Eger Health Care & Rehabilitation Center

You literally get what you put in here. If you visit your loved ones often and keep an eye on everything, talk to doctors, nurses, aides, etc, it's a nursing home like any other one.... But if you are rarely there, don't expect them to be on top of the care. It feels like they are understaffed, pressing the bell to change the potty takes hours. They don't answer phones the majority of the time. You simply have to visit in person, all the time. Location and grounds are nice. Food is tolerable. Some staff are super good and professional, as well as friendly. Some are just there to punch the clock... I would say, this is an average quality nursing home. If you love your elderly, you have to be active and physically present...

My father was at rehab there . They released him with a untreated UTI
Don't send your loved ones here. They don't care although some of the staff were very good most of the higher ups were unsatisfactory
I know my dad was 94 but he deserved to be diagnosed and treated.

I would not recommend this place. In human conditions. Aides are very ruff and rude except for one. Answers to every question is it's a shift change.

My poor father in law has to be here....what a poorly run place and it's in such a dilapidated state.

There seems to be a few things most end of life facilities have in common. They're usually outdated, a bit cruddy, and staffed with horrible employees.

Eger Health Center isn't all that bad but it isn't all that good. Like other reviewers have mentioned its really outdated here. I know you don't come here for the decor and all but when families are paying nearly $550 a day to be housed here you'd think in the very least the building and its rooms would be modern and up to date. Instead you're faced with a dank reception desk, dirty carpets throughout, old paint, "wood" everywhere, peeling walls, old chairs, and the bathrooms in each room are straight out the 60's.

I could go on and on about the condition of this building but I don't want to take away from the staff that keeps this place running. The staff here are some of the most compassionate people I have met during the process of my relatives passing. They were kind, caring, and respectful with all of us during some difficult time but when it came to them having to interact with him they were gentle and patient which doesn't always happens in many of these places.

We didn't have much time to research a better possible facility but cant say I truly regretted the decision my family made to use this facility.

This is a beautiful 97 year old facility standing on 22 acres in the Lighthouse Hill section of Staten Island.

They have two separate buildings that I know of. One being the rehabilitation center and a separate building for assisted living. They are a Lutheran affiliated facility but cater to all faiths.

That being said, I have a loved one that has been in and out of the hospital 4 times since August and is currently there for short term rehab which consists of occupational and physical therapy. The schedule for the therapies are Monday through Friday with plenty of other activities to keep the patients of all ages entertained. They in fact are having a holiday fair this Saturday, Nov 2 that all are welcome to attend.

The staff, whether it be doctors, aides, nurses or volunteers are outstanding. It was a rough patch at the beginning but the loved one is making great progress and hopefully will be going home in the near future.

So my dad has been sick for 3 days and we have been trying to call to get a status of how he is. The nurse practitioner has been helpful and maybe 2 of his nurses. The others are completely nasty, he has lung issues and was waiting 2 days for an X-ray. Completely unacceptable. This morning I called and asked to see if he had his X-ray done and the nurse who picked up tells me " i don't know I just walked in and haven't gotten reports" . What does it take to put someone on hold and check? This is someone's dad and grandfather and my family and I are worried sick about him. Disgusting ! And I'm sure they wouldn't be happy if they were told that about their dad. Lack of care with the X-ray and patient information. With everything that is going on, we are unable to see my father or speak to him( he is paralyzed), the least they can do is answer a simple question!

Btw- when they tell you that they don't have confirmed cases of COVID there, don't believe them. It's a lie! My father is fighting his biggest fight right now!

At the risk of sounding extreme, Egers is a dangerous place. I'm posting this as a warning to hopefully help in any decision that is considering Egers. We were effectively duped by intake reps who came across as trustworthy, positive, and reassuring, but the reality is something else.

In November of 2020, my mother went to Egers for short-term hip rehabilitation. Before going, my siblings and I made separate calls to Egers representatives to determine their facility's safety (re: COVID). We were assured of the company's strict protocols, including strict requirements for masks for staff and patients.

