Kindred Transitional Care and Rehabilitation – Tunnell Center

Tunnel Rehabilitation Center is the worse place to. send an elderly person for rehabilitation. If you love your elderly parent don’t send them here. We had a horrible experience 5 years ago. My father was sent to Tunnel for rehab and got pneumonia. This place is terrible. Now we are in the same situation my father need to go to rehabilitation again and hope it al wants to send him again. NO. W a. This place is terrible. I don’t know how this place is still in operation.

This is a comment on C.W.‘s review, dated 12÷14÷15. I first heard of the cockroach issue on Friday, Dec. 11 when the person I visit mentioned it, said a staff member knew about it so I assumed it had been reported up the proper channels. I visited on the evening of Monday, 12÷14÷15 and saw two different kinds of large bugs (cockroaches, I think), tan ones and black ones, scurrying around the floor, going in and out of the radiator. The floor was dirty, looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in a long time. When I left, I was shaking my pant legs hoping I wasn’t bringing any bugs home with me. This needs to be addressed immediately.

A family member has been a patient at Kindred Tunnell recovering from orthopedic surgery now for almost two weeks. I have been visiting her everyday and warn anyone needing a skilled nursing facility, try to find another place.
The one star does not have anything to do with the nursing staff. The majority of CNA’s, RN’s, physical therapists and occupational therapists, have been very good and kind with the patients from what I have observed. I am there almost every day so I have seen several come in and out of the rooms, in the halls and on the elevator. The only problem is that each CNA has at least 12 patients per shift, and many of these patients require constant attention. This seems like a huge liability!
This review is for the administration and the physical building itself.
Everyday my relative and her roommates have seen roaches crawling around on the floors and walls in the morning. They reported it to the staff but nothing has been mentioned again and they continue to see them everyday. I happened to mention this on the elevator to another visitor in to see their son (who has been there for a year), and they see them all the time but have not had any response from the administration after reporting this. The rooms are old and it is an old building, but obviously this is a huge health problem that has to be addressed. I have noticed that the CNAs come come in and empty the trash cans many times a day, but have only seen one person come in to clean the floor, and that was because something was dropped on the floor.
As for the elevators; there is only one functional one. There was a sign on the door of the «disabled» one stating they would begin repair work on this elevator on March 2015! It is now December 2015! Needless to say you have to wait a long time for the elevator to go up and down. Also, I was riding on the working elevator with an employee and she said it has not been working for over a year and it has never worked as long as she has been there.
Five days after my sister had been at Kindred Tunnell, the dietician came in to discuss her diet. She asked to have prune juice every meal as she is taking pain meds. Five days after that (as of today) she has still not gotten any prune juice for any meal!
The physical therapists and Occupational Therapists all seem very qualified, but my relative only receives 2) 30 minute sessions Monday — Friday, and no therapy on Saturday or Sunday.
I will write to the administration about our concerns, but after talking to several families of different patients, this has not done any good. I d will post any changes should anything improve or worsen.

It has taken me a long time to write this review due to my mother’s experience and mine as well. My mother was rehabilitating here but unfortunately, her condition worsened and she passed away. I am going to try and keep this as short as I can and reference REAL situations that actually happened. For instance my mom had just gotten over pneumonia and I stepped out for lunch and when I came back, the nurse left the window open (my mom bed was there) and my mother had no cover on her, just her nightgown!!! It was a cold day and my mom was left there to freeze, I just had a fit. THIS PLACE NEGLECTS YOU and really think hard before coming here. I have had even patients say to me, they are not taking good care of my mother and the patients were even looking after my mother (thank you). At this time, I couldn’t get her out because she had very little time. The last two hours when my mom was passing I was going to the nurses for help and I barely got anything. I was so distraught, I had to call my mom’s hospice nurse for help. What breaks my heart is my mom could have passed with more dignity and kindness. She didn’t deserve this and I wish I had looked for another facility sooner. I will live with this for the rest of my life.

Pending.

I have read so many reviews of this place and basically they are not accurate.
Let’s face it. They are a resource that is provided.
Is it the ideal location? No. Your home is the ideal location.
Is it the perfect living environment? No. Your home should be better.
Does your loved one get the personal attention he/​she needs? Yes and no. But they should have gotten it from you at home.
We looked for other locations and they were not available in our budget. But regardless, this is temporary as we immediately started a build to add an addition in our home for my father in law.
In the meantime, we are here everyday. And we are able to monitor the staff. And they are good. Great? I don’t know. But my family and I have been in and out enough to know that they are doing their best. And their best is good. Obviously better then what you can provide. Right?
If you are going to be here get to know the staff. They are now part of your extended family. Don’t be an asshole. It doesn’t help your families situation.

