I have mixed feelings about Palladion after about 2.5 months stay in 2022 to heal from some arm, pelvic and sacrum fractures. I had a horrific experience with the senior in-house doctors who didn’t seem interested in their jobs and the patients. They weren’t interested to listen or ask about my intolerances, and they ended up pushing medications and creams which made me very sick. Their grumblings when I had questions, walking away mid-conversation, denying my intolerances, asking nurses to leave me pills without explanations, shocked me and made me feel unsafe. As a result, I had infections that recurred repeatedly, a deep pressure ulcer that was not properly healed, and severe intolerance reactions that lasted almost a year after leaving the center.
But on the other hand, the occupational therapist, Maria Mitropoulou, did an amazing job on my fractured wrists, which made me stay despite the terrible doctor experience. Her dedication to make time for me daily, her innovative streak to think of new recovery methods and exercises, and her expertise in the hand's bone structure and ability to heal, resulted in day by day visible improvements. See attached photo and video for the progress made, from a hand that was stiff as wood when the fixtures were taken out. I was also impressed with the older, more experienced caretakers who understood what I needed even when we didn’t speak the same language because of their attentiveness and empathy. I am also grateful to the chef and kitchen staff who took my intolerances seriously, making lunch my favorite part of the day. Their simple roast chicken (even without sauce) is delicious!!
Other services worth mentioning include acupuncture, neurofeedback and gym classes. I saw benefits in my appetite, mood and pain tolerance after even one session with Dr Stavros, the experienced acupuncturist. With the neurofeedback sessions, I saw benefits in my sleep, bowel movements and pain tolerance. In my last two weeks when I was able to walk, I had the benefit of receiving a custom, well thought out exercise plan from the knowledgeable gym trainer Dimitri. One thing to note regarding Palladion's services, half of them advertised on the website are no longer available, not consistently available, or cost extra.
Overall I was happy with the occupational therapy, the daily care and food but not with the medical care. The staff across the teams are generally caring and helpful (including others I have not mentioned: physio, cleaners, reception, cafeteria, finance, marketing and sales) with the exception of the doctors, likely because of the rotational setup and general business direction that doesn't incentivize the progress of patient care. Because of this, I feel it is necessary for patients (or their loved ones) to be consciously aware and have strong ownership of their own well-being and improvements, while being vocal and specific about what they need across the departments in order to get the best from the center in its current state. I am hopeful that at least management, Mr Papaioannou, was open to listening to my feedback. So hopefully things will change and they can truly become the best rehab center in Greece.