Columbia Aged Care Services - Willowood Centre

Nola Shehadeh

I’m writing this review to help anyone thinking to put their loved one in a nursing home. I never ever wanted to go down that path for my father but unfortunate circumstances with dads health deteriorated very quickly so I was forced to look around and pick a nursing home. Dad wasn’t Covid vaccinated so I had a hard time trying to find the best one for dad with the short time I had. Willowood in Chatswood was one of the few that would take my dad in even though he wasn’t vaccinated. The procedure was pretty straight forward the next morning came in to check on dad at 10am and I couldn’t believe my eyes he was a mess not going into exact details to keep my dads dignity ….nightmare …from that point… I knew I had to stay on top of things. Appointments hygiene ,medication and visitation rights which was the most challenging….especially through Covid I was an essential visitor and I wasn’t informed by management that I could constantly visit dad through the Covid outbreaks. OPAN is available to all family members of the elderly to ask them about any matter of concern. I called OPAN to understand my rights to visit and they advised me that I should push for visitation rights The Manager of the facility wasn’t very accomodating to visitations at all. My poor dad had to be on his own for weeks before I reached this hurdle of visiting rights, and then I could came in everyday. Every point of dads Journey was an uphill battle, the inconsistency of the Manager was very annoying one day you were allowed to do this … then the next day you were not allowed. Addressing people with …who are you? Is not very welcoming to Willowood and the way Stacey spoke to my adult children was not acceptable in any manner ….. all they wanted to do was to visit their grandfather when visiting rights opened up through aged care Do you really think your serving your residence well when you refuse family members to visit. She refused them entry and told them she’d call the police a simple explanation and told them two visitors at a time would have been sufficient. Working as a hairdresser in many retirement places and nursing homes for 15 years it breaks my heart on how some residents are treated and so isolated Especially the ones that don’t have family checking in on them constantly and staying on top of matters ,its essential for your elderly members of our society to end their life with dignity and respect reviews are here to be helpful in giving you insight of my experience here at Willowood

Mary Sambell

My parents have been residents at Willowood for the past 3.5 years. Staff are consistently cheerful, helpful and approachable. Leadership is strong. Cleaning is regular and efficient and daily activities are varied. Residents are treated with respect and never patronised. Both my parents died in Willowood; it was a dignified, respectful, gentle time with thoughtfulness and kindness given to both my parents and our family.

Nick Potten

My mother had a middling experience here. I would neither recommend nor warn against Willowood.

classicV8fan

An absolute disgrace, bordering on inhumane. All areas very under-staffed (medical, assistants, food handlers, laundry) Hardly no English first language speaking staff causes mass confusion, resident's food is pure muck and always presented nearly stone cold. The federal govt has given operators such as these a cash printing press. This establishment is a "dump and run" point for families to dispose of their pesty old parents / grandparents. Half of the staff are quite competent and compassionate, the other half are very lazy and uncaring sods who only have a job there because the management is desperate to get workers ... poor pay and conditions I imagine. My first hand advice ....look else where to place your loved one