Autumn Lake Healthcare at the Willows

    225 Amity Rd, Woodbridge, CT 06525
    • Assisted Living
    • Memory Care
    • Skilled Nursing

    Kind professional staff effective rehab

    I had a very positive experience - the staff were consistently kind, professional and responsive across nursing, therapy, social services and administration. The facility is bright, clean and conveniently located; excellent PT/OT and a varied activities program made rehab effective and kept my mom engaged. I felt heard and well cared for-staff went above and beyond and I would recommend this facility.

    Loved one of resident
    Jul 2026

    Schedule a Tour

    Date of Tour
    Time Window
    Tour Type

    You selected in-person tour on in the

    Amenities

    Healthcare services

    • Activities of daily living assistance
    • Assistance with bathing
    • Assistance with dressing
    • Assistance with transfers
    • Coordination with health care providers
    • Medication management
    • Mental wellness program

    Healthcare staffing

    • 24-hour call system
    • 24-hour supervision

    Meals and dining

    • Diabetes diet
    • Meal preparation and service
    • Special dietary restrictions

    Room

    • Cable
    • Fully furnished
    • Housekeeping and linen services
    • Kitchenettes
    • Telephone
    • Wifi

    Transportation

    • Transportation arrangement (medical)
    • Transportation to doctors appointments

    Common areas

    • Beauty salon
    • Dining room
    • Garden
    • Outdoor space

    Community services

    • Move-in coordination

    Activities

    • Community-sponsored activities
    • Scheduled daily activities

    Reviews

    3.48·(69)

    Overall rating

    1. 5
    2. 4
    3. 3
    4. 2
    5. 1
    • Care

      3.3
    • Staff

      3.4
    • Meals

      2.5
    • Amenities

      3.4
    • Value

      2.0

    Pros

    • Compassionate and dedicated nursing aides
    • Strong physical and occupational therapy program
    • Effective short‑term rehabilitation outcomes
    • Engaging activities and recreation programming
    • Supportive social-work and discharge‑planning services
    • Clean, bright rooms and well‑maintained common areas
    • Responsive admissions and administrative support
    • Proactive pandemic communication (family Zooms)
    • Meals adapted to clinical dietary needs

    Cons

    • Inconsistent staffing levels and responsiveness
    • Gaps in clinical monitoring and emergency response
    • Infection‑control and isolation practice weaknesses
    • Poor and unreliable family communication and phone access
    • Variable housekeeping and sanitation practices
    • Inconsistent staff professionalism and conduct
    • Inadequate assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs)
    • Food quality and meal‑service inconsistencies
    • Medication coordination and documentation gaps
    • Aging infrastructure and temperature‑control variability
    • Transfer and care‑coordination process weaknesses

    Summary of reviews

    The reviews describe a facility with sharply polarized experiences. Many families and patients praise the rehabilitation program, therapy teams, and specific frontline caregivers: physical and occupational therapists, certain nurses, CNAs, and social‑work staff receive repeated commendation for effective rehab outcomes, individualized discharge planning, and compassionate day‑to‑day support. Multiple accounts highlight engaging recreational programming, a bright and well‑maintained environment in many areas, and administrative staff who have been responsive and proactive (for example, organized family Zoom updates during the pandemic). Meals and therapeutic diet adjustments are noted positively when teams adapt food textures to clinical needs.

    Counterbalancing those positives are recurrent operational weaknesses that affect safety and family confidence. Reviewers describe inconsistent staffing and slow or missed responses to call bells; these responsiveness gaps are associated with safety concerns such as unattended patients, fall risk, and delayed emergency intervention. There are also repeated concerns about clinical monitoring, medication coordination, and documentation practices that families found problematic. Infection‑control and isolation procedures are another area of significant concern in some accounts, including an allegation about the placement and isolation of an infectious resident that heightened family anxiety about vulnerable patients.

    Housekeeping and incontinence‑care practices are reported inconsistently: some units and shifts are described as clean and well maintained, while others have sanitation issues and incomplete cleaning tasks. Staff professionalism and communication tone are variable across shifts and departments; some reviewers describe caring, courteous interactions, whereas others report discourteous or unhelpful conduct and language‑barrier challenges. Phone accessibility and after‑hours follow up are also described as unreliable by a number of families, complicating coordination with caregivers and transitions of care.

    Facility and amenity observations are mixed. The building is frequently described as bright and generally well cared for, with effective common‑area maintenance, but parts of the infrastructure are characterized as aging and there are specific temperature‑control complaints (air conditioning variability). Dining quality receives mixed feedback: while therapeutic diet adaptation is praised, several reviewers note bland or institutional food and inconsistencies in meal assistance for residents who need help eating. Transfer and discharge processes likewise vary — some families describe smooth, supportive discharge planning, while others report difficulties with transfers, record transfer coordination, and timeliness.

