Saunders House

I would highly recommend the Saunders House to anyone. Our daughter had a reoccurrence of an old brain tumor. After months in the hospital it was time for her to be transferred into a skilled facility that offered therapy. She had been in three and at all three she was sent back to the hospital because she developed infections due to lack of attention. This has never happened at the Saunders House. \r \r I know I leave her in their capable hands and they will treat her as they do their own family. She has made strides in her recovery here, more than anywhere else she may have been. Her nurses, Marsha, Gin, Q, as well as the nursing assistants take excellent care of her. Often times I walk in on them talking to her or telling her how their day is going, which is so important as she can't effectively communicate. We really know all the staff and interact with them. Curtis the Nursing Supervisor has gone over and beyond to assist us with getting specialized medical equipment or anything she has needed. \r \r The therapy staff, Tammy and Maureen work patiently with her as she is learning basic motor functions again. They definitely have taken a personal interest in her recovery. \r \r In such a difficult time it is a blessing to know that the Saunders House has such a caring staff watching over my child when I can not. more

My sister currently resides in the Saunders House. Before she was admitted I had read all the reviews. While I was a little skeptic I learned a long time ago you have to read between the lines. \r \r Since being in the Saunders House my sister has made great improvement therapeutic wise. The nursing staff are very accommodating and my sister is well kept. Right now she is unable to move above the waist and needs therapy to rebuild the muscles. The therapy staff are great as well. Everyone is very intentive to my sister.\r \r This is definitely not the just a nursing home. It always seems busy with activities and staff. I have had a chance to observe all the activities they offer as well. The activities are various and allot of fun. They also have residents with a variety of different health issues and they are able to partake in the activities as well. This really adds to the quality of life. People don't come here to live out the rest of their days but to begin a new chapter. \r \r more

My 95 year old Mom has been a resident at Saunders House for close to a month now. The care given has been outstanding, the aides and nurses are very caring people. The place is extremely clean, smells fresh. The food is mostly very good, the therapy is giving results. My only issue is with the television fare that's bland and, as I have been advised, there's nothing to be done about it, it's the nursing home programming. Ugh:( Since this is my only issue, I would highly recommend the Saunders House to anyone in need of therapy and care. more

My 98 yr. old father stayed at Saunders House for a month and received excellent care. I was very pleased with his stay here. The room was very clean and in good repair. The floors were odor free and nicely decorated. His nursing care was top notch. I was informed of his progress and any issues he had on a regular basis. The staff seemed very knowledgeable, caring and attentive to his needs. His physical therapist was wonderful and they got him back on his feet again. The food was very good and he ate in the beautiful dining room. I would send my father there again and recommend Saunders House to anybody who is looking for the best in nursing/rehab care. more

Saunders House truly values the feedback that we receive, as we are continually working to improve our processes and provide an exceptional experience for those in our care. As a not-for-profit organization, Saunders House has a commitment to enriching the quality of life for our residents. We have brought these comments and concerns to the attention of our staff. We want to express, however, that these reviews are not reflective of the kind of care and service that is provided at Saunders House. We set high standards for our employees, and we work diligently to deliver quality care with compassion and respect.\r At Saunders House, our goal is to respond to all call bells within three minutes, which is one of the expectations set forth by our CEO. We are considering installing a new system that would measure call bell response time, which would allow us to proactively respond and make changes as necessary. This system would help us to minimize the wait time for our residents. Also, our staffing levels at Saunders House well surpass the minimum standards that are set forth by the government. Our staff is knowledgeable and dedicated to providing our residents with caring, individualized service.\r We are also happy to announce that Saunders House is actively involved with renovations that will ultimately provide a better experience for those in our care. As part of these renovations, we are working to improve the common areas and are changing out light fixtures to provide brighter hallways. We are excited about the new renovations and invite you to see how these changes have enhanced our building.\r Saunders House is pleased to hear the positive comments about our physical/occupational therapy. We pride ourselves on the quality of therapy services we provide, as well as the positive outcomes we are able to help our residents achieve. Additionally, our housekeeping and maintenance services staff does an exceptional job in maintaining a clean and odor free environment for our residents, as they should expect to receive. We are dedicated to providing a positive resident experience, which is a reflection on the high level of care and service that we provide to our residents.\r Again, we thank you for sharing your thoughts and look forward to the opportunity to serve you or a loved one in the future.\r \r Susan Irrgang, RN, NHA\r Executive Director\r Saunders House\r more

Avoid this place. On recommendation of a family member, my mother (who lived in Philly area all of her life until moving out of state to live with me) spent almost a month here so she could recuperate around family and friends. A local sibling was her main contact person during the stay. When she left, she had large painful Stage 2 bedsores, and was weaker than when she went in . Staff is very friendly, but clearly did not attend to her properly. The bedsores made her recovery at home difficult, since she was always in pain. After 3 weeks, they healed...no thanks to Saunders House. I do not recommend this facility (also--looks kind of dull/drab inside). more

