nursing assistant

registered nurse

licensed practical nurse

food service associate

housekeeper

Avantara

It takes a lot for me to write a review, but i feel it is important for whoever reads these to know the truth. I have been a nurse for over 20 years and have worked in many facilities as an RN and travel nurse. I recognize that no facility is perfect and there are issues whenever you go..however...I can honestly say that this place was the worst. PPE kept in cages in the basement and having to go through at least 5 administrational personnel and still not getting it. Watching staff break into the cages just to get supplies. Seriously. This is not right. I felt my only option was to report this to the state. The reason is because we can’t work like that and risk our licenses and to have to plead and beg to get supplies...absolutely not okay. Thankfully I now work at a place that if we need PPE, we just go get it and mark off what we got...the way it should be. Nurses...know your worth and what you would be getting into as this is the new norm and PPE will always be an issue. There is something about Avantara. The feeling in the air is thick and management does not manage. 

Typical day at work:  7-3 or 3 -11.  For day shift:  plan on staying beyond your shift that will end at 3. Most days are spent trying to complete demands that you can't possibly finish by shifts end - 3:00pm. When you get to work, you get shift report; sometimes there is lack of thorough communication regarding patients, care plans, and patients health.  You are short supplies, call lights go unanswered for minutes on end; some coworkers are too busy to help. 

What you believed I learned:  post acute care 

Management:  management does not help as much as they should. 

Workplace culture:  need to work on supply and demand; you cannot complete your job when you are short essential supplies and no one is willing to help upon asking coworkers

Hardest part of the job:  being short staffed, call lights that go unanswered,  not having help when you need help; having essential supplies locked up which requires management approval while patients wait to be taken care of. 

The most enjoyable part of the job:  patients and time off 

I am disgusted with this place. The corporate company, Legacy, only cares about heads in beds and money. The quality of care here has gone down exponentially. They do not have the supplies we need for resident care. All of the employees that actually cared are now gone. They have quit or been fired. It is so understaffed and all the people that do work here are burnt out due to excessive hours and no respect. There is only two unit managers for four units and you can never get any ones attention for help. Our residents pay a lot of money to be here and aren't given the care they deserve. They allow Covid patients here and put staff and residents at risk because they don't take the proper precautions. Management is unhelpful and rude to employees that are  below them. I wish I could rescue all of these residents. I don't understand why the state is allowing them to continue to take on more people at this point. Its a sad situation.

i have never experienced the level of poor quality nursing and management as i did here. All of the negative reviews about this place are very accurate and let me add that the ones who truly suffer because of all the dysfunction are our dear loved ones who are in need and their needs are not getting met on a constant basis. i have heard nursing staff berate some of the residents because they are deemed "too needy" and that takes away from their constant smoke breaks, playing on their phones and gossiping sessions. My own mother was recently at a point where we needed to place her in a home and of course avantara had openings and i told my family i will die before i put my loved one there and i suggest other people should rethink placing their loved one there as well.

When I first started here I thought things were going to be great. I was starting in s new position and finally going to be doing something I would enjoy. Wrong!! I got very little training or orientation. I was assigned tasks and expected to know how to navigate the computer to get things done. I have adapted and been able to basically train myself by asking a few well placed questions. It has become obvious to me that they do not care about their employees as I have heard management state that there are plenty of people out there who want your job.  They also don't care what is gping on in your life you had better be at work or yiu get written up. Further, you can be suspended at the drop of a hat for things that are truky out if your control. They expect you to live at your job and put everything and everyone in second place to your job. I would not reccomend working here.

One day you have 96 residents and just enough staff to barely keep your nose above water, and the next day you have 94 residents and they pull 1 nurse and 2 aids because that's what the corporation's budget calls for. When the budget was probably written for only 65 residents, to begin with, and if they would just write a new budget they might have better help. 80% of the staff are travelers and management spends all day in the conference room in meetings ordering out food on the company credit card and then hands you one list after another wanting weights, BM, and showers all completed before you go home and then other management staff wants UDA's done to add to all the excitement. You don't have time to breathe, let alone go to the bathroom between all the admission, falls, and transfers to the hospitals.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Help others because they can't help themselves, helping with their ADL , making sure they are comfortable and safe, caring for these residents. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
When working short, one person to 16 residents and someone called off, that what you would called stress


What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Mixture we respect everyone's culture, the working environment is pretty much clean somewhat friendly 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Busy taking care of these residents, bathing, assisting to the toliet,combing hair, assisting with feeding, passing out dinner tray, answering call lights,making sure everyone is dry and comfortable

Every day you learn something new on the job. The team is one of the most compassionate and hard-working teams I've ever had the pleasure of working with. The big boss here serves as both a mentor and a friend which is very helpful in your professional career advancement. Expect the unexpected in a good way on a typical day. There is no such thing as a perfect job, but every day is different. If you are looking for a good challenge this is the place to work! If not, shy far away. Not everyone is suited for nursing home healthcare, but for those with compassion and a genuine desire to help others, it is a rewarding career path. Achieving fast career advancement and feeling valued by management are important to you, come work at Avantara Lake Zurich!  

Enjoy work relationships with direct care givers/line staff. Enjoy completing the tasks of my job and how they relate to resident care and families.
Disappointed in Company’s choice of Administrator change. She has proven to have traits of talking about other staff behind their backs, twisting peoples words, being untrustworthy-lacking in leadership qualities. 3 Management team members quit in one week. Staff moral is down compared to a year ago,
Residents who call Arrowhead their home come with a mixture of needs, some with Dementia, some with heavy physical need assistance, some with intact cognition , and some clinically complex. Most are LTC, though some come for just a Rehab stay ( Therapy dept is excellent )

Of course, all SNF and LTACs are short staffed, and this place does offer bonuses to pick up shifts, but they make you feel guilty if you ever have to call in and try to bully you into picking up a shift to "make up" for your call in.  Management loves to hide behind their closed doors when the place is falling apart, and the only time you see your management team is because of two reasons.  1) State is coming, or 2) a "customer" has filed a complaint on you.  They pay well and have a heck of a sign on bonus, but beware, there is a reason.  If you are just after a paycheck, this is the place for you.  But if you are looking for professional growth, a chance to advance your education, support from your leaders, just keep scrolling because it's not going to happen here.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Nursing assistant 6 salaries reported	$18.46 per hour
Registered nurse 1 salary reported	$36.00 per hour
Licensed practical nurse 1 salary reported	$31.00 per hour
Food service associate 5 salaries reported	$25.50 per hour
Housekeeper 2 salaries reported	$14.00 per hour

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