This place is pretty bad. My grandmother was here and she had one or two really nice nurses that took care of her, the rest are very unreliable and rude. I wanted to ask simple questions like how she was doing and the nurses did not even acknowledge that I was even there. There is a RH named Dina that was taking care of her and she was doing other work and ignoring all my questions. This is my first time asking her and she was being so rude about it

Nobody likes being in a place like this, the place is kinda falling apart and is noisy, crowded, etc, but there were some good people that helped us through a difficult time.
Just wanted to express my gratitude towards a social worker named Tsering. He did a tremendous amount to help me navigate the endlessness bureaucracy and cope with many tricky situations while my mother was there in skilled nursing.
Stuart seemed gentile and kind hearted.
Alina and several other nurses on the 4^th floor brought some light into what was an otherwise very heavy place.

If you love your family member DO NOT SEND THEM HERE! The staff is horrible, the food is terrible, the facility is dirty and run down. Right now there is only one working elevator for six floors (staff must use this one elevator to move patients, deliver food, as well as visitors using the elevator)
Rooms are shared by three people, one bathroom, almost no space to move around or have a commode by the bed. There is no room to even have a chair in the room, if patients want to sit in a chair they are moved to the hallway and left there with nothing to read or watch and no way to call a nurse for help.
Our mother was moved here from Kaiser and we moved her out after one day. Our mother was left in a hallway for hours with no way to contact a nurse, no nurse came by to see how she was doing. The staff did not check to make sure they had the oxygen level set properly for our mother, twice in had to tell them to check it, and when they checked they saw it was set improperly.
At one point the CNA was attempting to clean our mother as she was in the hallway, I demanded they move her to her room to take care of her privately.
The staff ratio is one CNA for seven patients, one RNA for an entire floor of 42 people and two LVNs for the floor. If a patient need assistance they must wait for the CNA as the LVN or RN refuse to help the patients. When you do call for the CNA the wait is typically 20 minutes or longer, if the patient needs help to go to the bathroom they usually end up soiling themselves before the CNA can get to them.
We were able to speak with other patients, all of whom stated that this facility was horrible.
Kaiser should be ashamed to contract with a facility that is this bad.
Do NOT LET KAISER MOVE YOUR LOVED ONE TO THIS FACILITY.

I was sent to this facility to recover from knee replacement surgery. I would describe the experience at this facility to be extremely depressing. Patients are often jammed three in a room, and made to sleep on decrepit mattresses, while televisions blare out, long after visiting hours, from patients’ rooms. (I finally fled, on one leg, to the small, dirty community room, and no one noticed for at least twenty-​four hours!) The food was horrid. One received a shower, only upon asking, and left unattended during most of the process. Since I had private insurance, instead of Kaiser, I was invited to do physical therapy in my bed. When I could get a wheel chair, I took the elevator upstairs, sat in the physical therapy room, and begged someone to teach me to walk with a cane, so that I could go home and take care of myself. An assistant therapist finally persuaded the P.T. to give it a try, and I went home four days later.
When I had back surgery for the third time, I was sent to the Lawton St. Tunnel facility. The experience was similar with very poor hygiene. The employees and the P.T. staff were wonderful, but lacked the facilities to do a first rate job. (Exercise equipment was very primitive, if existent at all. Once again, my therapy took place mostly in my bed or in the halls. (I later received a small stipend from a class-​action suit that charged Tunnel with inadequate night-​time staffing.)
Both facilities offer a minimal lunch to guests of the patients who visit. This encourages people to «hang out» in the lobby or dining room, waiting to be served, sometimes long after the patients they are supposedly visiting have left. It diverts resources and attention away from the patients. Incomprehensible!
When I had too subsequent surgeries, I was very lucky to be sent to the Jewish Home, on two occasions, by U.C.S.F,. What a difference!!! Fresh healthy meals, top notch PT staff and equipment, etc. Patients have private rooms and baths! Interestingly, the medical director was the same physician who had been at Tunnel. The difference seemed to be that Tunnel isprofit-​oriented, while the Jewish Home is people-​centered, even though it also has faced financial challenges. In the future, I know where to go, if the need arises!

