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Jackie Pierson

My father was at Brookside for rehabilitation after heart surgery. His nurse gave him insulin by mistake. My Dad is not a diabetic. I spoke with a few people and told them I wanted to make a formal complaint. I was told they would follow up with me in a few days. That was over a month ago. No phone call, nothing. I understand accidents happen, but this is unacceptable. I work at a care community. Our nurse and med passers were SHOCKED when I told them what happened. Nothing like this should ever happen! Obviously the director of nursing could care less because I haven’t heard from anyone. I’m still waiting on that call. Maybe this review will prompt one. I doubt it.

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scott gordon

My 99 year old mother has been a resident at Brookside Care Center since April of 2024. She is treated with respect and dignity. I visit her on a daily basis. She never complains about how she is treated. MAKE NO MISTAKE BROOKSIDE CARE CENTER IS THE BEST LONG TERM CARE AVAILABLE ANYWHERE IN KENOSHA COUNTY. I say this from personal experience of transporting workers to and from other facilities as well as my mother spending a horrible 10 days at prairie ridge where we had to remove her out of concern of care. If you feel your loved one is not getting proper care. Brookside has an excellent open line of communication from the top down to address any and all issues. The ratings are accurate in US news and World report as well as Medicare ratings. This is a five-star facility. You would know that if your family member was put in a three-star facility like my mother had to be because of early no occupancy at Brookside. My mother has been to Brookside three other times before. This has become her permanent residence up for rehab and had great success each and every time. The physical therapy department is a dream team of local therapists I think who really care about each individual resident.

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Aimee Suyko

My dad was at Brookside Care Center from August to October 2023. Writing this is hard, but I feel like I owe it to him—and to other families who might be considering this facility. After a rehab stay, my dad moved to the skilled nursing side of Brookside because he needed help with transfers and daily care. We believed it would give him a chance to keep some quality of life—meals in the dining room, activities, maybe a little sunshine outside. All the things that were important to my dad. Instead, we watched him decline in ways we never expected. During his stay at Brookside, my dad suffered several serious setbacks that I believe were preventable with appropriate care. He developed a deep tissue unstageable injury (DTI) on his heel. Despite explicit instructions that nothing should be placed on that foot, staff repeatedly put a shoe over the injured area, worsening the wound. One day, I even found the inflatable heel boot placed over the shoe. Proper wound care and documentation were clearly lacking. The wound became so severe that even after we brought in a wound care specialist, it never fully healed. His foley catheter was mishandled during a change, with a nurse leaving him undressed and exposed after she placed it—which was not only degrading but also led to an infection. Alongside the physical neglect, my father's mental and emotional condition deteriorated dramatically. He became nonverbal, withdrawn, and disengaged. He stopped participating in activities he once loved, and he was no longer able to hold conversations with us during visits. His eyes appeared glassy and vacant, and he no longer seemed aware of his surroundings. His overall hydration and nutrition were poorly monitored, contributing to severe dehydration and further decline. He declined to the point that he could no longer feed himself, and swallowing became difficult. Because of his inability to swallow, he was placed on a care plan requiring thickened liquids to prevent choking. On multiple occasions when I visited, I witnessed staff giving him regular water or juice, causing him to choke while trying to drink. I also found pills on his shirt and on the floor during visits, suggesting he was not being properly monitored when taking medications. One day, I walked in and heard a CNA yelling at him out of frustration because he wasn’t understanding what she wanted him to do. I went in, calmly redirected him, and he was easily able to do what she was asking. All it took was a little patience—and someone actually helping him—instead of just yelling. We ended up moving my dad to another assisted living community. I had to make the very difficult decision that he would have to remain in bed—taking away all the little things that mattered to him. But I was so afraid of what might happen next at Brookside, I had no choice. I really thought I was moving him so he could die somewhere where people loved him and cared for him with respect and dignity. And then something incredible happened. Within days of leaving Brookside, he improved. He was alert again. Eating. Talking. Smiling. He enjoyed music and crafts in his room. It was so clear—his decline wasn’t from age or illness. It was from neglect. I filed a complaint with the state. After investigating, they found Brookside negligent and issued a citation. A correction plan was put in place—but when the state returned to follow up, Brookside hadn’t followed through. That, to me, said everything. When a facility is formally cited for neglect and still refuses to change its protocols, it shows exactly how little concern they have for the safety and dignity of the people in their care. If they won’t make changes even after being found guilty by the state, what hope do families have in trusting them to do the right thing on their own? Please, if you’re considering Brookside—ask questions. Show up unexpectedly. Trust your gut. What happened to my dad should never happen to anyone.

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Steve Maurer

My father was treated horribly at this facility. Too many things to list, but we had to remove him in a hurry. Staff is either not well trained or just incompetent. Management lied and failed to take accountability.

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Mary Jo Bersie

My better half was at Brookside for rehabilitation. Their favorite phrase is hang on I’ll be right back, only to leave him sitting and waiting. Discharge day…. 6:30 am wake up and sit. They told him he had to sit in a wheel chair in common area because they were cleaning room carpets . I was picking him up at 11:30. When talking to his social worker he expressed that he felt he should not be discharged. He is not strong enough. They injured him during rehab. We get home and he falls walking into our home. Taken to hospital with an injured knee and admitted. The night crew is sparse and inadequate.