Cedarhurst of Columbia

I am currently a resident of Cedarhurst of Columbia and I want to report the excellent job that Cedarhurst of Columbia performed on September 29th during their annual vaccination clinic. I have been a resident here for 3 years and this is the third vaccination clinic I have participated in. Previous years have experienced various set backs. This year was amazing! The staff took particular care in explaining when and what the vaccinations would be and double and triple checked that they had all of the required paperwork ready. Residents were reminded the evening before that they needed to wear short sleeved shirts and that they would be routed to the room where the injections were being administered. On arrival, all was very well organized. The Director of Nursing, Jess, did an amazing job with taking great care of all of us with games and attention afterwards! I have loved my stay here during the past three years and I truly never want to leave. I love my home which is Cedarhurst!

Our family chose Cedarhurst Assisted Living in Columbia for our parents, hoping it would provide a safe and supportive environment as they navigated early-stage Alzheimer’s and mild cognitive impairment. Unfortunately, our experience has been deeply disappointing and concerning on multiple levels. 1. High Turnover and Lack of Leadership Stability There has been continual turnover in both nursing and administrative management since my parents moved in. Communication is inconsistent, and it’s often impossible to reach anyone who can answer questions or make decisions. Messages to key staff members like nursing leadership or administrators (including Alicia and Labea) have gone unanswered—only for us to later find out they were no longer employed there. This revolving door of staff has directly impacted the quality and continuity of care. 2. Poor Communication and Oversight The lack of coordination between staff members has led to multiple serious incidents: • My mother was awakened at 6:00 a.m. by a male phlebotomist who entered her room to draw blood — for my father, not her. • When my father fell, neither I nor my brother (both joint DPOAs) were notified. We learned about it from my mother the next day. • My mother, who has severe kyphosis and scoliosis and uses a walker, was classified as nearly “independent.” She has been left to do her own laundry, strip her own bed, and handle tasks that clearly pose a fall risk — with no staff stepping in to intervene or assist. • After her physician recommended that nursing manage her medications, she was instead handed a Ziploc bag full of blister packs and told to “put them somewhere.” The lead nurse was unaware that Cedarhurst was supposed to be overseeing her medication management. 3. Inadequate Nutrition and Food Quality For the cost — approximately $12,000 per month — the meals are unacceptable. Portions are extremely small, and nearly everything is processed, canned, or breaded. Fresh fruits and vegetables are rare. My father once ordered a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and was given two plain slices of bread. My mother ordered a salad with chicken and received one without. Staff made no effort to correct these mistakes or ensure residents were properly served. 4. Lack of Responsiveness to Maintenance and Resident Needs My mother once reported a clogged toilet in the morning. When I arrived after work around 5:00 p.m., it still hadn’t been addressed. The staff member on duty told me the maintenance worker had gone home — but that I was welcome to use their plunger myself. This lack of urgency and respect for residents’ dignity is unacceptable. 5. Decline in Resident Care and Oversight As my parents’ conditions progressed, their needs increased — but the facility did not adjust their care plans accordingly. My father went months without proper hygiene oversight; staff simply accepted his word that he had recently showered. His toenails grew so long that he could barely wear his shoes. My mother became unable to operate the microwave, phone, or computer and was often confused about who to call for help, yet no one from nursing or management intervened. Even basic professionalism has deteriorated — during a recent visit, the front desk employee never looked up from her cell phone or acknowledged us as we signed in. ⸻ Final Thoughts The lack of communication, oversight, and continuity at Cedarhurst Columbia has made what should have been a compassionate and supportive environment feel unsafe and disorganized. As a family of medical professionals, we are able to advocate for our parents, but I am terrified for the residents who have no one to advocate for them. Cedarhurst needs urgent reform in staffing stability, communication, dietary standards, and resident care oversight. Until those issues are addressed, I cannot in good conscience recommend this facility to other families.

UPDATE: shortly after posting this review, the director called me to address my concerns. The community at Cedarhurst is wonderful—staff and residents. This review is not directed at the people who live and work at Cedarhurst. I would give them a 5 star review + (or a thousand star) for their kindness, caring, and love. Unfortunately, the Cedarhurst corporation prioritizes their greed, not giving the good staff (that goes above and beyond) the resources they need. I have posted a few pictures to show their loving kindness and how much they love my mother. My main concerns are professional sanitizing during & after contagion, security, and family and healthcare professionals having access after hours, and the unhealthy food. The director and I had a good talk and I’m reassured that there are solutions in the works. I hope to be able to give a better update soon and to add stars. The building is lovely but there are problems. Weekly cleaning is included in the cost and the housekeeper does an excellent job. Unfortunately, if there are unhygienic conditions in the apartment between weekly cleanings, there’s unlikely to be someone who’ll clean. They were on lockdown because of norovirus, one of the most contagious viruses, spread initially from feces and then through touch and surfaces. The virus can remain on surfaces for two weeks. A contagion requires professionals with PPE to thoroughly clean and sanitize the whole building. My husband and I ended up catching norovirus. I had to be hospitalized excruciating pain and suffering and had to be hospitalized. The security is poor, I won’t detail the problems publicly for obvious reasons. Ironically, people who should be able to get in the building—family and healthcare professionals—have difficulty getting in the building after 8 pm. Someone needs to be at the front desk 24/7 and should be a 24 hour number to call with a human being answering every single time. I had to hire Visiting Angels for in-home care, to do light cleaning, provide companionship, and help my mother with basic self-care. I got a call from Visiting Angels that my mother’s blood oxygen level had plunged and she was panicking about breathing, which makes it hard to breathe, which creates more panic. The Angels said she needed more comfort care meds to help with her breathing and her panic. In other words, my mother was suffering. I called hospice and the nurse at Compassus and he kindly offered to go to Cedarhurst to check on my mother. He couldn’t get in. He tried several times. I called Cedarhurst repeatedly to get someone to let him in and there was no answer. A healthcare professional could not get in. Everyone was doing their job, Compassus, Visiting Angels, and the staff at Cedarhurst—but the staff cannot do the work of two or three people at the same time. The people who aren’t doing their job are the obscenely rich and greedy people of Cedarhurst corporate. We’re paying $7k a month and there’s no one to let a hospice nurse in and no one answering the phone when my mother is in distress. I want yo emphasize again that this review is not directed at the Cedarhurst community, which really is a community in all the ways we hope for. The staff and residents have a created a culture of love that can’t be faked and I have no regrets about placing my mother there. P.S. There isn’t, as claimed, “all day dining.” The food is unhealthy and unappealing. But the food is a question for another day.

Not only is Cedarhurst a beautiful community for your loved one, the Executive Director, Alicia Karst is kind and professional. It is easy to see that she is passionate about her role and genuinely cares about her residents and staff. Being a director in assisted living cannot be easy but she handles it with class. Take time to meet with her if you are looking for senior housing!