My dad stayed at the center for about eight months. During this time, my mom stayed with him every day, all day… 12 hr/​day… And I visited twice a day before work and after work to pick up my mom. I didn’t choose this facility. It isn’t the most modern and exciting place. We were referred to by my dad’s insurance company.
During this time, my dad and mom experienced pure care and love. The staff is amazingly compassionate and caring. They made us feel that they are part of our family. They cried with us, laughed with us and celebrated every single progress my dad made.
I am sure there are other places in the city that are nicer, but for our family the most important thing was the love and care that my dad received days and nights.
My dad moved back home (to a different country) but he still asks about the center and the staff.

Life happens and while death is certain, the types of ailments that can strike anyone are unpredictable but when the cruel Hands of Fate hit us, we are better off that a facility like Tunnell Rehab Center exists.
After a family member had a stroke, we visited several inpatient rehab centers in the Bay Area and decided to bring her here for rehab, after the hospitalization.
Tunnell is a nursing home owned by a huge for-​profit company, but it’s impressive that this facility is staffed with some of the best physical, speech, occupational and swallowing therapists who one expects to be working at elite hospitals like Stanford’s and UCSF. Like anywhere, there are great therapists and there are mediocre ones here.
I take my hat off to OT Sarah Stonehocker — she’s been here 7 years and there are other therapists who have worked here longer.
Stanford and UCSF would benefit greatly from having Sarah, OT Monica (tall), Chung (PT), Vernon (PT).
A nursing home, where employee burn out rate is high particularly because the nature and type of work is emotionally and psychically draining, that has long time professional employees like Sarah (full of life and energy and places the best interests of patients first) speaks volumes about the decency of Tunnell.
I could not deal with seriously disabled patients, many of whom are incontinent, can’t talk, cognitively an infant, and can’t care for themselves. It takes special kind of people to wipe clean another adult who has just pooped. Most of the CNA’s here are often the forgotten heroes whose work are as vital as the RN’s and onsite medical doctors.
I rate Tunnell’s therapy program a B– because the facility is ancient as are the equipment and there are no state of the art rehab equipment and tools.
There is only one working elevator to serve all six floors, which have a huge footprint.
The rehab room is small especially at peak times when patients are fighting for equipment and elbowing one another for room. The work performance of some therapists like Sarah and others deserve an A!
If I were running Kindred, the parent company of Tunnell, I would redesign and refurbish the rehab facility to be a 21^st century one, not the 1970 facility that it is. The rehab center has outgrown itself about 3 to 4 folds, years ago!
Kindred needs to replace both elevators years ago; I’m surprised this decade-​long problem has not resulted in fines and orders to fix against Tunnell! Political contributions? This is a huge FIRE hazard!
If a large fire erupted, how are they going to evacuate all of the patients and staff, which can be 150 to 300 at any given time; most patients are bedridden and require wheelchairs to get anywhere. SF is NOT in the 3^rd world!
As for the nursing staff, some are really kind and empathetic and others are jaded and have no business being a hired caregiver. Grade: B–
The administrative and business folks are as cold as ice for the most part; many of them care more about Medicare and insurance reimbursements than their patients’ welfare! Their sole motivation is fat pay checks and bonuses for themselves. They R EVIL! Grade: D–
The maintenance crew is a fat joke! They simply move germs from one place to the next; they don’t understand they work in a health care facility. The place smells worse after they «mop» the floors. Many of these folks move like zombies! Zombies might actually care about keeping Tunnell clean and well stocked with cleaning supplies and materials. Grade: F–
The food is simply horrible, even though this place ostensibly has an onsite dietician. I know hospital food leaves much to be desired but they should at least be nutritious and appropriate for each patient’s medical and health (often life & death) needs. You will NOT find that here. I think inmates at prisons, jails and correctional facilities get more nutritious food. Grade: D
Patients can enjoy great views of SF from their bed station if they are lucky.
The huge and well furnished recreation room on the 6^th floor is amazing with fantastic vistas! Grade: A+
If you want your loved ones to receive the care they need and paid for, you need to be assertive and advocate for them!
There are exceptional employees here (e.g., OT Sarah, RN’s Stephanie Pamintuan and Justine Lawas, and CNA Karma Sonam, Andrew & Mildred) but they are the rare exception to the rule (which is mediocre to poor)!
Kendrick — stop killing this cash cow & invest in it, which can become a model in its line of business; instead, folks in Kentucky’s HQ are squeezing out every ounce of decency in exchange for maximum profits.
There is an «office» called «Medical Records», which is likely a front for Russia’s KGB!
If this trend continues much longer, Tunnell will need to be shut down and razed to the ground for a new facility (or high end luxury apartments or condos).
Your loved ones can get decent care here so long as you strongly advocate for them.

