Ann Marie Howes Centre Birmingham

If i could give it 0 star i would. Absolute joke of a place they where supposedly going to try and rehab some mobilty back into my nan. .my honest opinion was that at 94 she hadnt got it anymore to give but they said they wanted to try. But they have one physiotherapist who works part time and has spent 10 minutes with my nan in 4 weeks. Last week they pressured us into getting her home. But home was currently suitable so spent days grafting to get it suitable her discharge was then due yesterday after several lies like from we are waiting on the pharmacist to the care package isnt in place (it was we as a family put it in place) then to this morning it was shes refusing to leave then too the paramedics are refusing to bring her home. Thankfully i now have her home care package and family in place. This place should be shut down and a certain physiotherapist we call person N should be investigated for what her role is. Complete drain on the nhs. If you can keep your loved ones out this hole for the love of god do.

We are not very happy with this place as our mom was sent there from hospital to get physio and help her on her feet so she could go home and be able to move around. In the 2 weeks, she only got an hour at most of physio. She come home and still can't get up on her own. What was the point? What is that place really for ? If you've got any sense you'll not bother sending any family there.

Do not let your relatives go to this awful place!!! My mom was supposed to be supervised but was left alone and had a fall within 2 hours of being transferred there. She was recovering from a broken hip and when she told staff her hip was hurting after the fall they just put her back into bed and left her. My mom asked them to call an ambulance as she thought she had re-broken her hip but they refused. My mom had to call the ambulance herself and it wasn't until they realised this that they then made a call to 999. I attended this place and asked why my mom had to call an ambulance herself and they told me she was lying even after I showed them the phone record! As the wait for an ambulance was lengthy, under paramedics guidance, I decided to take my mom to A&E myself. They did provide a wheelchair so I could transfer my mom to the car but they stood and watched me struggle to open the double doors and push my mom and the wheelchair through. The staff act disgustingly and do not care for their patients at all.

After 3 months in Heartlands ICU, my brother came here with an amputated leg, he found the nurses to be nice, but after two weeks he was told he was fit to leave. We told the Social workers that his house was not fit for purpose, and even though they did an assessment and saw the mould on the walls and the missing floorboards, they still kicked him out, we were told that a care package had been put in place, it's now six months since he left and we are still waiting for the care package we were promised. He doesn't need it anymore though as he died a couple of months later.

Our 88 year old Mom spent two weeks in the centre after her hospital discharge for a fractured femur. The majority of the staff were caring, helpful and friendly and the rooms are spotlessly clean. Mom also loved the food. Although the physio service could have been more intensive, we feel there must be shortage of staff. Mom came home being able to use the stairs and walk with a zimmer frame and the help of one person. The OT arranged for all the aids to be sent home. We are pleased with Mom’s progress. On a critical note we noticed that the doctor did not see her very often, only 3 times in 2 weeks.

Avoid this place! My nan was there for 4-5 weeks. She had a fall, took them 30 minutes to even call an ambulance, and an hour to let us know. When my nan arrived at hospital she was dehydrated, under weight and had broken her femur, 5 breaks in her plevis and a cracked vertebrae in her neck as well as two cuts on the back of her head. Staff didn't offer an explanation for these injuries other than she fell. Staff and management didn't show any concern when I went to collect nans belongings. The hospital staff knew of the awful reputation of Anne Marie Howes. I wouldn't put a dog there never mind a human.

My mother has lost weight and deteriorated since going to this "rehabilitation" centre. She is left in her chair/bed ALL DAY. No exercise. No getting her up and walking. There are clearly socialising areas for the patients, they are used for storage. While the staff chat in the corridor about their holidays. I asked a member of staff for a water refill for my mum. Clearly they felt this was beneath them because we were told to wait until the person whose job it was returned from lunch. IT’S JUST WATER! The place is clearly understaffed with ridiculous pressure, but there is always time for kindness, curtesy and dignity. My mum has a painful frozen shoulder……..they didn’t even touch it. Not any physio on it at all. But they expected her to be able to support her body weight with her arms. My mum is prone to falling but has full mental capacity if a bit forgetful. Can walk, but needs help getting up. They wanted to force her into a nappy. When she tried them she couldn’t convince her body to wet itself. This was reported to me as my mum "REFUSING to use the pads" which was a total lie. I challenge any continent person to sit fully clothed in a chair or bed wearing a nappy to urinate on themselves. Because until you are incontinent it isn’t ongoing to happen. This would have reduced my mother to being incontinent and bed bound. As the four carers a day would have just left her sitting in her own waste. There are good staff there that are caring. There really are, and it is such a shame that they get tarnished by the overall performance of this place. The place is spotless, warm, and doesn’t smell bad. My mum is the chillest, most shy and quiet person you could meet. Yet mum was made to feel as if she was a nuisance because she has issues with her bladder being hypersensitive. Staff Ignore her bell calls forcing her to risk falling by getting out of her chair without assistance to make her own way to the toilet. Or are rude to her when they do answer. Sending inexperienced male carers to wash her, leaving her feeling and smelling unclean in the most important regions of her body to maintain good hygiene. I was told I could take her dirty washing home in the black bag provided in the laundry basket. Apparently she is only allowed a single black bag, since I took it, it hasn’t been replaced. But I’m also expected to wash their pyjamas!? Bottom line, if they offer you a rehab bed, ask for the centre in Harborne.