Vivian Teal Howard Health

Vivian Teal Howard Health, also known now as Central Park Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, sits at 116 East Castle Street in Syracuse, NY, and does a mix of elder care, mental health care, and rehabilitation, so folks will see places like the Vivian Teal Howard Residence and the Syracuse Brick House Inc Evaluation Center with different names for the parts of the building, and they really do offer a wide variety of options like independent living, assisted living, memory care for Alzheimer's and other dementia, adult day care, residential care homes, home care, and even special care units for tough situations like spinal injuries and cancer. The place accepts a lot of people on Medicaid, many hard-to-place from hospitals, and it runs 160 beds but usually has around 143 residents along with nearly 160 staff, including skilled nurses, therapists, and nutrition specialists, meaning help is available around-the-clock. The building itself was rebuilt in 1999, after being turned from an old hospital into a nursing home, and the ownership's changed hands many times since starting up in 1916, even going through bankruptcy and times of financial trouble with management shifts, some years rough enough for the government to list it as one of the worst-performing nursing homes, due to quality problems and repeated state inspections that found issues like medication mistakes, problems with bathing, and supervision of wandering or smoking residents. There's been more focus lately on fixing these problems, with former administrator Joe Corradino rehired and new staff training brought in by consultants, and some units, like the dual recovery program, offer psychiatric help and support for seniors with tough mental and physical health situations, and hospice care and respite care are options for families needing a break. Amenities include housekeeping, chef-planned meals, laundry, transportation, on-site gyms for physical rehab, salon services, organized activities, and social events, and care goes from periodic check-ins to constant observation when needed. People can see things like community-wide friendliness, effort to know each resident, and wellness resources-though the facility's had ups and downs, it's still known for skilled nursing, subacute care, and helping people regain strength. Costs for memory care are higher, as you might expect, and the senior apartments, assisted living, and independent living options are designed to help people stay as independent as possible, with help always close at hand. The board of trustees oversees the facility, and it's still working on improvements while serving Syracuse-area seniors who need nursing, rehab, daily help, or a safe place to live.