BRIGHAM HEALTH AND REHABILITATION CENTER

Super staff and awesome audience for our Musical Ventriloquist Comedy performance today. Special thanks to Stacy in ACTIVITIES! Also special thanks to David who volunteered to become our HUMAN DUMMY and wear our ventriloquist face mask. He helped us sing our "NO BULLY ZONE" song with one of our puppets.

Nice staff during the day, understaffed at night, our mom experienced abuse thanks to staff who either don't care or who aren't trained to deal with patients who have some dementia. She had bruising on both wrists, all around, from being grabbed. Our mom declined rapidly in her year there, was left to fend for herself during meals despite being almost blind. We'd come to visit at 11 am and would find her in a urine soaked bed that clearly smelled like OLD urine. She caught an infection in the common bathroom, had a roommate who blasted her with loud TV volume. The facility has NO place for families to meet with their loved one, you get together in a shared bedroom with little to no seating. The main dining/common room was always full of seniors always shuffling around aimlessly or staring at walls. Hardly "home like". Hallways were cluttered with equipment. Staff, again, could be friendly and warm or surly and glaring. I had no say in my mom being in this place, a sibling had power of attorney and made the decisions. I know that some staff members tried their best but I wouldn't wish Brigham Health in Newburyport on anyone. It's a warehouse for people who may get a hug now and then - or yelled at because they had the nerve to ask for bathroom help several times over the course of an hour during the night shift.

Our father was transferred to Brigham Manor a little more than two weeks ago. This place is such a wonderful, caring and kind environment - everyone is so genuinely supporting all patients and residents - no matter if you are looking at long-term or shorter-term care for a loved one. Their operations and social worker staff are outstanding and have become an important partner to us working through all levels of bureaucracy. We can highly recommend this place - a true gem, warm & nurturing environment - just like family.

I’m so glad I met Jean Little-Bruce and she introduced me to Brigham in May 2016. Her energy and enthusiasm was very impressive. My mom spent the last year of her long life at Brigham. We watched as her health failed but never did I worry about the care she was receiving from the staff on the 1st floor. Since I lived close by, I stopped in frequently to visit mom. Whether it was morning, afternoon or evening, mom was always clean, dressed, fed, room cleaned and I was always greeted by the staff and given an update. They knew her food preferences, understood her personality and did their best to accommodate her needs. I think it takes a unique gift of compassion, caring, and love of people to work with the elderly who are not in their own home, ailing, memory problems, etc. yet Barbara Tomolonius and her team treat every resident with respect and as though they were family. Everyone knows the residents, laughs with them, comforts them and truly cares about them. I’d like to acknowledge the team that cared for my mom – Patty, Fran, Marilyn, Brian, Mayra, Adeline, Jackie and Rosemary. Thank you for taking care of my mom during her final journey.

This morning my husband and I visited a close family friend who is at the Brigham for rehab following a hip fracture. We were completely horrified at how dilapidated this facility is and how understaffed it is. The rooms are in disrepair after obvious years of neglect. I would NEVER place any of my loved ones there and I cannot get the experience of it out of my mind.