The Bluffs - Columbia, Missouri

Katherine Speichinger

I have never experienced such poor service, insults, pettiness, reckless behavior from a director of a facility and a social worker. My father was in the skilled nursing unit for about a month. There was one very caring and nice nursing aid who worked week days. The rest of place was understaff, undertrained and over worked. They messed up my Dad's medications, they isolated him, lied about how much therapy he was receiving and did not provide him with regular meals. I hired a sitter to help out and they did not want to approve the extra help for my dad. I ended up having friends, family, or the sitter with my dad from 8am-8pm everyday to advocate for my confused and bed bound father. The director, Royston, told me to take my father home when I complained about the poor service to him for the second time. Someone at the facility told my sister, who lives 2 hours away that I was planning to remove my dad from the facility to take him to my home against doctors orders. I did not think my dad was well enough to move and never planned or attempted this! The facility said my dad was failing therapy, after I inquired about when he was getting all the hours of therapy they were reporting to my sister and in his medical records, since I had someone with him everyday during work hours. Then they said we needed to find a different place for my dad because he was not making enough progress. Then the social worker orchestrated for my sister to COVERTLY transport my dad from the facility on a holiday weekend in her PERSONAL CAR to a facility 2 hours away! This was the first time since my dad's heart attack that he had not been transported by ambulance!

When I arrived at the facility Saturday morning of Thanksgiving weekend, I found my FATHER MISSING, but most of his pictures and décor from home still in the Bluffs room. I asked staff where my dad was, and they told me he was with someone who I did not know. It was a holiday weekend there were no activities or therapy and my father was restricted to his room due to recovering from a c. difficile infection. I insisted on knowing where my dad was and called the police to report him missing in front of the staff who was refusing to tell me where my dad was.
The staff then ushered me into the conference room and told me my sister, the POA, discharged him.

My sister claimed to be POA based on a document that was not signed and was not notarized, even though the Bluffs had also received documents from my dad's will and trust that were signed and notarized which did not list my sister as POA. The social worker told my sister that she was worried that I made up the signed and notarized advanced directive (I read this in an email subpoenaed during a court hearing).

They called the police on me to be remove me from the building, because I was insisting on knowing what happened to my missing father. I walked out with the police without problems and explained to them what happened. The police apologized to me, but said it was private property and I was asked to leave so I must leave. I could report my dad missing.

Later I returned during regular daytime hours to collect the rest of my dad's belongings, AFTER calling the Bluffs facility first to make sure it was okay, which they said it was and they had gathered his stuff in a box for me to pick up. Then when I told them, that stuff was missing they called the the executive director, Royston. Royston, the executive director, got physically within my personal space insulting and yelling at me. I was scared and left. We are still missing many of my Dad's belongings.

Lauren H

I’m sure this place is great for just assisted living but if your loved one needs to be put in memory care this is not the place. They are severely understaffed and most of their management couldn’t care less about the residents. My grandfather was here for 3 weeks after a fall and was starting to do a lot better at first but even after the countless times my family told the staff he needed help eating and drinking water, because he needed to constantly be reminded, they would just drop the food off and leave it there. Because of them being neglectful and even refusing to take him to the hospital or give him medicine when he was clearly very sick, he ended up passing away after only 3 weeks of being there. I hope this review reaches the right people and I sincerely hope they do better so something like this doesn’t happen again.

Anastasia Brannan

I cannot express my gratitude enough for all The Bluffs has done for my own father. He was admitted for short-stay rehab with the potential for a long-term stay. From day one, he was treated with the utmost dignity and respect. From administration down to everyone else in the facility, he was treated as the individual he truly is. The amazing teamwork is absolutely paramount in this facility. You won't find this anywhere else, I guarantee it. He has received the best care I ever could have asked for. Where other facilities say, "We can't do that," the Bluffs thinks outside of the box and offers solutions and not excuses. The love and care my father receives on a daily basis is absolutely noteworthy. From the nursing staff to the therapy staff to the dining staff (and everyone else in-between), I rest easy at night knowing he is cared for deeply and is valued for being the person he is. Thank you for all you do! You really have a heart for caring for our loved ones. I cannot praise you enough.

Angie Van Sistine

Get your loved ones out now. They do not have to be there. There are other establishments in the area. They do not even currently have a working call button system. Have given those staying there a bell to ring. Help doesn't come. Res
orting to having to yell in hopes of getting help. Can't get help to change clothes, brush teeth, wash hair. These are just the basic things. We got our grandmother out . It is possible and not difficult.

Jackie Johns

Where to start. I have been a patient here for a little over 2 weeks. I am 69 yrs old and in full command of my faculties. I am here to get physical therapy following hip surgery for an infection. First thing that became apparent was the food. It was unappetizing to the point of being nauseating. My first meal here was some kind of gray meat with gray sauce, and watery, horribly overcooked vegetables. Some meals were almost good but most were lacking in any kind of appeal at all. I was given medication that should have been held because my blood pressure was low. I developed extremely low blood pressure to the point where they we're concerned about me even living. I recovered from that. I was given IVs three times a day with antibiotics. The IV had two parts and they had to be mixed together before they were infused. One nurse didn't even know what to do with the bag and just hung it and set it up to run into me. I stopped her and asked her to go get a nurse from another unit. When they both came back I said don't you know how to mix the IV? Neither one of them did. This is my life we're talking about! Although many of the staff are friendly and chatty, they are not very reliable. If I asked for something when they came to my room they would leave and I would never hear back from them unless I kept putting my call light on. They would just say oh sorry I got busy. I'm sorry to say this but I feel like this place needs to be shut down and completely restaffed and retrained, nursing staff all the way down to dietary. Who knows how many patients have died here because poor care, and of course they can always say "well they were elderly, so . . . "

rachel delcau

My grandma lives here and has since 2015 when she went through rehab here for a broken hip. Once recovered, she wanted to stay. Grandma says her quality of life is good and she's made new friends among the other residents and caregivers.

The staff are wonderful, responsive, and caring. There are a lot of activities for residents and they seem to have a lot of fun. Spending time at the Bluffs has made me realize that not all nursing facilities are awful.

Sydney Black

If I could give this place 0/5 stars, I would. HORRIBLE treatment and very inconsiderate of their patients. My grandmother stayed at The Bluffs for rehabilitation for 6 days. During only 6 days, I can count multiple instances where The Bluffs did not do their job correctly, let alone meet the normal standards of a Rehabilitation/Retirement facility. For one, The Bluffs gave her SOMEONE ELSES MEDICATION when they discharged my grandmother. Other instances include; losing several articles of her clothing, no fresh water in her suite (only gave her fresh ice water TWICE in the span of 6 days), her meals were wrong when she would order them, was told to just “eat it” when she informed the staff that her order was wrong. Also, she had to prepay for 8 DAYS upfront, when she only ended up staying 6 days. I would not recommend this place to anyone, save yourself and go somewhere else. Your family deserves better treatment than The Bluffs has to offer.

Carolyn Brower

I found the home to be clean and bright. Every resident I came into contact with was cheerful and loved their home and the staff. The aides didn't have the attitude of "Please, I don't want to be bothered." they where most helpful at locating things or to just stop and chat. The Administrator is young but savvy to the business world and also has a keen eye as to what the elder population needs and wants.One of those wants is to feel full. LOL! So I will compliment the Dietary Staff. The food is Fabuloso. Last but not least let us not forget the housekeeping and laundry crew. They were always on top of everything. From cleaning the dirtiest areas to making sure that linens were ready to go so beds were open for the next patient to come in. I love the place and when the time comes I want to make The Bluffs my home.