Kirkwood By the River

A horrible place to work!!!

Slightly biased as I am a nurse here, but I love my residents and fellow staff! Neat and clean, good food, nice people, fun activities, and a family atmosphere.

My Mom entered this torture chamber for rehab following surgery for a broken hip. Upon entering this 'facility' you're impressed with what you see. It's a good 'show'. Go down to the rehab unit. Patients sitting in wheelchairs in the hallways begging to go to bed. The smell of urine makes you nauseous. Staff ignores and neglects the residents. I stayed with my Mom day and night and still , the neglect was appalling ! They did not tend to an impactment she had and never bothered to bring her water. Rude , loud people storming into the room slamming things in the room around. Huge roaches ! Mom's BP dropped to 89/26 and I alerted them several times. They told me it was okay, that's not bad. I had to call 911 and have her readmitted to the hospital where she stayed 2 more weeks due to the lack of treatment. I have pictures and videos to back up my complaints. Do not put your loved one(s) here.

My wife and I started searching for a Senior Living facility for her parents, both in their 90s, a little over 3 years ago. After a good amount of research and visiting several locations in town, we visited Kirkwood By The River. The difference was immediately obvious. It just felt different than the other facilities we had visited. There were lots of residents and employees visible throughout the facility, and they seemed happy! Each one spoke to us and to each other and smiled. The setting in the woods by the Cahaba River is gorgeous and serene. The building and grounds are well kept and very clean. We toured the facility with Mom and Dad multiple times over several months, and in early December they moved into Independent Living. There are several things that make Kirkwood a superior choice over other facilities in town: 1) It is a not-for-profit facility and that makes a world of difference in how its run. 2) The executive staff, including the CEO, is right there in the building and frequently visible, always working and/or engaging with residents. This allows for rapid decision-making and problem resolution. 3) The entire staff at Kirkwood is kind and helpful. As weve gotten to know many of them, the overwhelming majority has worked at Kirkwood for 20+ years. Thats rare in todays world and speaks volumes about the work environment. Happy employees = better care and attention to detail. 4) Kirkwood houses all levels of care under one roof; Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, Rehab and Skilled Nursing. This was critical for us because if necessary in the future, Mom and Dad can remain in the same building and see each other daily, but reside in and receive different levels of care. We have peace of mind now knowing that Mom and Dad have help when they need it and yet are able to live mostly on their own with the cat they adore. They both have settled in nicely after 3+ months and are happy and comfortable. Kirkwood By The River was definitely the best choice for our family.

I feel that my father received excellent care as a resident of the skilled nursing unit at Kirkwood.