Palos Verdes Paradise Homes

Pros

• The grounds of the facility were pretty, creating a pleasant environment for residents.
• The staff appeared friendly and caring during visits, providing some comfort to the family.
• The owner is a retired MD, which gave the family confidence in her ability to manage care at the facility.
• The family appreciated the owner’s willingness to speak with them when they had concerns about their father's care.
• The decision to transition to hospice care was made with careful consideration for the father's well-being, demonstrating the family's dedication and love.

Cons

• The owner of CVM rarely communicated with the family despite being a retired doctor who promised good care.
• My father experienced a rapid decline in health, losing over 40 pounds and the ability to walk and talk within just 7 weeks.
• The staff failed to inform the family about my father's significant weight loss and inability to swallow.
• My father had to wait an hour with his dinner in his mouth before anyone noticed he was unresponsive.
• He was sent to the ER severely dehydrated and malnourished due to lack of proper attention.
• A stage three bedsore that became infected was discovered at the hospital, shocking the nursing staff there.
• The failure of CVM staff to attend to basic needs like skin care and feeding contributed to my father's deterioration.
• The owner argued when informed my father would not be returning, showing a lack of understanding or empathy for the family's situation.

Review

In August 2013, the family made the difficult decision to move their father, who was battling dementia, into a facility known as CVM. Their initial impression of CVM was positive; they had been assured by the owner, a retired medical doctor who claimed she lived on-site, that their father would receive exceptional care. The picturesque grounds and friendly staff further reinforced this belief, suggesting a nurturing environment for someone with specialized needs. However, as time went on, the family's optimism began to wane drastically.

Despite the friendly demeanor of the staff at CVM, communication from the management—especially from the owner—was alarmingly limited. Over the course of just seven weeks, the father's condition deteriorated rapidly; he lost over 40 pounds and developed severe complications such as an inability to walk or talk. Although rapid decline can occur in dementia patients, his family felt neglected because they were not informed about his worsening condition. Importantly, he never saw a doctor during his stay at CVM despite assurances that medical attention was part of his care plan. The lack of monitoring and updates left his family feeling abandoned and bewildered.

The tipping point arrived after seven weeks when his mother finally managed to corner the owner about her husband's declining health and insisted he see a physician that very day. This conversation marked a critical moment leading to an emergency situation later that evening: CVM called an ambulance because their father had sat with food in his mouth for over an hour without any staff noticing. By this time, he was unresponsive and terribly malnourished due to dehydration—a direct consequence of neglectful oversight that should never occur in a care facility.

Upon arrival at the emergency room, doctors discovered not only severe dehydration but also a stage three bedsore that had become infected. The nurses were reportedly shocked by its severe state; such infections are known complications when proper skin care is neglected for bedridden patients. A medical professional stated plainly that infections like these could further complicate dementia symptoms—creating a disastrous cycle fueled by inadequate care at CVM.

As reality set in regarding their father's grave condition and compromised quality of life due to neglect at CVM, the family was forced to make heart-wrenching decisions about end-of-life care possibilities. They ultimately decided hospice care would be more appropriate for him given what they perceived as unfit conditions at CVM. Emotional turmoil accompanied this decision as they wrestled with hope lost amid such profound inadequacies in caregiving.

Just as it seemed they could begin to turn toward solace in hospice care—which typically promotes comfort rather than curative treatment—the owner of CVM contacted them again concerning whether their father would return to her facility now that hospice had been initiated. Her response suggested dismissiveness towards their grave circumstances when she argued they should bring him back since "hospice" services could also be offered there—a troubling statement revealing either ignorance or disregard for how profoundly unsuitable her facility had proven itself already.

Overall, while it is essential to recognize dementia's irreversible progression, it is equally vital for families placing loved ones into specialized facilities like CVM to expect adequate supervision and comprehensive care tailored specifically to each patient's evolving needs—neither of which seemed present during their father's time there. Shadows cast by broken promises have led this family on an agonizing journey filled with loss—not only concerning their father's health but also regarding trust in systems meant to provide compassion and support during challenging times.

Located in the beautiful city of Rancho Palos Verdes, California, this area offers a variety of amenities and services that cater to seniors. With several cafes such as Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee for socializing, theaters like AMC Rolling Hills 2 for entertainment, and nearby pharmacies including CVS and Rite Aid for convenience, residents have easy access to daily necessities. The abundance of parks like Charles H. Wilson Park provides opportunities for outdoor recreation and relaxation. In terms of healthcare, there are reputable physicians such as Dr. Theresa Paulson at Palos Verdes Dermatology and the Harbor UCLA Medical Center nearby. Additionally, places of worship like Peninsula Community Church offer spiritual support. Restaurants offering a range of cuisines and transportation options including the Long Beach Airport make this area a convenient and pleasant place for senior living.

Cafes

• Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee (1.7 miles)
• Starbucks (7.5 miles)
• Lees Sandwiches - Gard (7.6 miles)
• Starbucks (8.3 miles)
• Donut King 2 (9 miles)
• Corner Bakery Cafe (9.8 miles)
• Starbucks (10.7 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Rolling Hills 2 (1.8 miles)
• AMC Del Amo 18 (4.7 miles)
• AMC DINE-IN South Bay Galleria 16 (7.4 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (1.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.9 miles)
• Rite Aid (2.6 miles)
• Rite Aid (3 miles)
• Walgreens (3.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.3 miles)

Parks

• De Portola Park (2 miles)
• Sur La Brea Park (3.2 miles)
• Charles H. Wilson Park (4.2 miles)
• Sunnyglen Park (6.2 miles)
• Noble Park (7.8 miles)
• Shoreline Aquatic Park (8 miles)
• Rainbow Lagoon Park (8.3 miles)

Physicians

• Paulson Theresa A Palos Verdes Dermatology Rolling Hills Estates (2 miles)
• Monica B Espiritu M.D. | Kaiser Permanente (2.8 miles)
• Harbor Ucla Medical Center - David Durkovich Do (4.9 miles)
• Lighthouse Pediatrics (5 miles)
• UCLA Health Manhattan Beach Pediatrics (9 miles)

Places of Worship

• Peninsula Community Church (2.4 miles)
• St Catherine Laboure Church (7.7 miles)

Restaurants

• In-N-Out Burger (2.5 miles)
• King's Hawaiian Bakery (3.9 miles)
• Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar (4.7 miles)
• Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior Restaurant (4.7 miles)
• McDonald's (5.3 miles)
• Monkish Brewing (5.7 miles)
• In-N-Out Burger (5.8 miles)

Transportation

• Port Of Long Beach (8.6 miles)
• Metro - Willow Street Station (8.7 miles)
• Komar Aviation Group (10.6 miles)
• Long Beach Airport (LGB) (11.4 miles)