Bear Hill Rehabilitation and Nursing Center

October 2025, We're back. Sadly mom took a bad fall and her confidence has been shaken to the core. At Melrose Wakefield Hospital they asked which rehab. It was an immediate Bear Hill Rehab in Stoneham please. Amen they had a bed available and I requested our wonderful 90 yrs young mother's favorite nurse, Sharma. To our delight we found out today that Sharma has an opening in her ward. Mom arrived just after 4 this afternoon and I had already filled out the paperwork and was anxiously waiting in their lobby for the ambulance transport to arrive. When she did and I told her who was waiting for her, she lit up for the 1st time, since last Thursday night's fall. Her beautiful smile was worth a million. As the EMTs wheeled her down the hallway, here came Sharma to welcome both of us as if we were family. She took my mom's hand and placed a kiss on it. It took everything in me to hold back the tears. Yesterday I thought this was the horrible transition, where our parents don't always come back from. I arrived home tonight with such HOPE. More nurses remembered mom from Easter and even the Physical Therapist who came to assess her before heading home recognized mom's name and mom knew her immediately when she walked into her room. I text the whole family with confidence that mom will do great and make a full recovery from this. Bear Hill Rehab has no idea how much of a difference this afternoon made to my mindset and more importantly our mom's. Hope, faith, and their absolutely amazing, genuine staff I'm confident will help us get mom back on track. Oh, and if you've never had the pleasure of meeting Karen at their front desk, who is the warmest person you'll be blessed to meet, you're missing out. I'll post again in 2 weeks with mom's progress. God truly blessed us and definitely our incredible mom. 🩷 Easter 2025, that you Sarah for putting together this amazing Easter Sunday Dessert Buffet for residents, patients, and their family's. March 2024: Mom landed back to back

I just spent 10 long days at Bear Hill rehab. I do not recommend this place. The food is horrible. What you ask for is never what you get. The staff is neglectful for the most part. You have to keep asking for things over and over. You eventually learn to do without. If you are lucky enough to have one of the three superstars on staff during your stay, you will be treated with compassion and respect. They are “Ashley”, “Evan” and a nurse named “Walter”. All three of these people do the work of five others. Otherwise you get a bed. You are on your own. The PT and OT staff is hard working and efficient! It does not match the rest of the facility. The meds are often given very late, up to 3.5 hours late. If you speak up, you are met with annoyance or indifference. Mostly very unprofessional nurses and workers. There were many days when we never got washed up in the morning and just sat there in our pjs until we did the best we could ourselves. You learn quickly that you can not rely on the call button. Often nobody ever comes. They will tell you not to walk to the bathroom without supervision, but there was no supervision available, so I had to. One night I had to urinate in a styrofoam cup! It was that, or pee the bed. It was a terrible experience and I would not recommend it to anybody!

Sara Rao, the Activity Director at Bear Hill, has had a steady and positive presence at the facility for many years. Through an exceptionally challenging period-including COVID, frequent ownership and administrative changes, and significant resident and staff turnover, Sara has remained a consistent stabilizing force. She puts tremendous thought and effort into creating engaging activities that bring residents together and encourages meaningful social interaction. Her work plays an important role in helping residents stay connected, involved, and supported in their daily lives, which is essential in a long-term care setting. Our mother has been a resident at bear hill for several years. On many occasions Sara has gone above and beyond her role by personally setting up spaces for individualized family celebrations, such as birthdays or holidays. That kind of personal attention and care is not something you see every day and speaks volume about her dedication to residents and their families, especially ours. We are very grateful to Sara for her care and kindness towards our mother. While there is no facility without its challenges, Sara is truly a bright spot at Bear Hill. Her commitment, creativity, and compassion make a real difference, and the facility is fortunate to have her. Regards – The Sacco Family