Hayward Hills Health Care Center

Pros

• The family's dedication to finding a comfortable nursing home for their grandmother reflects their deep love and care for her well-being during a challenging time.
• Despite the difficult circumstances, the family made every effort to visit their grandmother frequently, showcasing their commitment to her comfort and support.
• The family's proactive approach in seeking medical records demonstrates their determination to advocate for better care and ensure transparency in healthcare practices.
• The compassionate concern shown by the family members during their visits highlights the importance of being attentive to loved ones’ needs in care facilities.
• The experience served as a powerful lesson for the family about the importance of planning ahead for long-term care, emphasizing their desire to provide better options for future generations.

Cons

• The care provided at Hayward Hills was inadequate, with significant delays in starting necessary physical therapy.
• Staff negligence led to unsafe situations, including choking incidents and a lack of proper monitoring during meals.
• Residents often appeared neglected, as evidenced by the moaning and drooling observed during visits.
• The facility had an unpleasant odor and deteriorating conditions that worsened with each visit.
• Activities were limited and unengaging, leading to a lack of stimulation for residents.
• Basic hygiene needs were not met, reflecting poor personal care for residents.
• The living conditions contributed to mental distress for residents, as demonstrated by tragic attempts at self-harm.
• Bed sores on residents indicated neglect in providing adequate care and turning them regularly.
• The overall experience in the facility was distressing and far from dignified for those nearing the end of life.

Review

The experience of placing a loved one in a nursing home is often fraught with anxiety and difficult decisions, especially when that loved one is suffering from a debilitating condition. This sentiment is poignantly reflected in the harrowing accounts of the author's experiences with Hayward Hills, a facility meant to provide care but instead proved to be a site of distress and neglect for both residents and their families. The author details their mother’s troubling experience at Hayward Hills, which included prolonged delays in treatment and serious health complications arising from inadequate supervision.

Initially intended as a venue for physical rehabilitation, the care provided to the author's mother was subpar from the start. After three days without any exercise regime being initiated, her condition deteriorated significantly when she began experiencing severe chest pains. A 911 call revealed that her heart was under strain—a concerning development that highlighted the lack of monitoring she was subjected to while in care. On another occasion, due to insufficient oversight, she nearly choked while eating in an unsafe position; yet again, emergency services were summoned. The author describes a frightful visit during which they discovered their mother's oxygen saturation had plummeted dangerously low—an indication that neglect could have easily turned fatal if not timely addressed.

In parallel with these grave concerns regarding maternal care, the author faced dire circumstances with their grandmother, whose rapid decline due to aggressive brain degeneration forced the family into an urgent search for suitable nursing home accommodations. Just a year prior to her placement at Hayward Hills, she had been active in community service and gardening—clear indicators of her vibrant spirit—yet now required professional assistance due to incessant falls and balance issues. Unfortunately, within just months of diagnosis, securing a comfortable facility became paramount as the family's resources were limited by state medical plans.

This urgency led them to Hayward Hills—a decision made under duress that would haunt them for years. Initial impressions raised red flags; although unpleasant odors might be expected within such facilities, each subsequent visit revealed increasingly appalling conditions. To make matters worse, witnessing other residents’ distressing behaviors only compounded the family’s despair as they came face-to-face with how uninviting and uncomfortable this environment was for those who resided there.

The time spent visiting frequently underscored how dire circumstances were within Hayward Hills: residents often appeared disengaged or overlooked altogether during activities that had little appeal or participation. The authors' grandmother suffered greatly here; attempts at maintaining even basic hygiene went unsupported by staff members who seemed overwhelmed or unfocused on individual resident needs. Tragically, she experienced emotional strife amidst her physical deterioration—her desires going unheard until desperation led her toward suicidal thoughts.

Ultimately passing away after just three months—a stark contrast to doctors’ initial assessments predicting six months to a year—the author reflects on this profoundly painful journey through grief exacerbated by feelings of helplessness against institutional inadequacies. Such memories are indelibly etched into their psyche: disturbing sounds echoing from fellow residents blended with overpowering scents linger long after visits concluded. With these experiences serving as hard-earned lessons about eldercare options—and what can go terribly wrong—the author vows never again to subject any family member to similar outcomes without thorough prior planning and consideration.

Now seeing Hayward Hills every day evokes strong emotions; it stands not only as an institution where misfortune met beloved relatives but also as a harsh reminder of how vital advocacy is needed for vulnerable populations so that no other families must endure similar trauma when seeking adequate healthcare options for those they cherish most dearly.

Cafes

• Starbucks (0.7 miles)
• Starbucks (1.1 miles)
• Starbucks (5.7 miles)
• Boba Bliss (7.5 miles)
• Panera Bread (7.8 miles)
• Philz Coffee (8.2 miles)
• Joe & The Juice (8.2 miles)

Physicians

• Dr Mark Mandel M.D. - Optima Medical Assoc (0.7 miles)
• Kaiser Medical Offices (3.7 miles)
• Kaiser Permanente Pediatrics (3.7 miles)
• Reproductive Science Center (7.6 miles)
• Luxor Dental Prosthodontics & Implant Surgery (8.2 miles)
• Golden State Dermatology (8.8 miles)
• Foothill Optometric Group (8.8 miles)

Transportation

• Castro Valley BART Station (0.7 miles)
• South Hayward BART Station (3.4 miles)
• Union City BART Station (6.9 miles)
• West Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station (7.8 miles)
• JSX (8.1 miles)
• Terminal 2 (8.1 miles)
• Southwest Airlines Ticket Counter (8.1 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (0.8 miles)
• Rite Aid (0.8 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (0.9 miles)
• Safeway Pharmacy (1 miles)
• Walgreens (1 miles)
• Walgreens (1.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.1 miles)

Restaurants

• Chipotle Mexican Grill (1 miles)
• McDonald's (1.2 miles)
• McDonald's (1.3 miles)
• McDonald's (2.3 miles)
• In-N-Out Burger (3.4 miles)
• Sonic Drive-In (4.7 miles)
• Top Hatters Kitchen & Bar (5.5 miles)

Hospitals

• Eden Medical Center (1.6 miles)
• Kaiser Permanente Post-Acute Care Center (2.2 miles)
• Kaiser Permanente San Leandro Labor & Delivery (5.5 miles)
• Washington Hospital Heliport (9.9 miles)

Parks

• Bay Trees Park (1.6 miles)
• Castro Valley Park and Community Center (2.1 miles)
• Parsons Park (2.7 miles)
• Lake Chabot Regional Park (2.9 miles)
• Chabot Park (4.9 miles)
• Eden Landing Ecological Reserve (4.9 miles)
• Beard Staging Area, Alameda Creek Regional Trail (6.7 miles)

Places of Worship

• First Baptist Church Of Castro Valley (1.9 miles)
• Bethel Presbyterian Church Of San Leandro (4.3 miles)
• Wat Buddhanusorn (8 miles)
• Bay Area Chinese Bible Church (9.8 miles)