Overall sentiment across the reviews is mixed but leans positive for everyday care and social atmosphere, while raising significant safety and operational concerns in some reports. Many reviewers praised the facility as clean, nicely decorated, and comfortable for long-term residents. Several accounts highlight warm, caring and attentive staff, proactive nurses, and a smooth admissions experience. For multiple residents and families the Retreat provided reliable day-to-day support, medication assistance, on-site amenities (church, library, laundry), three meals a day, many activities, and a friendly community of residents — factors that contributed to strong endorsements for long-term stays and end-of-life care.
Staff and caregiving receive both the strongest praise and some criticism. Positive themes include friendly, responsible staff; nurses described as proactive and available; and coordinators who run activities well. Multiple reviewers explicitly said staff were helpful and that their relative loved the environment and food in some cases. Conversely, there are recurring comments about nursing communication problems: some families noted issues with how nursing staff communicated changes or incidents. While many staff are characterized as caring and efficient, communication lapses appear to be a pain point that can affect family confidence.
Safety, medication handling, and property security are notable areas of concern and the most serious negative patterns in the reviews. Several reviewers reported medication errors, including mistakes involving opioids, and theft of medication. There are also reports of stolen belongings and more general statements describing the environment as unsafe (one reviewer used the word "cesspool"). These are discrete but serious allegations that contrast sharply with other reviewers' positive long-term experiences. The presence of both proactive nurses and reports of medication errors suggests inconsistency in practice or isolated but significant incidents — an important pattern for prospective families to investigate directly with management.
Dining and diet management show a split impression. Many reviews note that meals are provided three times daily and that some residents love the food; others report poor food quality, occasional spoiled meals, and that diets are not consistently individualized despite the menu being designed by a dietitian. This suggests that while the meal program exists and is overseen at some level, execution and tailoring to residents' specific dietary needs may be inconsistent.
Facilities and the neighborhood are generally seen as clean and pleasantly decorated inside, with on-site services (church, library, laundry) adding convenience. However, outdoor space and location are cited as drawbacks: reviewers mentioned limited outdoor access, a small yard, lack of car access, and a neighborhood that some considered "not ideal." These factors could affect quality of life for residents who value frequent outdoor time or independence via personal vehicle access.
Activities and social life receive favorable comments: reviewers cited many activities and friendly coordinators, and several noted that residents are not isolated and that there is a welcoming social environment. For families seeking a community-oriented assisted living option with regular programming, these are meaningful positives.
In summary, The Retreat Assisted Living appears to offer a clean, comfortable environment with many amenities, caring staff, and robust social programming that make it a good choice for many long-term residents. At the same time, there are significant and specific concerns — especially around medication handling, theft, safety perceptions, and inconsistent dining quality — that prospective residents and families should address directly with facility leadership. Recommended next steps for an interested family would be to ask management for details on medication administration protocols and incident reporting, staff training and turnover, security measures for residents' possessions, examples of diet customization for medical needs, and opportunities to tour outdoor spaces and evaluate neighborhood access in person.