I am writing this review as a close friend to former patients who were residents there and as a former employee myself. I no longer work for the company in any form and don’t stand to benefit from this review, but I have to speak out about my experience.
First, the skilled nursing environment is no picnic, it’s challenging for the patients and the staff as there are are so many regulations and patients can be medically complex and have tremendous need for support, attention and clinical expertise. That being said, I can honestly say that the Rehab team (of which I was once a part of) does outstanding work, and I have seen patients regain their lives when it seemed that there was not much chance of them doing so. I have seen therapists work their hearts out to benefit their patients and then if the patient complained («my therapist works me too hard!) their complaints be investigated very seriously. But complaints are rare, most of the patients are so grateful for the hard working therapists that helped them, and I have a file of thank you letters from when I worked there and I assure you the other therapists do too. The facility is quite beautiful with the hardwood floors and the glass roofed enormous gym with the sun streaming in… and a piano room and large patio… but the important thing is that people go there for REHAB, and the rehab department is outstanding. Patients are diverse, from every socioeconomic background and ethnicity and are all treated with respect… wether they are millionaires from Pac Heights, or homeless off the street. I saw friendships formed, I saw patients going outside with their therapists shopping or for coffee… and just weeks before they thought they would be going to a nursing home. There is a feeling of excitement and enthusiasm and optimism amongst the Rehab team that is contagious and exciting, and it helps that they have access to great equipment and can take the time to do really good treatments. I have an elderly friend who had a massive stroke, had as much rehab at Tunnell as insurance allowed and now is home living alone with a few hours of caregiver help a day… a true testimony to the quality of care he got at this facility. They years I spent there helped me grow tremendously as a clinician and I will always have respect for Tunnell. I have to say that I know that hard working patients sent there are sure to really appreciate their stay and truly benefit from the excellent clinical skills of the clinicians that treat them.

As I lie in my bed here at Tunnell I am wondering and contemplating my stay here. I’ve been here since mid-​December after a below the knee amputation. I perused the reviews and the majority are negative. From my point of view, as a patient, I have to be a tad favorable. I agree that the idea of being in a rehab/​convalescent hospital can be depressing, especially during the holidays.
I view Tunnell as a diamond in the rough… room for improvement in many areas, but many places are like this. I have not had any problems with staff, nurses, or therapists.
Upon getting here dinner was waiting, but after being on a salt free diet, it was too salty. My nurse immediately gave me another dinner that was better. Celine has been the afternoon/​night nurse here and has been an inspiration… her humor, her patience and above all the humanity and dignity she has demonstrated. Likewise Ana and Ting. The CNAs are remarkable, notably Marco, Mon, Alex, Sheryl and Linda who has become a sister to me. There are others on the nursing staff whose names I forget, but they are amazing.
My therapists have demonstrated tough love but with humor an patience. They love what they do and it was evident to see how tender they are with the elder patients. Kudos to Cydnie, Jake, Russell, Macje, Roel and Alger. These are the therapists who monitored my progress and encouraged me and most importantly believed in me. I will miss my sessions.
Stuart, the activities director is amazing. His social gathering are wonderful; there was even a DJ at one cranking out the oldies. Stuart is a gentle man and a gentleman with class. Sundays he’d bring his Corgi Chester for a bedside visit and there is no therapy like doggie kisses. I truly appreciated that more than words can express.
Even housekeeping would greet, notably Emily.
During this stay I learned that if you smile and greet a fellow patient, it means the world. I have made two friends here because of that. And treating the staff with the same respect and dignity that I expect has helped as well.
Tunnell may not be the cup of tea of some of the reviewers, but as a patient I have nothing but praise for the staff. It is a tough job and they try their best and in my case have succeeded.

My husband had to spend 5 days at Tunnel mainly for PT. I am very pleased with professionalism and knowledge of PT stuff. Physical Therapy department has a huge room, with lots of necessary equipment — all you need to get back on your feet. There is also roof terrace to get some fresh air, if needed.
Medical stuff was very nice and helpful. Of course, this is not your most modern and slick building, but it did the job. Thank you Tunnel stuff!

