Merwick Care & Rehabilitation Center

The individual rooms at this community were great, however our loved one at one point had a shared room that was separated by fabric which was not all that private. We would recommend this community to others. .

Secondly, I noticed that I was being over-medicated with insulin which was I was given 23 – 26 units of pen and two one thousand units of metformin twice a day. This was making me feeling very weak. I looked it up and found that: “Excess insulin in the bloodstream causes cells in your body to absorb too much glucose (sugar) from your blood. It also causes the liver to release less glucose. These two effects together create dangerously low glucose levels in your blood. This condition is called hypoglycemia.” “If you take too much metformin you may feel sleepy, very tired, sick, vomit, have trouble breathing, and have unusual muscle pain, stomach pain, or diarrhea. These may be early signs of a serious condition called lactic acidosis (build-up of lactic acid in the blood).” Furthermore, I became fearful for my life and telephone my family and friends. I telephoned my Advanced Surgical & Bariatric of NJ, & PA It recommends to “ask the doctor to back away from so much insulin being that I am not eating any solid foods and my calorie intake was 750 per day liquid had to served notice to the attending physician at (MC&RC) who was [name removed] after pointing out my observation she told me that what the doctor ordered." I said that was before I had my extreme weight loss and had bariatric surgery. She agreed and split the dosages in half and based on my level of sugar numbers. The staff was lazy and didn't want to answer my call and was rude because I called for help. My clothes were lost and the one opportunity to get a laundry day they came back dirty than before. I was promised to get remembursed on the day of discharged.

Having a loved one in a long term care facility, sick with cancer is already one of the biggest challenges a person can have in their lives. When looking for a care facility, you need people who are compassionate and skilled in everything they do. Whether it's the nurses, the janitors, or the front desk receptionists, everyone in this line of work should provide warmth to the families visiting. Unfortunately, at Merwick Care & Rehabilitation Center, the first face you see in the door is the receptionist and in my case, it was [name removed]. She was absolutely atrocious. I have never met someone so rude and disrespectful in a care facility before, or honestly, at any place of employment. The fact that she even has a job after administering such behavior in a workplace is quite unbelievable. She should not be working in a facility like this. When I brought my concern to a manager, after I was treated so poorly and with such an attitude by [name removed] while visiting my dying father, I was told that poor [name removed] was under a lot of stress. [Name removed], a receptionist at Merwick, was under a lot of stress and therefore, that meant she could lash out at visitors, mock them, and talk about them to other people (IN FRONT OF THEM- I can hear you, [name removed]). People visiting care facilities usually have a very ill or dying family member. Personally, I think that is more stressful of a life than [name removed], who must answer phones and have people sign in on sheets when visiting. Merwick could have decent doctors, nurses, nursing aids, social workers, but who can even evaluate that after meeting such a horrid human being in the first five steps. Merwick seriously needs to take a look at how the face of their business is treating individuals because it is completely unacceptable for any line of work.

