Highland Health And Rehabilitation

Pros

• The staff at Highland showed exceptional care and compassion for residents, cherishing them in their individual ways.
• The facility was welcoming and friendly, making it a supportive environment for both residents and families.
• Staff members demonstrated knowledge of the residents' needs and were helpful to nursing students seeking guidance.
• A missing blanket was thoughtfully returned to the family, highlighting the dedication of the staff.
• Overall, many residents received attentive care during their stay at Highland.

Cons

• The facility was disorganized, with staff seemingly unaware of each other's notes and care instructions.
• The nursing staff mistook thrush for food residue in the patient's mouth, leading to inadequate treatment.
• A nurse's aide attempted to assist the patient with toileting despite the patient having a catheter, indicating a lack of attention to detail.
• There were significant issues with communication between staff, resulting in poor care and treatment decisions.
• The patient was given morphine instead of the prescribed expectorant, contributing to her decline.
• Overall conditions within the facility were inadequate, including cramped dining spaces and insufficient shower facilities.
• The patient suffered from multiple painful wounds during her stay, raising concerns about the quality of care provided.
• Staff seemed overwhelmed and unable to deliver appropriate meals based on residents’ medical needs.

Review

The experience of placing a loved one in a care facility can be wrought with emotional turmoil and anxiety, particularly when that loved one suffers from a debilitating condition like Alzheimer’s. One family’s journey with Highland Nursing and Rehabilitation Center highlights the complexities of care in such facilities, encompassing both the warmth of dedicated staff and the challenges inherent in institutional care settings.

Initially, the family expressed gratitude for the compassionate approach of the staff at Highland. They noted how the caregivers not only tended to their mother’s physical needs but also cherished her personality and preferences—even her stubbornness—making an undeniable effort to foster a sense of dignity during her decline. The family appreciated this dedication immensely, especially when they received a package nearly a year after her passing, which contained a knitted blanket that had belonged to their granddaughter. This thoughtful gesture stood as a testament to the staff's caring character, showcasing their commitment to preserving personal connections even in difficult circumstances.

Despite these positive aspects, the family's experience was overshadowed by significant concerns regarding the overall management and organization within Highland. While many residents benefited from compassionate interactions with knowledgeable staff members—who often assisted nursing students—there were glaring issues related to space and resource constraints within the facility itself. Residents found themselves navigating cramped living quarters; some rooms were too small for two individuals, making mobility cumbersome and limiting both personal space and storage options for belongings. These factors contributed to an environment that felt constrained rather than accommodating.

Furthermore, as dining times approached, families observed how high traffic areas became chaotic due to insufficient space in the dining hall—a challenge exacerbated by many residents relying on wheelchairs for mobility. With only one shower room available for all residents requiring assistance, this logistical bottleneck led to further frustrations concerning accessibility during peak hours. While overall impressions indicated that Highland was welcoming and friendly—with employees generally treating residents with respect—the structural limitations left much to be desired.

Unfortunately, beyond these infrastructural concerns lay more distressing issues related directly to medical care. The family's experience took an alarming turn following their mother's diagnosis of end-stage cancer just prior to her admission into Highland. Initially entering with intact skin and manageable pain levels under hospice care, she ultimately suffered greatly from pressure wounds acquired during her stay—inflicting severe discomfort and demonstrating lapses in attentive medical supervision. Although hospice had appropriately managed her cancer-related pain through medications tailored for comfort, it was clear that other critical conditions went unaddressed.

Particularly troubling were reports of miscommunication among nursing staff regarding medication administration—as evidenced by discrepancies reported between shifts about oral thrush treatment prescribed but neglected upon direct inquiry—and confusion over procedures like catheter management which left their mother vulnerable instead of receiving proper care. The culmination of inadequate support resulted tragically; instead of providing necessary treatments for respiratory ailments passed from roommates or adhering closely to hospice directives regarding cough management—with some opting instead simply for heightened dosages of morphine—the lack of discernible coordination led not only to suffering but ultimately contributed directly toward complications resulting in the resident’s death.

The family's duality between advocating for Highland's dedicated staff while simultaneously decrying systemic failings reveals an essential reality about senior healthcare facilities: even amidst genuine compassion resides deep-rooted administrative failures that can undermine patient experiences dramatically. Henceforth, recommendations from families familiar with such experiences underscore not only an emphasis on exploration before placing loved ones into similar environments but also underline ongoing concerns regarding oversight across numerous elder-care institutions nationwide—a reminder that transparency is crucial if we are ever truly going to provide those who need extra support with dignified quality-of-life experiences until their last days.

Cafes

• I Wana Moka (0.7 miles)
• Starbucks (1.5 miles)
• Trove Coffee (2 miles)
• Woods Coffee (2.3 miles)
• Starbucks (2.3 miles)
• Cruisin Coffee Lakeway (2.4 miles)
• Cool Beans (2.5 miles)

Parks

• Lake Padden Park (1.3 miles)
• Fairhaven Park (1.6 miles)
• Boulevard Park (2.2 miles)
• Port of Bellingham (2.4 miles)
• Galbraith Mountain (2.6 miles)
• Galbraith-Birch St Park-N-Ride (2.9 miles)
• Cornwall Park (3 miles)

Restaurants

• Super Duper Burger (1.4 miles)
• Taco Time NW (1.7 miles)
• McDonald's (1.7 miles)
• The Filling Station (1.9 miles)
• Ovn Wood Fired Pizza (2 miles)
• Boomer's Drive In (2.1 miles)
• Keenan's at the Pier (2.2 miles)

Pharmacies

• Rite Aid (1.6 miles)
• Walgreens (1.7 miles)
• Haggen Pharmacy (1.8 miles)
• Fairhaven Pharmacy (1.9 miles)
• Custom Prescription Shop (2.1 miles)
• Fred Meyer Pharmacy (2.4 miles)
• Northern Cross Collective Garden (2.9 miles)

Physicians

• Bellingham Family Health Clinic (1.6 miles)
• Fairhaven Family & Sports Medicine (1.8 miles)
• Dr Carrie Wine (1.9 miles)
• Cedar Male Medical - Bellingham (1.9 miles)
• Bellingham Family Health Clinic (1.9 miles)
• 11th Street Offices (2 miles)
• Village Family Health (2 miles)

Places of Worship

• Hillcrest Chapel (1.7 miles)

Hospitals

• St Joseph Hospital Foundation (2.4 miles)
• St Joseph Hospital Center For Rehabilitation (2.4 miles)

Transportation

• WTA Bus Stop (2.5 miles)
• WTA Bellingham Station (2.9 miles)