St James Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center

Pros

• The staff at St. James Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center is described as wonderful and very helpful, providing excellent care to the residents.
• Patients receive 24-hour care and have access to a house doctor, ensuring consistent medical oversight and support.
• There are plenty of engaging activities available, such as music, bingo, and tai chi, keeping residents active and entertained.
• Family members feel reassured by the communication from staff regarding any changes or concerns about their loved ones' health.
• Residents appreciate the kindness and patience of the staff, contributing to a positive atmosphere in the facility.
• Many patients express satisfaction with their therapy progress, noting significant improvements during their stay at St. James.
• The therapeutic recreation team receives special praise for their engaging programs, particularly in music therapy.
• Patients have reported making new friends and enjoying social interactions within the facility’s communal dining area.

Cons

• The weekends at St. James suffer from lack of staffing, leaving residents without adequate care.
• Mary is often left alone during meals, resulting in her potentially going without eating.
• There are long wait times for assistance after the aide button is pressed, indicating poor response from the staff.
• Staff members have difficulty recognizing medical issues, such as seizures, even when they occur in front of them.
• Residents are often encouraged to use bedpans instead of receiving proper assistance to go to the bathroom.
• It took two weeks for staff to agree to test Mary for a possible UTI despite repeated requests.
• The physical therapy provided is minimal, amounting to less than 5 hours a week, which is insufficient for recovery.
• Food quality at St. James is described as disastrous and inedible by some residents.
• There are reports of severe neglect regarding personal hygiene and care during busy periods or weekends.
• A resident experienced a painful bed sore due to improper guidance from staff on how to reposition themselves in bed.

Review

The experiences shared by families at St. James Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center reveal a complex landscape of care, from the challenges faced by some residents to the praise offered by others. These reviews highlight both the disparities in service quality within the facility and how individual circumstances can significantly affect perceptions of care.

One family member vividly describes their wife’s struggles at St. James, detailing alarming shortcomings exacerbated by staffing shortages, particularly on weekends. The reviewer expresses deep concern for the care of their spouse, who requires assistance with basic daily activities such as eating and using the bathroom. With only one nurse and two aides responsible for 60 residents, many individuals are left unattended for long stretches. This family member recounted an astounding 50-minute wait after pressing the aide button—an experience that raises troubling questions about resident safety and well-being in situations where immediate assistance is necessary. Moreover, incidents like a seizure going unnoticed add to their anxiety about inadequate staff training and responsiveness.

In stark contrast to this narrative of neglect, another family sharing a positive experience emphasizes the attentive care their aunt receives at St. James. They describe her as always clean, free from pain, and well-accommodated by staff who keep them informed about any changes in her condition. The environment is portrayed as professional and caring, highlighting efforts made during restricted visitations due to virus protocols, which included scheduled meetings with nurses and social workers to facilitate communication between residents and their families.

However, additional feedback reveals significant gaps in rehabilitation services specifically for physical therapy (PT). One reviewer points out that despite being labeled a rehab facility, they received less than five hours of PT each week—a minuscule fraction considering the standard expectations for rehabilitating patients seeking to regain independence after medical setbacks or surgeries. They reported long periods spent sitting idle in wheelchairs or lying in bed without adequate activity or support from caregivers who often failed to respond promptly to calls for help.

Positively contrasting this experience is another account praising St James’ therapeutic recreational teams and various engaging activities tailored to enhance residents' quality of life. Family members noted that events like music therapy have been particularly beneficial in lifting spirits among residents while fostering connections through shared experiences such as singing or art projects like mask painting for Mardi Gras festivities.

Despite these affirming encounters with staff and programs designed to enrich lives at St. James Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center, there are lingering concerns regarding food quality across multiple reviews; while some residents remain indifferent or find acceptable alternatives brought from home, others cited it as subpar enough that it led to significant weight loss.

Amidst these varied accounts lies a profound sense of urgency from families advocating for better overall patient care standards at St James. As frustrations surface over inconsistent staffing levels leading directly to delayed response times during health crises—emphasizing the importance of an adequate patient-to-staff ratio—they highlight that although improvements are underway regarding activities and socialization opportunities post-pandemic restrictions, fundamental changes in individual care practices must also be addressed going forward.

As families continue navigating these complexities—the commendable aspects alongside distressing deficiencies—they collectively voice a shared hope: not just improved conditions now but sustained enhancements moving forward so that all patients receive dignified treatment catered appropriately to their needs during vulnerable transitions back into everyday living.

Theaters

• AMC Stony Brook 17 (0.7 miles)
• Regal Ronkonkoma (4.1 miles)
• Island 16 Cinema de Lux (6.1 miles)

Restaurants

• Shake Shack (0.8 miles)
• Red Lobster (0.9 miles)
• Lake Grove Diner (1 miles)
• Bahama Breeze (1.1 miles)
• Burger King (1.2 miles)
• Miller's Ale House - Lake Grove (1.3 miles)
• Applebee's (1.5 miles)

Physicians

• Dr Denis O'Brien, MD (0.9 miles)
• Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology (1.3 miles)
• Stony Brook Cancer Center (2.3 miles)
• ProHEALTH East End Eye (2.3 miles)
• Endocrine Associates of Long Island (2.4 miles)
• Branch Pediatrics (2.5 miles)
• Long Island State Veterans Home (2.7 miles)

Pharmacies

• Duane Reade (1.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.5 miles)
• Walgreens (2.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.8 miles)
• Walgreens (2.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.2 miles)
• Walgreens (3.3 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.1 miles)
• Student Activities Center (2.6 miles)
• Crazy Beans (2.7 miles)
• Nesconset Bagel Cafe (3.2 miles)
• Starbucks (4.4 miles)
• Starbucks (4.6 miles)
• Starbucks (4.8 miles)

Hospitals

• Main Lobby (2.5 miles)
• St Catherine of Siena Medical Center (4.4 miles)
• John T Mather Memorial Hospital (6.1 miles)
• St Charles Hospital (6.3 miles)

Parks

• Avalon Park & Preserve (2.5 miles)
• West Meadow Beach (4.5 miles)
• Selden Dog Park (4.6 miles)
• Sunken Meadow State Park (6.2 miles)

Transportation

• LIRR - Ronkonkoma Station (5.2 miles)