This is one of the worse rehab centers in San Francisco. From my view as a paramedic, the staff is poorly trained in emergencies. One example was several years ago when they were called, Nob Hill, I responded to a call for a man in cardiac arrest. The staff surrounded the poor man and did nothing. He was not a DNR. I also was here for another man whom was septic, laying in his own urine with bed sores.
This place may have improved since they changed their name but beware, there are better places to have your loved ones taken care of at.

My grandmother got really sick and she stayed at St. Francis Memorial hospital for a week and she was stable enough to leave but she wasn’t ready to go home just yet because she is a bit weak. This is her second time going to Tunnell Center. I was a bit concerned because the place is depressing.
My grandmother stayed on the 4^th floor and I recognized the social workers, nurses and orderlies. Everyone was really nice and helpful to my surprise. The staff was really kind to my grandma and attended to her needs in a reasonable time. The physical and occupational therpisists were really patient and encouraging with my grandma, especially with a language barrier. My grandma stayed for a week and a half and now she’s got her strength back and she looks great. She can walk with a walker and get up the stairs with some assistance. The case manager Alicia Cruz is really informative, professional and really sweet to my grandma. When my grandma needed the restroom or medication, the nursing staff got it to her very quickly. Tsering Wangyal is one of the best social workers I met.
Everytime I walk into the facility, I pray for all those who are staying there. I cannot imagine what the elderly go through and especially the staff. If you can avoid going to a nursing home, please do at all costs. I didn’t want my grandma to stay at Tunnelll but it sure was a blessing in disguise.

After suffering a stroke, my grandmother needed to receive physical, occupational, and speech therapy. She was being transferred from an acute hospital in Fairfield and knowing that she needed to receive therapy, our family decided to have her transferred to Tunnell Rehab because we heard that they provided 7 days/​week of rehab for all 3 disciplines and had around the clock RN nursing care.
The facility accomodated our large family with a semi private room. They also have several visiting areas for family and friends. A lovely roof top deck, a social dining area, and every floor had a day room where you could sit and meet with your family members. They also had great activities for the residents to enjoy. She was on a heart healthy and low sweets diet, but she said the food was enjoyable.
Her therapists were great! Sarah from OT, Diana from PT and Carolina from ST all worked well with her. They set their goals with her and made sure she met them at her own pace and didnt push her if they felt she couldn’t go on. Her memory was more affected than her physcial capabilities, but Carolina worked so well with her, every day she tried different excercies with her to help improve her memory. When she was at the acute hospital, she had no idea who she was or who her family were. Through all the hard work of these therapists, my grandmother is so much more improved from when she was discharged from the acute hospital.
The nursing staff were so attentive and patient with my grandmother. Each nurse has about 22 – 23 patients, but they never acted rushed or hurried and were very much attentive to her every need. I especially want to thank Nadia, Lorelle, Abigail, Priscilla, Rose, Marceline, Denise, Aida, and You MI. The CNA’s work so hard! All of the nursing staff should be commended!
All in all, the staff at this facility made my grandmother’s stay as pleasant as possible considering her circumstances. They were all a pleasure to be around and my grandmother has already said she plans to visit them all soon!

I cringe every time my father is sent here, the next time around I’m going to put up a fight to NOT have him placed in Tunnel.
It almost killed him this time around. On Saturday my father was experiencing shortness of breath, he had no appetite. I went to fetch the nurse and kept suggesting they transport him back to kaiser. They told me he was like this last night and got better.
My father has a high tolerance for pain, so when he says he’s in pain… I know something is wrong. They gave him some medicine and up the oxygen in his tank.
Yesterday I got a call from the nurse, and what do you know… HE HAD TO BE TRANSPORTED BACK TO KAISER. After further examination he had two major arteries in his heart clogged.
Had they waited any longer he would have passed away.

*This place is located in downtown, in the Civic Center, Vanness area. So you can imagine, it’s hard to drive due to traffic.
*They have a private parking lot, but it’s difficult to enter. It is on a hill with fast moving traffic, and it’s gated.
*The 38 does take you there, but you still have to walk about 3 – 5 blocks
*The place is nicely decorated… in the lobby
*There are a lot of staff members [mostly filipinos]
*They won’t feed the patients though, even the ones with trouble eating
Important points:
–some of the nurses are really nice and they really care, but like any place you go, majority of the staff are tired of their job and could care less.
–has a room for visitors [includes microwave, tv, drinks]