Gulf Pointe Plaza

Case Management/Admissions — Zero Stars If I Could I was searching for a skilled nursing facility for my 90-year-old grandmother following a five-night hospital stay, multiple falls, and a recurring shoulder dislocation. She needed rehabilitation to regain her strength, mobility, and independence before returning home. Unfortunately, this facility declined to accept her, without providing our family with a clear or reasonable explanation. We were told that the hospital was informed that the facility could not provide rehabilitation for her and that the decision was made by their director. No meaningful explanation was given to our family as to why she was not considered appropriate for admission. The timing of this decision created an incredible amount of stress. We were already dealing with a hospitalized 90-year-old and were suddenly forced to scramble to find another rehabilitation facility for her discharge, despite knowing this facility had availability. I work in healthcare insurance, and based on her circumstances, I understand the criteria for traditional Medicare skilled nursing coverage. She had very clear and appropriate rehabilitation needs. She needed therapy to learn how to safely use her nondominant arm following her shoulder issues, regain the strength necessary to use a walker, learn safe transfers from bed to chair and toilet, improve her balance and gait, and rebuild the strength in her legs so she could safely return home. She had worked hard her entire life and, at 90 years old, was simply trying to use the benefits available to her to receive the rehabilitation she needed. From our family's perspective, there appeared to be no reasonable explanation for why she could not receive that care at this facility. Ultimately, because she was denied admission, we went to another rehabilitation facility in Rockport. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise. She spent 31 days there and received excellent therapy and support. The therapists worked incredibly hard with her, and she worked just as hard in return. She became strong enough to return home and live independently again at 90 years old. While we are incredibly grateful for the care she ultimately received, this facility missed a tremendous opportunity to help an elderly patient regain her independence. I strongly believe the admissions and case management teams would benefit from additional education regarding the purpose of skilled nursing rehabilitation and the types of patients who can appropriately benefit from skilled therapy. A 90-year-old recovering from past 3 midnight hospitalization, falls, a recurring shoulder dislocation, weakness, impaired mobility, and difficulty with transfers is exactly the type of patient for whom rehabilitation can make a meaningful difference. In the end, my grandmother received the care she needed somewhere else—and thankfully, she thrived. But the way this facility handled her admission left our family feeling dismissed at a time when we were already under enormous stress. Zero stars if I could.