Intercare Sub acute Hospital - Sandton

I would give zero stars if possible. We were looking forward to superior care after my mother had experienced awful care at another medical institute. Rose, the admissions lady, called me and seemed so caring and attentive before admission - not so much after admission:
- we were told that after the management meeting held every Tuesday we would receive feedback EVERY Tuesday after the meetings - this only happened ONCE. After that we had to chase people down to receive any feedback,
- We had to beg for feedback regarding medical aid authorisation of extra stay, this did not happen automatically so we were in the dark about when my mom would be discharged - again, not what was advertised,
- we struggled to make contact with the GPs after being told they would call us. My mom experienced substantial cognitive decline but was given feedback on her own condition instead of this feedback being give to the family despite several requests. Eventually Dr Morris called my daughter on Wednesday 31 January. Dr Golden called me on 1 February. Rose argued with my daughter that Dr Morris had invited me to 'several' 8am meetings which I apparently declined. It is important to note that I have never had any form of contact with Dr Morris, so could not have declined meeting requests - to this day Dr Morris has never contacted me,
- upon discharge we were told that my mom was capable of standing up from the toilet and showering unaided - the woman cannot stand up by herself, she does not have the strength in her arms to help herself up!
- When my mom was admitted we met a social worker called Nomlindo. What an awesome, friendly, helpful lady. Sadly she was soon replaced by Samantha who we experienced as being beligerent and unhelpful, not living up to the promises that she made to us - very unsatisfactory service from Samantha
Would not recommend Intercare at all

Visiting the GPs here is a complete waste of time, expensive misdiagnosis. The radiology staff, from reception to somnolagist to radiologist, are unprofessional and assuming. Never again.

The Dischem, Skin Renewal and B&B Centre are the only redeemable establishments in this building.

My Husband was a long term patient. He was treated with the utmost respect. Their compassionate care, always helping, never delaying on his requests for help are to the highest standard. His room was clean and the whole unit peaceful. An atmosphere suitable for healing. Thank you!

I am writing to provide feedback about my 82-year old mother’s recent experience in the Intercare sub-acute medical care centre at 200 Rivonia Road, Sandton. She spent 2 weeks there recently, following an accident in which she broke her leg, as a result of which she had very little mobility due to her pain levels. While she was there, there were definitely some positive aspects. My mother, who is a retired medical professional herself, felt that the doctors and senior nurse, as well as one of the nursing teams, were competent, caring, and efficient. However, I have been very disturbed to hear her stories of what did not go so well, largely with the other nursing team. This nursing team was not caring, and some of their behaviour was clearly either incompetent, if not in some cases abusive. Examples follow:
• My mother was given pills to take which had been prescribed for her neighbour, who had a completely different medical history. Luckily before she took them my mother noticed they were a different colour to her normal ones.
• Food was placed on the tray of a neighbouring stroke patient (also in her eighties), who was unable to reach it, but the nurses made no effort to help her. This resulted in the ridiculous situation of one octogenarian patient (my heavily sedated mother) having to adjust the position and reach of another octogenarian patient so that she could eat her food – this in a hospital, where the nurses are supposed to provide the care!
• My mother’s food selection check list was invariably not respected – i.e. She was not brought the food that she had selected that morning on the menu.
• She had to ask every day for eight days before her hair was washed.
• The nurses attempted to force her to shower using a chair, which she knew she would not be able to get up from. She had to scream before they stopped trying to force her, whereupon they simply placed a bowl of water at her bed and told her to do it herself.
• A nurse casually brushed her own hair using a patient’s hairbrush, and could not understand why my mother objected to this.
• Another geriatric patient was left to shower without supervision, while the nurse adjoined for half an hour to a neighbouring room to do her make up.
• On Sunday all the nurses had boyfriends and/or family to visit them. The group kicked up an enormous noise, despite having been told that the chemo therapy that one patient was undergoing would make her extremely sensitive to noise.
• Overall there was little care for or concern for the comfort of patients. In fact throughout her stay, my mother felt that she had to ingratiate herself with the nurses to get any help at all – even asking for a glass of water was a “big deal”.

When my mother started physiotherapy, she attended one session where an assistant (i.e. Not fully qualified physio) provided the same physio treatment to a group of four people, each with a different condition. On a positive note, after complaining about this the treatment improved, although there was still little continuity between physios (i.e. She had a different and unbriefed physio each time).

In addition to the above concerns, the hospital’s wifi was hopeless, making it impossible to while away the long hours on pain medication with any on-line games or articles. A doctor told my mother that patients have been complaining about the wifi for over two years.

All in all, I think some serious re-training is needed at this facility. Certainly with this level of care it is hard to see how it can be recommended. My mother agrees with other comments on this site that the cleaning ladies team and overall cleanliness level was good.

A top-class Sub-acute Rehab Care, definitely not, maybe a top-class HOTEL for nurses. Nurses are ill mannered and rude to the patients and to visitors, there is no unit manager / management to escalate any problems to. Elderly patients are left in messy diapers for a long time. My mum was not given medication on time, nor was she turned regularly, her bed sores got worse. My mum was diagnosed with septicaemia and had to return to hospital, none of her belongings or medication was sent with her. I was called and told to fetch her personal stuff. I don’t understand how a patient could have been transported without her medication which is vital. Included in her belongings, I found a Genadyne vacuum machine, with the charger, which I returned to the wound sister. If anymore equipment goes missing, know that your nurses are freely giving these away. My mum is ready to be re-placed in a step-down facility, but would never put her back in this horrible place or recommend this facility to anyone.

A lot of care and professionalism right from admissions through to nursing care, and professional medical staff. Clean, comfortable (maybe a little chilly in ward while waiting - brr), a brilliant day hospital.

Poor care. Nurses do not care at all for patients, they sit outside the rooms in the ‘communal area’ and talk so loud and laugh. My grandmother got a bed sore as they AS PER INSTRUCTION did not bother to turn her, they exchanged her nappies out that we brought in for the cheap hospital brand. They gave a COLON CANCER patient the most spicy food. They overdosed her with sleeping tablets mixed with pain tablets so that they didn’t have to deal with her. Medication that was claimed for from medical aid was just ‘missing’ truly do not recommend this place. If you are in dire need you will die here.

Wrong building! It takes you to the Medical Center and not to Intercare Sub Acute Hospital. Dis-Chem is in same building

Dirty bathroom blocked drain in basin toilet not flushed - basin opposite bathroom full of foreign material which should have been disposed of inside the bin - someone should be keeping an eye checking and/or cleaning - not impressed