Unfortunately, my mother was diagnosed with COVID after spending eight days in Egers (note that she had tested negative immediately prior to entering Egers). After a number of phone calls to Egers' staff, we were able to determine that Egers not only had many residents with COVID but that the floor they put my mother on had a high number of those residents (!). This info was never given to us prior and ... we only received it from staff members after VERY direct questioning. It is just not reasonable to maintain that the different staff members with whom we spoke to developed the same policy of limited disclosure. It has to be a strategy / policy that was planned by Egers and communicated to its staff. A policy that says to avoid disclosure related to their COVID numbers, providing information only when very direct questions are asked. More concerning, though, is the very positive and strong assurances we received from the intake reps.

The story gets worse. The nurse who gave my mother the bad news did not have a mask on (!). Bizarrely, the nurse tried to allay my mother's fears by literally hugging my mother ... without a mask (!) and suggesting that 'we' (the staff) aren't worried about COVID given that 'most of the cases here are mild' (!). My mother did say that the nurse was a nice person and well-intended but ... this is very misguided. Worse, given that the nurse could walk in without mask and not have any fears of this violating company protocol (along with her subsequent actions and comments) strongly point to the company's overall attitude towards its protocols. When you consider the staff's lax attitude towards COVID and the high number of COVID patients on the floor they put my mother on, it's not surprising that my mother contracted COVID there.

My mother had to wait until she tested negative for COVID before leaving Egers. While there, she reported some positive things with respect to some staff members. However, in addition to the above serious issues, her general experience was of being ignored (probably due to an overworked staff).

My 93 yr young mom was admitted after a hospital stay for rehabilitation. She stayed on the 6th floor. I have to say EVERYONE was awesome. They helped with all her needs in a timely fashion. The PT got her back on her feet within a week. When the nutritionist came around to inquire what she liked to eat and for the most part she received what she liked.
I would like to thank the staff of nurses,PT staff and everyone for their help. I highly recommend Eger.

As a former physical therapist here, that's since worked at two other similar facilities, I feel confident saying that this is by far the best rehabilitation hospital in the area. Whether you're looking for a long term or short care facility for yourself or a family member, I'd highly recommend this facility for the following reasons...

Rehabilitation Department: Multiple physical, occupational, and speech therapists, all with a significant amount of clinical experience. The head of the department is willing to meet with family and address all questions/concerns as needed. Each patient receives a scheduled time for their appointment, and with several reliable transporters to pick them up and take them to the gym, you can be assured that you or your family member will consistently make it to all appointments. Many other rehabilitation facilities have therapists with less experience (multiple therapists at Eger have 10+ years of experience), appointment times that are not reliably observed (ask how many transporters are at other facilities), or more outdated equipment.

Nursing Staff: Top Notch. Everyone on the second floor (if you have the choice, request 2nd floor, since it's less busy, and since there is no issues with elevators, you're more likely to make it on time to physical therapy appointments). Jen on the third floor, Gerri on the upper floors, are two that stand out from the rest. They're knowledgeable, great with patients, and clearly care about their job. Additionally, the CNAs are attentive, and the facility is well staffed, especially compared to other facilities.

Medical Staff: All the doctors are high quality, but in particular the MD on the second floor (I can't remember name), and Dr. Mohamed Elessawy. In particular, I'd recommend Dr. Elessawy. In all my life, he's one of the best physicians, from knowledge to bedside manner, that I've ever met.

Recreation: Eger has a large Recreational Therapy Department, and it shows. They offer a wide variety of recreational opportunities. It's a fun place to be. Additionally, with strong ties to the community, there's always exciting things going on. The Staten Island Yankees team visited one day, local schools visit on a regular basis, etc.

Finally, I'd just like to point out that Eger Health Care and Rehabilitation Center is a nonprofit facility, which is important because it means that the rehabilitation department isn't driven by the bottom line nearly as much as the for-profit facilities. This translates to more one-on-one time, newer equipment, and a general higher quality of care. Even if you don't choose Eger, I could not recommend more that you avoid for-profit nursing homes, as the quality of care is compromised by alternative interests. If you do choose Eger though, you won't be disappointed.