Cottonwood Canyon Healthcare Center

My mom stayed there for a week several years ago… she was given the wrong medicine, which caused an allergic reaction. I called and could tell she was struggling to breath. I called the front desk and told them to get her to a hospital… it took quite a while for them to move her. She had to share a bathroom with her roommate, and two men… one of the men passed out on the toilet. The roommate played her tv all night long. They threw a baloney sandwich on each bed at 9pm. No physical therapy, no bath… the bed was covered in plastic with a very thin sheet. Just a terrible experience, and life threatening. And, this place has a 5 star rating.

I have a friend that was put in Cottonwood Canyon for hospice. She is on medical and medicare, because she is low income, she is in a room with 5 other people. Those with private ins are in a room with 2 beds. I walked into my friends room which was dirty, and clearly had not been cleaned for who knows how long. She was in a bed with dirty bedding. I have witnessed the staff treat the patients as if they were nothing but a inconvenience, one nurse after being called by another patient, saying what now, the staff lacks patience, and compassion. My friend suffers from delirium from cancer that has spread to her brain. Today after asking my friend if she had been bathed lately, (yes her response could of been a confused one), but she was in dirty pajamas and clearly had not been bathed recently, according to staff she refuses to be bathed, instead of doing their job and bathing her anyway they left her in the condition I found her in. Anyway my friend proceed to get out of bed walk into the hall, attempted to go into another patient room to shower. This happened with a cna standing a few feet away while I struggled to get her back to bed. I called for a nurse, who came about 5 mins later, she asked me what I wanted her to do about my friends confusion, really? I want her watched so she doesn’t wander off. Another patient had wondered off recently walking out the front door. I was very concerned my friend would do the same. After a call to the family they went to the facility forcing them to change the bedding, and bathe my friend. It shouldn’t take anyone going down there to force the staff to do their job. I’m writing this to inform anyone who has to put someone they love in a facility in El Cajon Ca not to put them in cottonwood and research facilities go to them ask questions, look at the condition of the facility before making a choice.