My mother was a recent patient at this dump. She was originally sent there for Rehab after breaking her hip. I will say that she got excellent care from the Physical Therapy department. Because of confusion the social worker on the second floor (if that is what you want to call her) had her sent to the 4th floor which is for people with Dementia and Alzheimer's. The treatment on that floor is an absolute disgrace. The CNA'S are supposed to check these people every 2 hours to see if they have to be changed. This was never done (at least not for my mother).\r \r Her clothes disappeared and they would not be held responsible. After telling everyone on that floor that I was going to the TV stations, ironically her clothing turned up the next day.\r \r I have nothing good to say about this place except for the Physical Therapy Department and one male nurse on the 4th floor who happens to be excellent. \r \r I feel that if the State of PA sent someone to see what goes on on the 4th floor it would be shut down.\r \r The food is horrible - phones don't work and out of all the CNA'S on this floor there is only one good one.\r \r If you have a loved my advice would be not to have them sent to the Saunders House. more

My elderly friend has been staying at Saunders House for the past 2+ weeks after breaking her hip. She has been absolutely horrified by the place and I've seen some of what she's experienced first hand. As others have said, the wait time for a RN to come when you ring is 20+ minutes. Her roomate was a very ill woman who was ringing and screaming for help and no-one came. Eventually my friend had to actually get out of bed - bad hip and all - to summon help! Unacceptable. My friend reports the food is awful. A friend brought in a pizza for her to enjoy but the microwave on the 2nd floor was not working, so she sent it to another floor to have it heated. It never came back. GONE. Similarly, items of hers have ""gone missing"" aka stolen. Small things but gone none the less - comb, deodorants... None of the phones in the rooms have worked for the past 2 weeks and NO effort at all is being made to have them repaired. It is totally UNACCEPTABLE for patients to not have any way to call family/friends or to receive calls. Not everyone has cellphones!!! I find this totally unbelievable! Some of the staff speak NO english and look at us blankly when we ask about meds etc. For two nights in a row, my friend was told they had no ativan to give her - this was prescribed for her to help her sleep. So she didn't sleep for 2 nights. When I was there last weekend, a nurse arrived and insisted my friend go to get weighed. My friend had just been weighed - 90 minutes earlier! When she told this to the nurse, the nurse didn't believe her and insisted she get out of bed immediately and go get weighed. It was very very distressing to my friend to be made to feel like she was a liar. My friend might be elderly but she is sharp and with it. The whole place is depressing. The furniture is 1960's. The hallways are dark and awful. Everyone says the same thing, that prior to 2008 it was the best rehab facility in Philly. Now it seems to have gone to rack and ruin. The only positive thing we have to say about Saunders House is that the rehab is very good that is why it gets ONE star. Otherwise it is a disgrace!!! If you have a beloved family member or friend in need of a rehab facility -- possibly after surgery at Lankenau - do not choose Saunders for them despite how close it is to Lankenau - it is not the kind of facility you want a loved one in. more

My mom resided at Saunders House and received good care from warm and friendly people. She always enjoyed the food and nursing service until it all changed. I believe in 2008, the aides joined a union. Many of the wonderful aides were given different assignments and many left or were fired. The feeling of one big Saunders House family was no longer there, and we were unable to depend on those original aides in such a way that we felt secure and loved. Everything changed and not for the good. New aides and ones from other floors were then rotated and the feeling of family went away because no one really knew my mom...she was just a patient and nothing more. During her last 6 months as she began the process of dying and needed more care, her call bell wait time was 20 minutes or longer. Many times I had to visit the nurses' station to ask for help and was usually greeted by an unenthused aide. One aide wouldn't lift my mom because she said she had a bad back! Others would scowl when I asked them to help her from her bed to her chair. As Mom became more frail, she could barely feed herself. The supervisor on the floor said that they didn't have enough help to feed the patients, so I tried to be there to feed her myself especially for dinner. On the day she died, we received a call from an aide who told us to come to Saunders because Mom was not doing well but was in no danger of dying. We rushed to her side but she had already passed. No one was in the room with her and we asked the nurse to have a look. The nurse listened to her heart and pronounced her dead at that moment. Other than the nurse hugging me, no one else came into the room. My mom was paying Saunders House $90,000 per year out of her life savings and we certainly were expecting better care! more

My dad has been admitted to Saunders House on two different occassions. The facility is very clean and the food was not bad. Nurses aids were very helpful and friendly. Biggest complaint.....wait time whrn needing help. I actually rang for help several times, and both times had a wait time of minimum 15 minutes. I find this quite unacceptable. My dad fell several times because he got tired and frustrated waiting for someone to come and help him, and consequently attempted to get to bathroom unassissted. Hire more people. These falls were directly caused becuse he did not want to go to bathroom on himself. more