NEGATIVE ZERO is what I rate Merwick. The WORST experience EVER during the most heartbreaking time ever. Complete lack of compassion combined with monumental incompetence. My dad was under Princeton hospice care at home for a month but in his last days, hospice claimed they could not relieve his pain or calm him without transferring him to Merwick. I knew nothing about Merwick and depended on them to guide me---the transfer happened within the hour because my dad was so ill. Once at Merwick, we were ignored in the room until my husband asked for a nurse. My dad was delirious, screaming my name and grabbing my hand. I tried to calm him as best I could. The nurse said Merwick did not have the drugs the doctor ordered---they wouldn't arrive for another 2 hours!!! From that point on, the only time we saw a nurse was when we asked to see her---and each time she acted like we were bothering her. She exhibited NO COMPASSION for my dad or me or my husband. MASSIVE INCOMPETENCE. The nurse had connected my dad to an oxygen tank when she first arrived but several hours later, it seemed to me that the tank wasn't working. We asked for nurse (who came to the room with the "what are you bothering me again" look), and told me that the oxygen tank only had enough oxygen for one hour!!! Despite being in and out of the room several times, she never checked the tank---it was only after I asked about it that she changed the machine. EXTRAORDINARY RUDENESS. My dad was in such a delirious state that he got twisted up in the sheet and blanket. I asked the nurse if she could help me make him more comfortable. This was MANY HOURS after we had arrived, and they STILL HADN'T GIVEN HIM AMPLE MEDS TO CALM HIM. She AGAIN pouted like we were bothering her and said she'd send an aide (as if it was beneath her to help straighten the sheets). The aide walked in the room and said, "WHAT do you want?" I said, "EXCUSE ME, Am I bothering you?" She then took a different tone but called in another aide to help my dad. THE TWO TOSSED MY DAD AROUND IN THE BED LIKE HE WAS A RAG DOLL---all the while he was calling for me and desperately reaching for me. They straightened his sheets but left him in even more of a delirious state than he had been. ROOM ACCOMMODATIONS. My husband and I decided we could not leave my dad alone in that facility. But the room had NO COT, NO SOFA, NOTHING that we could sleep on----even though the patient (my dad) was dying and a facility of that nature SHOULD have had accommodations for family who wanted to stay the night. They put a cot on the floor for us and we slept there. It wasn't until 3:00 A.M.----TWELVE HOURS after we arrived, that my dad finally fell asleep and seemed to be calm. SHAME ON PENN MEDICINE PRINCETON HOSPICE CARE for sending us to Merwick. When their own hospice aide showed up the first morning, she said she would only stay 2 hours because she did not like that facility and never worked there because of it. She only came because she knew my dad. Then a Princeton hospice volunteer came to visit my dad that next day and told us that Merwick is the worst hospice place. Then a Princeton hospice nurse told us that Merwick is the worst and she never accepts assignments there!!!!! WHY ON EARTH WOULD THEY SEND MY DYING FATHER TO THAT WRETCHED FACILITY??? NEEDED TO HIRE MY OWN AIDE. I could not leave my dad for a minute with those wretched people, so I hired my own aide to watch him for a few hours so that my husband could go home, shower and eat (we had been at Merwick for over 24 hours). She was excellent---from Visiting Angels. She had taken exceptional care of my dad at home and I knew she would do so at the facility. Sadly, my dad died when my husband and I ran home to change clothes. But I am glad to know he was in good care of the Visiting Angels aide. SHAME ON MERWICK. SHAME ON PENN MEDICINE PRINCETON HOSPICE. This was the most heartbreaking time of my life, watching my beloved dad deteriorate and die. But Merwick and Princeton made this experience far worse. Shame on them both. SAVE YOURSELF THE AGONY. DO NOT SEND YOUR LOVED ONES TO MERWICK

I have never seen anything like it, it's the best! I am very impressed with the place. You ask a question, they answer. The nurses are on top of it.

The people here are very nice and the food is not very good but it is edible. They come as quickly as possible when I need help. It is very good. I eat in my room because I am not a people person.

My loved one seems to enjoy the nurses. From what I could tell everything was clean to me. She raved about the meals! She really likes them here. The communication has been very good and I would recommend this facility!

Overall, we're very pleased. It's really clean and the food is really good, but I'm sure it can be improved upon.

It's very good. The only thing I am concerned about is the food. They gave a nice girl to help, so that's good. They are nice, but it's hard to talk to them but everything's good. I am surprised, they are so friendly. One of the nurse's assistants is very nice and friendly. She even tried to use google translate to communicate with my mother. The food is really not that good. Honestly, I don't like the food. They really need to improve that. The communication is good with me but they have a hard time speaking with my mom.

It was good.

In general, it's not bad. They are nice and they take care of the patients. They are extremely busy and don't have enough people to help. The staff is good, but they have too much to do. When you call, it can be a long time before they arrive. They are all nice people. It's very clean! The meals need to be improved. They are only so-so.

My loved one is very happy. She is happy with the food and I have been well informed.

I probably would recommend the facility so far to a friend.

I thought most of the people were really good and some were only good. I have no liking for the administration. It was clean all over.

Overall, it was good but the staff are pretty rough around the edges.

I have had a couple of concerns regarding my husband's stay. I do not get much discussion as to how he is doing. Then again he is a difficult patient. Looks like they are doing a good job. I have only seen one nurse so far. Some are not as friendly as others. The professional people are much friendlier than the floor staff. The administrative staff smiles more- the others, not so much. The overall quality of the food looks dreadful and it is presented on a plate that looks like something you would feed a doll. I would recommend it for the therapy.

The OT and PT are wonderful. The meals are not bad when they get the meals right or the beverages right. We had some problems with dietary preferences. The nurses and doctors inform us.

One of the aides made me feel comfortable and she cares about her patients! My dad's room is really clean doesn't have a smell. I have talked with the doctor.

We had a very positive experience following my Mom's surgery. The staff was very friendly from the very beginning and were responsive to her needs. My Mom was very pleased with the food. I found it to be professionally run and a very good location. It was clean and the staff seemed competent. I would recommend this facility for STR.

It was all a good experience. I have done a lot of work on it to find the right place. I know she's safe here and I have high hopes. The activities girls are great and the maintenance people too. The social worker is so nice; I called and she called me right back. Everybody was nice. She's actually eating here. They have way better food. Like today, she ate five whole ravioli pieces!

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