the names of different nurses/staff helping. Just an overall more personable experience would make worlds of a difference.

My Dad has been in the rehab center for the past 5 weeks after falling in Dairy Queen’s parking lot and shredding his tendons that connect his quad to his knee cap. He cannot say enough good things about everyone who came to help him recovery while he was there. The physical and occupational therapists were so encouraging as he worked to get the “lifting” of his knee working again. The Nurses and Aides who took care of his personal needs while he recovered, were caring and compassionate.

My mom got discharged a month a go and she can’t stop talking about The nurse Fengi who was very dedicated and caring. Great place, very hospitable