A very close relative of mine lived at Frontida’s Willowgreen Home in Caledonia, WI, for several months. My initial impression when we walked into the facility was the unfriendliness of the staff. At first, the new owner and managers appeared caring and concerned but that quickly changed, and we observed that the day-to-day care of the residents was minimal. When my relative moved into this facility, there was a nurse present five days a week, but when the new owners arrived in October 2013, they eliminated one of the nurses, leaving a nurse there only two days a week.

During visits, we noticed that the residents were not engaged in any meaningful type of activity or interaction during the day and would either sit in front of a TV in a small living room area or be asleep in their rooms. When we dined with my relative on several occasions, we observed some of the unappetizing meals that were served. Large glasses of water were provided with the meals, but the residents barely drank them. After eating, the residents would either return to their rooms for a nap or sit in front of the TV once again. On rare occasions, they would play Bingo in the dining room. No snacks were offered to the residents in between meals.

All of the senior staff, some of whom had worked at the facility under the prior owner for 14 plus years, were fired, quit, or walked off the job and confided that they were unhappy with the new owners and their management. Even with the new staff, the turnover was constant. The senior staff’s replacements were young and inexperienced. Some of them seemed caring but were overwhelmed and just not qualified to handle all of the residents’ varied needs. There were three caregivers per shift, and they were required to cook, hand feed a number of the residents, wash dishes, do laundry, clean, administer medications, in addition to providing direct care for over 20 residents. During our visits, the house manager and assistant remained in their office and did not interact with the staff or residents. Their primary source of communication with the staff was through written logs. On weekends, there was no manager present in the facility.

While my relative lived in this facility, on several occasions, no one called her doctor or notified the family when she required medical attention. It was always a family member that discovered something wasn’t quite right with her during a visit, and we had to contact her doctor ourselves. This situation would be especially difficult for families living outside of the area. On many occasions, the managers did not bother to return the family’s phone calls concerning our relative or follow through on their word. It was disconcerting and did not create trust or peace of mind. In addition, we witnessed that not everyone was treated in the same manner there. The management appeared to show favoritism towards certain staff members and residents.

Many of the residents experienced falls and personal injuries at this facility. We noticed a resident with terrible bruises on her forehead, face, and arm as the result of a fall. My relative fell several times during her time at this facility and never had a history of falls prior to moving there. When the family learned of the falls, several different versions of the incident were always told.

This facility is owned and operated by a growing corporation whose marketing tactics and outward perceptions can be deceiving. All of their promises are, of course, subject to change after your loved one settles in. The most important thing when searching for a facility is to look beneath the surface and focus on their record, the quality of care actually provided, and the sincerity and honesty of the management and staff. Based on our first-hand experience with this facility, I wholeheartedly do not recommend it.

by ra972m xxx.xxx.19.239

August 22, 2014

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A close relative of mine was a resident at Willowgreen in Caledonia, WI. In general, the Willowgreen facility is clean, it does not smell, and has an unfriendly staff.

Appearances are important and Willowgreen ensures the first impressions are good. If you are at Willowgreen for a 30 minute visit or tour, you will miss much that is going on.

The facility has three caregivers on the first two shifts and two caregivers on one shift. One would expect that with three caregivers the residents would be given good care and have daily activities. This is not the case. One caregiver is devoted to meal preparation and cleanup. One caregiver is doing laundry, cleaning rooms or bathing residents. This leaves one caregiver to attend to over 20 residents. Except for the caregiver on meal preparation duty, the other two caregivers assist in serving or feeding the residents at mealtimes.

Since we live out of town, our visits to my relative were three to four hours. We arrived just before the noon meal and ate in the dining room with the other residents either at my relative’s table or on a nearby sofa. The dining room and living room were a combined open area. The meals served were not appetizing. One meal was Swedish meatballs with noodles and mashed potatoes. A resident at my relative’s table told us that the menu for that meal was prepared by a dietician. No vegetable or salad was served. On another occasion we asked a caregiver if the residents ever get a salad. The caregiver replied “sometimes”.

An issue arose where the residents were not getting enough liquids. Instead of ensuring the residents had water throughout the day, the Willowgreen solution was to give the residents 12 oz. glass of ice water, in addition to juice and coffee served during lunch. Our observation, on three separate visits, was that the residents would take a few sips of water and then ignore it.

The managers at the time of my relative’s stay at Willowgreen interacted with residents as little as possible. They would stay in their office with the door closed sending the message that they did not want to talk to the residents. They would appear at the noon meal to observe the staff serving the meal but did not pitch in to help, so that the residents received a hot meal and not a lukewarm meal.

In general, none of these facilities are good. If you can keep your loved one in their home by all means do so. No resident appeared happy at Willowgreen. Be sure to read the notices when you visit these facilities, especially their violations.

by soliorohs xxx.xxx.249.46

August 21, 2014

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Did this senior care facility prominently display their credentials or business license?

Not very well. I had to really look for it before I found it.

Did the staff at this senior care facility ever take personal phone calls when they were supposed to be helping you?

Yes, they could have waited

Does the staff at this senior care facility always take that extra step to make you feel special?

Not really, I've never seen them go above and beyond

Was this senior care facility's staff friendly?

Not one bit

Was it easy to find parking at this senior care facility?

Yes, it was convenient

by Anonymous xxx.xxx.19.239

July 10, 2014

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