    Overall patterns point to high variability in resident experience driven largely by staffing consistency, shift differences, and department-level processes. Prospective families should weigh the facility’s strong rehabilitation and social‑service capabilities against the documented operational gaps. When evaluating placement, consider asking for current staffing ratios, infection‑control protocols, shift‑by‑shift supervision practices, sample care plans for ADL assistance, medication‑administration and documentation procedures, housekeeping schedules, and references from recent short‑term rehab discharges. Visiting at different times of day and speaking directly with therapy, nursing leadership, and social work can help assess whether the unit and shift-level practices align with your expectations for safety and communication.

    Reviews written on Mirador

    We have no reviews to show about Autumn Lake Healthcare at the Willows.

    Help other families by writing a review about your experience with this community.

    Medicare Ratings

    5·/ 5
    • Overall

    • Health Inspection

    • Staffing

    • Quality Measures

    Ratings from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (Care Compare). View on Medicare.gov

    Location

    Map showing location of Autumn Lake Healthcare at the Willows

    Autumn Lake Healthcare at the Willows is located at 225 Amity Rd, Woodbridge, CT, 06525.

    About Autumn Lake Healthcare at the Willows

    Autumn Lake Healthcare at The Willows sits at 225 Amity Rd in Woodbridge, CT, where the facility offers skilled nursing and intermediate care for folks who are very frail and need daily nursing support, while also helping people who need short-term rehabilitation services between leaving the hospital and returning home, and the place has 225 certified beds though there's an average of 83 residents living there each day, and even though they're not accepting new patients at this exact moment, they can provide information about the next opening if someone calls in, and English is the main language used with some staff members also able to speak other languages. Mark Schwartz has managed this location since November 2023, and the facility is part of the bigger network called Autumn Lake Healthcare, which has sites all around Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, where each site delivers a mix of long-term care and rehabilitation, and at The Willows, round-the-clock nursing covers everything from basic health needs to more complicated medical conditions. The nurse staffing level is 3.51 nurse hours per resident each day, which is a little below the state average, but the nurse turnover rate is lower than most places nearby, and good staff stick around, with many patient reviews saying the team is kind and knows what they're doing, folks like Danielle the social worker help provide care and support, and several staff members show real compassion and skill, with private rooms featuring bay windows available for those who want a quieter space. There are communal spaces inside and outside for socializing or relaxation, plus a full daily activity schedule to help folks stay engaged, and there's a state-of-the-art gym and top-of-the-line rehab equipment for physical therapy, with in-house, board-certified specialists to give advanced care when needed, a multidisciplinary team works together for rehabilitation, and the environment is usually energetic and positive, intended to make residents feel comfortable whether they're staying for a short time between hospital and home, using respite care, or living there long-term. However, the latest inspection from January 10, 2024, lists 11 deficiencies, including one infection-related issue, and over time, records show 15 total deficiencies including two for infection control, with problems documented in care planning, such as failure to create complete resident care plans within a week of assessments, and there have been violations around food service, like serving food at the wrong temperature and not always following nutrition standards. Autumn Lake Healthcare provides management support but each facility operates independently and is licensed for healthcare services, while they try to mix good medical care with an active, warm community atmosphere for all residents, and the Willows is associated with The Willows Care & Rehab Center, where people can find rehabilitative therapy and support for a variety of health needs as they get back on their feet or settle in for longer stays.

    People often ask...

    Autumn Lake Healthcare at the Willows offers assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing.

    There are 10 photos of Autumn Lake Healthcare at the Willows on Mirador.

    The full address for this community is 225 Amity Rd, Woodbridge, CT 06525.

    No, Autumn Lake Healthcare at the Willows does not offer respite care. Respite care in assisted living communities provides temporary, short-term relief for primary caregivers by offering professional care for their loved ones. It allows individuals to stay in an assisted living community for a limited time, giving caregivers a break while ensuring residents receive necessary support and assistance with daily activities.

    Disclaimer

    Mirador Living is not affiliated with the owner or operator(s) of Autumn Lake Healthcare at the Willows. The information above has not been verified or approved by the owner or operator. For exact information, please contact Autumn Lake Healthcare at the Willows directly. There is no cost for this service. We are compensated by the community you select.

    Are you an owner or operator of this community?

    Claim this listing to receive messages from prospective customers and manage your community page.

    Nearby Communities

    Assisted Living in Nearby Cities

    1. 70 facilities$5,369/mo
    2. 36 facilities$5,231/mo
    3. 56 facilities$4,663/mo
    4. 63 facilities$5,512/mo
    5. 45 facilities$6,392/mo
    6. 13 facilities$4,809/mo
    7. 58 facilities$6,719/mo
    8. 57 facilities$4,845/mo
    9. 10 facilities$5,804/mo
    10. 43 facilities$4,554/mo
    11. 56 facilities$5,106/mo
    12. 39 facilities$7,417/mo
    © 2026 Mirador Living