New Perspective at Highland Park

From the very beginning, this facility has shown a consistent pattern of neglect. When my mother was moved into Memory Care, everything became significantly worse. She has lived in a constant state of urine and feces. Her room smells so bad that even after I personally cleaned, did her laundry, and repeatedly complained, nothing changed. No one helped—not staff, not supervisors, not management. It feels like everyone is protecting each other instead of protecting the residents. My mother has asthma, and even the strong ammonia odor did not seem to phase anyone. Staff continued to insist this level of filth “wouldn’t make her sick.” The reality is that she was left in unsanitary, unsafe conditions day after day. When my mother first moved into Memory Care, a manager named Stormmie told me she had set up my mother’s unit. That was not true. I have the photos. The room was never set up properly. Because of her confusion, my mother slept in a wooden chair for days, thinking it was her bed. She began losing control of her bladder and bowels, and I have personally had her hand me feces with her bare hands because no one was caring for her. The most alarming incident happened on November 6, 2025. A strange man was found inside my mother’s locked room in the secure Memory Care unit. To this day, no one has explained how he entered the building, the locked memory care wing, and her private room—completely unnoticed. He was arrested on site and charged with First Degree Burglary and $250k bond. Pretty hefty charges, too bad New Perspective doesn't feel the same way. Considering the severe understaffing and the frequent inattentiveness of staff (many of whom are often on their phones or even asleep), it is unfortunately believable that this occurred without anyone intervening. EMS was called and transported my mother to United Hospital. A sexual assault kit was performed. EMS also reported her living conditions to Adult Protective Services. Despite all of this, the hospital discharged her back to the same unsafe environment later that day. When she returned, staff—reportedly under the direction of Stormmie—had completely cleared out her room. It looked like she was being moved out. Every single item was gone: clothing, bedding, shoes, glasses—everything. Furniture was turned to the walls, drawers emptied, lamps shoved into the closet. She didn’t even have a pillow or sheets. When I asked staff for bedding, I was told, “Everyone has one, but we don’t have any more. We’ll try to find one tomorrow.” I had to purchase pillows, bedding, and shoes myself just so she could sleep comfortably. Treating an Alzheimer’s patient this way is cruel, retaliatory, and completely unacceptable. Since then, every time I return, the unit smells terrible. My mother is not changed regularly. Her bedding is soaked in urine. When I asked for clean sheets, three staff members confronted me as if I was the problem. One woman in all black began yelling that they “can’t help my mother because she bites and kicks.” Another told me it was my responsibility to provide bedding—despite the fact that I already bought it, and it mysteriously disappears. A third walked toward the closet to get a sheet, then turned around and yelled, “You ain’t going to disrespect me. I’m not getting you anything.” All because I asked for my mother—who has Alzheimer’s—to have clean bedding. How is an elderly woman living in urine not disrespectful? How is asking for basic care “disrespectful”? Their reaction said everything. Even my mother’s friend visited and was appalled. My original review was taken down. So I am reposting. Because people deserve to know. Tell me how a man breaks into a locked memory care unit. Tell me why my mother’s room was emptied while she was in the hospital. Tell me why staff retaliated when I asked for clean bedding. And tell me why the facility deleted my review instead of fixing the problems. Families should not have to fight this hard just to make sure their loved one is clean, safe, and treated with human decency.

I feel compelled to share my harrowing experience with the memory care unit where my mother resided for two and a half months. Despite being promised attentive and compassionate care, what we encountered was an unacceptable level of negligence that deeply affected her well-being. From the very beginning, I noticed troubling signs. My mother was often left with feces on her hands, to the point where I felt it necessary to ask staff to wash them. This should never have been my responsibility. Additionally, her incontinence supplies were not changed regularly, prompting me to monitor these changes myself. It became painfully evident that her basic hygiene needs were being overlooked, as there were only a couple of occasions when I witnessed her clothes being changed. The lack of personal care extended beyond just my mother's situation; it was a systemic issue within the facility. Over the course of her stay, she did not receive a single shower. The laundry process was equally disheartening; we had two loads labeled with her name that mysteriously disappeared. The care team appeared more preoccupied with their phones than with the residents in their charge. I frequently observed staff members dozing off or disappearing for extended periods, sometimes up to an hour, leaving vulnerable individuals without supervision. When I raised concerns about another resident's abusive behavior towards my mother, the matter was trivialized, even after it was escalated to the state authorities. Such dismissiveness was incredibly alarming and showed a blatant disregard for my mother’s safety and dignity. I attended two care conferences to address these issues, yet I saw no real change in the level of care provided. Overall, my experience with this memory care facility has been profoundly disappointing. The lack of attention and genuine care for residents indicates a severe failure in their operational priorities. Families deserve peace of mind knowing their loved ones are safe, clean, and cared for. Unfortunately, this facility fell woefully short of those expectations. I strongly advise others to consider alternative options for memory care, as what we experienced here was simply unacceptable.

I have always had an amazing experience when working with the staff at New Perspective Highland Park. Everyone is kind, welcoming, and always quick to help when needed. I would highly recommend this assisted living!

Stormie shows up for the residents by being consistent, thoughtful, and kind. This trickles down into the staff and eventually into the care that the residents who live there receive. Great community