Hanover Health & Rehabilitation at Birmingham

Cons

• The facility was terrible.
• The grandfather died there; on his first night, nurses didn't lift him after he fell.
• He was forced to wear a hospital gown instead of his own clothes.
• He was placed in a room with strangers and had no privacy.
• A neighbor died there and his family wasn't informed.
• The nurses are described as being there only to get a paycheck.
• The mom fell on the first night and lay on the floor for a while before being found.
• The place put on a good show to recruit patients but did not deliver on promised care.
• Night assistance is rushed; residents are told to hurry up and not wait to use the bathroom.

Review

What follows is a deeply troubling tapestry of experiences shared about a particular care facility, drawn from several accounts spanning years. Taken together, the stories describe a pattern of neglect that touches on safety, privacy, communication, and basic compassion. At the core is a sense that the place, rather than serving as a dignified refuge in illness or old age, often becomes a place where vulnerable people are left to endure avoidable harm and where families are left to confront painful gaps in care and information.

One of the most jarring threads runs from a 2012 incident involving a grandfather who was in the facility. On his first night there, he fell, and the accounts say the nurses did not respond promptly - he was left on the floor for some time. The family recalls that he was not allowed to wear his own clothing but instead was confined to a hospital gown, which added a strip of dignity to a distressing situation. He was placed in a room with several strangers, with little to no privacy. The overall impression is that there was no opportunity for humane, individualized care in his moment of need, and this early encounter left a lingering sense of mistrust and fear about what might happen next.

The same theme of insufficient attention and poor communication reappears in a later account about a neighbor who died at the facility. In that case, the reviewer states that the family was not informed of the death. This lack of timely notification compounds the sense of abandonment already felt by families in a stressful situation. The explicit warning that emerges from these stories is stark: do not put your loved ones in this place. The language used - "it is like Guantanamo Bay for the elderly" - is meant to convey not only neglect but also a perceived violation of dignity and basic respect, painting the facility as a punitive environment rather than a place of care.

A second major cluster of complaints targets the attitude and priorities of the staff. The reviewers describe nurses as primarily motivated by a paycheck rather than a commitment to patient well-being. The frustration is palpable: a mother who fell on the very first night of admission, who ended up on the floor before anyone responded. The narrative makes clear that, in these accounts, the care team sometimes performed a convincing outward persona to attract families, only to fail to deliver the promised standards of care once the families were enrolled. The sense is that the facility relies on appearances to win business, without following through on essential, life-sustaining tasks.

Safety concerns are another dominant thread. The fall of the reviewer's mom is described with particular emphasis on the delay in assistance and the lack of proactive monitoring. The account suggests that once a call for help is made at night, staff hurry families along rather than spending time to respond thoroughly and safely. This peremptory approach to urgent needs - where residents are told to hurry up or where caregivers impose rigid routines without considering individual circumstances - creates a climate of insecurity. It hints at a broader pattern in which basic needs such as bathroom assistance and timely response are treated as inconveniences rather than priorities.

The discipline of daily routines is questioned as well, with a specific example about baths and wake times. The facility's proposed schedule - waking residents up around 5 a.m. for a bath - feels misaligned with what might be best for someone who is elderly, fragile, or recovering from illness. The tone throughout these accounts implies that such routines are rigidly enforced without regard to comfort, dignity, or the personal needs of residents. This rigidity is presented as another facet of a system that places administrative or financial concerns above compassionate, individualized care.

Minor but telling details reinforce the broader concerns about dignity and the quality of life for residents. The phrase "would not put a lame dog in the place" is used to contrast with the care or warmth one would expect for a living animal in need of care. It serves as a pointed metaphor for residents who, from these accounts, appear to be treated as less than fully valued beings. The cumulative effect of these remarks is to portray a facility that falls short on basic kindness, safety, and respect in ways that impact both patients and their families.

Taken together, these accounts form a somber, cautioned portrait of a care environment that many families would rather avoid. The repeated themes - delayed responses to falls, lack of privacy, insufficient communication about critical events, staff attitudes driven by turnover or paycheck mentality, and rigid, poorly attended routines - point to a systemic pattern rather than isolated incidents. The overarching message is one of warning: for families seeking a safe, respectful, and responsive place for loved ones, there are serious concerns here that demand attention, transparency, and accountability. If what's described is accurate, the impact on the elderly residents and their families can be profound, reshaping decisions about care and trust in a setting that is supposed to provide support, dignity, and peace of mind.

This part of Birmingham, Alabama offers a convenient and vibrant living environment with a variety of amenities nearby. The area is home to several top-notch hospitals including Ascension St Vincent’s Birmingham and UAB Hospital, ensuring easy access to quality healthcare services. There are also reputable physicians in the vicinity such as Maria S. Prelipcean, MD and Pediatric Nephrology Of Alabama, PC for any medical needs. In terms of dining options, residents can enjoy diverse culinary experiences at restaurants like Rojo and Automatic Seafood and Oysters. Additionally, the area boasts charming cafes like The Red Cat and Continental Bakery for leisurely outings. For recreational activities, residents have access to parks such as Rotary Trail and Avondale Park for outdoor enjoyment. Transportation is also convenient with Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport just a short distance away. Overall, this part of Birmingham provides a well-rounded community for senior living with various amenities within close proximity.

Hospitals

• Ascension St Vincent’s Birmingham (0.1 miles)
• UAB Spain-Wallace Building (0.8 miles)
• Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital (0.9 miles)
• UAB Hospital (0.9 miles)
• Women & Infants Center (1 miles)
• Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children (1.1 miles)
• Baptist Medical Center (3.7 miles)

Physicians

• Maria S. Prelipcean, MD (0.2 miles)
• Pediatric Nephrology Of Alabama, PC (0.7 miles)
• UAB Center For Aging (0.7 miles)
• Baptist Health System (0.7 miles)
• Alabama Ophthalmology Associates PC (0.8 miles)
• Mark, Victor Dr-Spain Rehabilitation Center (1 miles)
• Children's of Alabama - Pediatric ENT Associates (1.1 miles)

Restaurants

• Rojo (0.3 miles)
• Hattie B's Hot Chicken (0.4 miles)
• Automatic Seafood and Oysters (0.5 miles)
• Fish Market Restaurant (0.6 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (0.7 miles)
• Cahaba Brewing Company (0.7 miles)
• Pies & Pints (1 miles)

Pharmacies

• Birmingham Nuclear Pharmacy (0.4 miles)
• Walgreens (0.4 miles)
• Birmingham Apothecary (0.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.2 miles)
• Walgreens (1.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2 miles)
• Walgreens (3.2 miles)

Cafes

• The Red Cat (0.7 miles)
• Continental Bakery (0.8 miles)
• Starbucks (0.9 miles)
• The Essential (1.2 miles)
• Revelator Coffee Company (1.4 miles)
• Starbucks (4.1 miles)
• Starbucks (4.6 miles)

Parks

• Rotary Trail (1 miles)
• Railroad Park (1.3 miles)
• Avondale Park (1.4 miles)
• Lakeshore Running Trail (4.1 miles)

Places of Worship

• Levite Jewish Community Center (1.9 miles)
• Galilee Baptist Church (2.1 miles)
• Canterbury United Methodist Church (2.2 miles)
• Dawson Family of Faith (2.5 miles)
• All Saints Episcopal Church (2.5 miles)
• Covenant Presbyterian Church (3 miles)
• McElwain Baptist Church (3.5 miles)

Theaters

• AMC DINE-IN Vestavia Hills 1 (4.1 miles)

Transportation

• Concourse C (4.3 miles)
• Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) (4.4 miles)