Overall sentiment across these reviews is mixed-positive: most reviewers highlight strong elements of St John's Retirement Village while several raise recurring operational and staffing concerns that prospective residents and families should note.
Care quality and staffing: Many reviews emphasize that direct care staff are caring, dedicated, and personable. Several accounts specifically praise staff who know residents by name, provide attentive support, and make family members feel grateful for the care received. The community also appears to have a safety-oriented approach in certain areas — dementia-specific buildings with visible staff stations and night staff, walker-friendly bathrooms, and safety devices in rooms are mentioned as strengths. However, staffing adequacy and staff engagement are frequent concerns. Multiple reviewers noted not enough staff on duty at times, and some reported unprofessional behaviors such as cell phone use while working, hiding in an office, eye-rolling, not returning to residents, or generally disengaged attitudes. These contrasting impressions suggest variability in staff performance and periodic staffing shortages that affect resident experience.
Facilities and living spaces: The physical campus and living units receive consistent praise. Reviewers repeatedly mention beautiful, sunlit carpeted cottages, large private bedrooms with yard views, and well-maintained, spotless interiors with no unpleasant odors. The grounds are a standout feature — landscaped areas, a courtyard with a koi pond, and approximately 14 acres of pleasant outdoor space and strolling areas inside gates provide attractive, tranquil surroundings. The community is pet-friendly and secular/inclusive, and apartments include practical amenities like private parking. That said, some reviewers pointed out that certain one-bedroom floor plans are poorly designed and that parts of the facility could benefit from upgrades.
Dining and nutrition: Opinions about food are mixed. Several reviewers appreciate the wholesome, country-style meals and note that meals are prepared in a central kitchen with vegetarian accommodations available. Dining at small tables (3-4) is seen as promoting intimacy and social interaction. At the same time, other reviewers describe the food as bland or overcooked, and there are complaints about limited dining room hours. These comments indicate variability in meal quality and service times that may matter to prospective residents with specific dietary preferences or schedules.
Activities and social life: Activities are a consistent positive theme. Reviews describe an active daily program with roughly 3–4 activities per day, including music programs, bingo, dominoes, gardening, trips, church services, mental games, and creative options like bouquet-making. Small-unit social dynamics (e.g., 16-person units, dining tables of 3–4) foster closer connections among residents. Yet at least one reviewer felt that some residents were not cheerful or that staff did not sufficiently engage a particular resident, suggesting that social engagement can vary between units or individuals.
Management, atmosphere, and safety concerns: Several reviewers describe the overall atmosphere as pleasant, wholesome, and comfortable, with many residents and families feeling reassured by the level of care. Cleanliness and a lack of unpleasant odors are repeatedly noted. Conversely, a few reviews criticize management as being marketing-focused and point to a need for upgrades. Safety-related concerns arise less often but are notable: beyond staffing worries, there are reports of rude or unsafe driving by facility drivers, including an incident where a driver almost ran a person off the road and was argumentative. While the presence of safety features and visible staff in dementia units is reassuring, these driver-safety and staff-behavior anecdotes point to specific operational areas that should be clarified during a visit.
Patterns and takeaways: The dominant themes are a well-maintained, attractive campus with good activity programming and many caring staff members, contrasted with pockets of operational and staffing inconsistency. Frequent mentions of cleanliness, grounds, dementia-specific care features, and personalized spaces weigh strongly positive. Recurrent negatives center on occasional insufficient staffing, variable staff professionalism, mixed food quality, some unit floor plan issues, limited dining hours, and isolated safety/driver incidents.
What prospective residents and families should check: When evaluating St John's, ask about current staffing levels and turnover, observe staff-resident interactions during a tour, sample meals and inquire about dining hours and menu variety, review the specific floor plan of the unit under consideration, and ask how the facility addresses staff conduct and driver safety. Also confirm specifics of dementia-care units (staff ratios, visibility, night staffing), availability of vegetarian accommodations, pet policies, and scheduled activities to ensure they align with the prospective resident’s needs and preferences.
In summary, St John's Retirement Village offers strong physical amenities, attractive grounds, active programming, and many caring staff — qualities that make it a comfortable option for many residents. However, variability in staff engagement, occasional operational shortcomings, and mixed reports about dining and unit layouts suggest the importance of an in-person assessment focused on staffing, service consistency, and the precise living space being considered.