My parent was on the 2nd floor rehab wing for a week.\r \r Here is hopefully, an objective review. BOTH the good and the bad:\r \r Administrative Staff - very responsive. Visted the room three times during the stay to see how everything was.\r Very personable and friendly.\r \r Room: Very clean. Housekeeping staff in every morning - did a great job.\r \r Food: Was half-decent. Dietary Staff very responsive in meeting needs. If anything needed to be adjusted or added, were in the room in minutes.\r \r Nursing Staff: Only 3 nurses + aides for each nurse on rehab wing assigned to approx. 30 rooms and nursing supervisor. Average response to call bell - 20 minutes (this happened on 3 seperate occassions). And let me point out the nurses are not able to communicate until they get to room, so they do not know what the call bell was for until they get there. NOT acceptable in any medical facility. Imagine if there was a medical emergency and you were waiting 20 minutes. More LPN'S and aides than RN's. Often nurses would come in and not tell patient what medication was. When asked, they could not pronounce medication name (scary) or didn't know and had to go back and check what they were giving. Many seemed annoyed or unhappy to be there.\r Two great nurses we did have, thank you Toni and Marsha, who were pleasant and knowledgeable. Others should follow their lead. And these ladies should be replicated. \r \r Physical Therapy Staff: Knowledgable - Had the patients well being as their number one priority. Actual physcial therapy room: very outdated, no real equipment - needs extreme makeover.\r \r I will say, there was some kind of smell. I don't know if its not enough ventilation or too much bleach, but there was a definate smell on the rehab floor at least. I heard other visitors comment as well. Also hallway was dimly lit and kind've dark. Not good for patients who are learning how to walk again.\r \r Although it is a plus that it is very close to Lankenau Hospital - it is not part of the hospital. That should be made clear.\r \r You be the judge. Check out the ratio of medical staff to patient. Is there a doctor available at all times? What happens in case of medical emergency? How much PT and OT will your loved one get each day? What kind of rehab and equipment does the facility have? If there is any kind of issue (medical, dietary, housekeeping, maintenance) do they make it clear who you can contact and are those in charge assessible? more

My dad was at Saunders House during Oct/Nov/Dec of 2010. I realize everyone has an opinion and a different perception but I am very surprised by the reviewer before me. I have nothing but good things to say about Saunders House from the great rehabilitation to the kind, attentive nursing care provided. My dad was also on the sub-acute unit and has mild to moderate dementia as well. I find it hard to believe that the patient below didn't receive a bath during her entire stay...sounds like an emotional response to a very sad situation. I would highly recommend Saunders House for their great care, non-nursing home smell and it is right in the back yard (or front yard in this case) of Lankenau Hospital. more

My mother has middle stage dementia and was staying at Saunders House for a few months to recover from a leg injury. She was on the sub-acute unit and supposed to be recieving PT and OT. The entire 2 and a half months she was in the building, she never once was gotten out of bed except for PT and OT, which she only recieved every other day. The aides were rude and did not know how to handle a person with dementia. They refused to bathe her the entire time she was there, and when she did not recieve PT and OT, she was left in her room, in bed, and not one person outside of our family would visit with her. She was never once offered a seat in the dining room, and was never once taken to an activity even though I made a point of telling the activities girl that she likes anything with music, and she loves to exercise.\r \r This place came highly recommended to me, and I am severely disappointed with the care my mother recieved. I would most certainly say she was neglected. 2.5 months without a bath says it all. If you care for your loved one, DO NOT put them here. more

My dad was a long-term care resident of Saunders on the third floor. He used to be happy there, until they started laying off and firing caring, hardworking staff. In a matter of a few weeks, it seems, the place went very-much downhill. There was a woman who got laid off, her name was Jessie, and she did the greatest activities. She had a great relationship with my dad, and he knew that if he had a problem, she would always take care of it for him. Then they laid her off and the entire building seemed to fall apart. The activities are dreadful, and there's no energy in the building at all. The nursing care has always been horrible (waiting over an hour at times to have a call bell answered), but at least when Jessie was there, he knew he had someone on his side. It's ultimately why he chose to leave. Pros: clean, doesn't smell like a nursing home Cons: pretty much everything else more

My mother fell and broke her hip last year. When she was ready to be discharged to a nursing home, I went and looked at a whole bunch of places. It came down to Saunders House and Bryn Mawr Terrace. I went with Saunders House because it's closer to mom's house and mine.\r \r Saunders House is great because it doesn't smell ""like a nursing home."" The staff, especially the activities people and the ones who plan the parties, are so nice and helpful. There were a lot of great volunteers who really cheered my mom up with friendly visits (from people and pets!). At first I didn't think it would matter if my mom went to a for-profit or a non-profit nursing home. I'm glad I chose the non-profit. It really made a difference.\r \r Mom did great with her rehab, and now she's back at home. I wholeheartedly recommend Saunders House if you or a loved one need a nursing home. Pros: Clean, great staff and volunteers, fun activities Cons: Route 30 has a lot of traffic more