greg zarichny

Review of St. Luke's Health Services

My dad spent about 6 months there and I was not pl...

My dad spent about 6 months there and I was not pleased with the lack of medical care he received. The person in charge of nursing, Sandy Ford, was not available nor accommodating in any way. When my father needed a shot to stay well I had to transport him to his kidney doctor in North Syracuse because St Luke s wasn t sure they would be reimbursed . When he became anxious they gave him a psychotic drug to calm him. They called me to tell me my dad was acting up and at first denied they gave him anything. After I accused them of giving him a drug they confessed they had to calm him . An elderly person with dementia cannot be given a psychotic as it has the opposite effect. His kidneys were weak so the meds took 3 days to clear. Another instance, when my dad became very dehydrated, they would not send him to the hospital for care. I was told they didn t want him to leave and they would not hold his bed for him . I decided to load him in my car to the hospital. Doctors assured me I had done the right thing and He was given blood transfusion and recovered nicely. Head of nursing suggested palliative care for him which basically lets the person die without medical treatment imo. Not really sure if administration is aware of any of these issues. I have talked to others whose parents were patients there and they felt exactly as I did.