Kenosha Brookside Care Center

My dad was at Brookside Care Center from August to October 2023. Writing this is hard, but I feel like I owe it to him—and to other families who might be considering this facility. After a rehab stay, my dad moved to the skilled nursing side of Brookside because he needed help with transfers and daily care. We believed it would give him a chance to keep some quality of life—meals in the dining room, activities, maybe a little sunshine outside. All the things that were important to my dad. Instead, we watched him decline in ways we never expected. During his stay at Brookside, my dad suffered several serious setbacks that I believe were preventable with appropriate care. He developed a deep tissue unstageable injury (DTI) on his heel. Despite explicit instructions that nothing should be placed on that foot, staff repeatedly put a shoe over the injured area, worsening the wound. One day, I even found the inflatable heel boot placed over the shoe. Proper wound care and documentation were clearly lacking. The wound became so severe that even after we brought in a wound care specialist, it never fully healed. His foley catheter was mishandled during a change, with a nurse leaving him undressed and exposed after she placed it—which was not only degrading but also led to an infection. Alongside the physical neglect, my father's mental and emotional condition deteriorated dramatically. He became nonverbal, withdrawn, and disengaged. He stopped participating in activities he once loved, and he was no longer able to hold conversations with us during visits. His eyes appeared glassy and vacant, and he no longer seemed aware of his surroundings. His overall hydration and nutrition were poorly monitored, contributing to severe dehydration and further decline. He declined to the point that he could no longer feed himself, and swallowing became difficult. Because of his inability to swallow, he was placed on a care plan requiring thickened liquids to prevent choking. On multiple occasions when I visited, I witnessed staff giving him regular water or juice, causing him to choke while trying to drink. I also found pills on his shirt and on the floor during visits, suggesting he was not being properly monitored when taking medications. One day, I walked in and heard a CNA yelling at him out of frustration because he wasn’t understanding what she wanted him to do. I went in, calmly redirected him, and he was easily able to do what she was asking. All it took was a little patience—and someone actually helping him—instead of just yelling. We ended up moving my dad to another assisted living community. I had to make the very difficult decision that he would have to remain in bed—taking away all the little things that mattered to him. But I was so afraid of what might happen next at Brookside, I had no choice. I really thought I was moving him so he could die somewhere where people loved him and cared for him with respect and dignity. And then something incredible happened. Within days of leaving Brookside, he improved. He was alert again. Eating. Talking. Smiling. He enjoyed music and crafts in his room. It was so clear—his decline wasn’t from age or illness. It was from neglect. I filed a complaint with the state. After investigating, they found Brookside negligent and issued a citation. A correction plan was put in place—but when the state returned to follow up, Brookside hadn’t followed through. That, to me, said everything. When a facility is formally cited for neglect and still refuses to change its protocols, it shows exactly how little concern they have for the safety and dignity of the people in their care. If they won’t make changes even after being found guilty by the state, what hope do families have in trusting them to do the right thing on their own? Please, if you’re considering Brookside—ask questions. Show up unexpectedly. Trust your gut. What happened to my dad should never happen to anyone.

My father was treated horribly at this facility. Too many things to list, but we had to remove him in a hurry. Staff is either not well trained or just incompetent. Management lied and failed to take accountability.

So I just got a interview for this place by compass group and I was wondering if we get paided for this