Stoddard Baptist Nursing Home

    1818 Newton St NW, Washington, DC, 20010
    2.8 · 39 reviews
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    1.0

    Understaffed unprofessional care, safety concerns

    I placed my mom here for long-term care and, while a few nurses and CNAs were compassionate and parts of the building were kept clean, the overall experience was terrible. The home is severely understaffed and unprofessional - inconsistent feeding, cold/forgotten meals, poor communication (families not notified during COVID), language barriers, dirty rooms/housekeeping problems and safety concerns were common. My mom became ill and died in Jan 2021; I had to report the facility to authorities. I can't recommend this place.

    Pricing

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    Amenities

    Healthcare services

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

    Healthcare staffing

    • 12-16 hour nursing
    • 24-hour call system
    • 24-hour supervision

    Meals and dining

    • Diabetes diet
    • Meal preparation and service
    • Restaurant-style dining
    • Special dietary restrictions

    Room

    • Air-conditioning
    • Cable
    • Fully furnished
    • Housekeeping and linen services
    • Kitchenettes
    • Private bathrooms
    • Telephone
    • Wifi

    Transportation

    • Community operated transportation
    • Transportation arrangement
    • Transportation arrangement (non-medical)

    Common areas

    • Beauty salon
    • Computer center
    • Dining room
    • Fitness room
    • Gaming room
    • Garden
    • Outdoor space
    • Small library
    • Wellness center

    Community services

    • Concierge services
    • Fitness programs
    • Move-in coordination

    Activities

    • Community-sponsored activities
    • Planned day trips
    • Resident-run activities
    • Scheduled daily activities

    2.79 · 39 reviews

    Overall rating

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

      2.6
    • Staff

      2.3
    • Meals

      1.4
    • Amenities

      2.2
    • Value

      1.0

    Pros

    • Some staff members are hardworking and caring
    • Several nurses, CNAs, and unit assistants praised for compassion
    • Long-term residents reportedly happy and well cared for
    • Occasional reassuring communication from specific staff
    • Noted instances of excellent rehab and long-term care
    • Home-like environment reported by some families
    • Activities including games and outings for some residents
    • Dementia accommodations available
    • Professional and spotless kitchen reported by some reviewers
    • Good food reported by some families
    • Large, attentive staff reported in some reviews
    • Dedicated and kind staff noted in multiple positive accounts

    Cons

    • Widespread reports of lazy or unengaged majority of staff
    • Frequent lack of compassion and rude/unprofessional behavior
    • Poor communication with families and inconsistent updates
    • Failure to provide monthly financial statements or transparency
    • Allegations of taking residents' money or financial misrepresentation
    • Inadequate or minimal therapy and rehabilitation services
    • High staff turnover and understaffing (reports like one nurse for ~60 patients)
    • Serious cleanliness concerns including reports of bed bugs
    • Conflicting reports about overall cleanliness and housekeeping
    • Unsafe food handling (no gloves, finger in food, unwashed trays)
    • Rude kitchen supervisor (named Ms Keisha) alleged in reviews
    • Food quality complaints (cold meals, forgotten items, 'dog food')
    • Maintenance neglect and facility in need of makeover
    • Dirty rooms, dust, unchanged curtains, and dirty laundry reported
    • Lost personal items (hearing aid) and poor accountability
    • Minimal or no activities for many residents (TV left on all day)
    • Language barriers affecting care for some residents
    • Residents reportedly left bedridden or ignored
    • Allegations of neglect, abuse, and cruelty (tying patient, overdose claims)
    • Safety concerns and reports of workplace violence
    • COVID-19 infection handling criticized; families not notified
    • Discrimination and racism alleged by some reviewers
    • Unprofessional admissions and front-desk/customer-service behavior
    • Payroll and underpayment issues for staff reported
    • Families urged to report facility or shut down in some reviews
    • Inconsistent care quality with large variability between staff
    • Parking is limited and described as poor
    • Poor management and ineffective HR processes cited repeatedly
    • Misrepresentation of actions to families and lack of accountability

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment across these reviews is highly mixed and polarized: some families report excellent, compassionate care, effective rehab, and a home-like environment, while an equal or larger number of reviews describe serious, systemic problems including neglect, unsafe practices, and poor management. The dataset shows a facility with pockets of very dedicated and competent staff who create positive experiences for certain residents, but these positives are frequently overshadowed by recurring and severe complaints about staffing, cleanliness, safety, communication, and administration.

    Care quality and staffing are central themes. Several reviewers explicitly praise individual nurses, CNAs, unit assistants, and therapists for being caring, reassuring, and attentive — and there are multiple accounts of long-term residents who are happy and well cared for. At the same time, many reviews describe the majority of staff as lazy, unprofessional, or incompetent. Reported staffing shortages and high turnover are common, with at least one reviewer estimating impossibly high patient loads for nurses (e.g., one nurse for roughly 60 patients). Understaffing is linked in the reviews to inconsistent feeding, forgotten meals (milk forgotten, breakfast cold), lost personal items (hearing aid), minimal or perfunctory therapy, and residents spending excessive time in bed. Several reviewers explicitly state that therapists did the bare minimum and that activities were essentially nonexistent for many residents (TV left on all day being cited as a substitute for activity engagement).

    Facility maintenance, cleanliness, and infection control are areas of stark disagreement among reviewers. Some describe the building as immaculate, spotless, and free of pests, while others report deplorable living conditions: dirty rooms, pervasive dust, curtains not changed, dirty laundry, and even bed bug infestations. Kitchen hygiene and food handling were specifically flagged in multiple negative reviews — allegations include food handled without gloves, a staff member putting a finger in food, and dirty meal trays — while other reviewers explicitly praised the kitchen staff and food. These conflicting accounts suggest inconsistent standards across shifts, units, or time periods rather than uniform facility-wide performance.

    Safety, alleged abuse, and serious incidents appear in the more extreme negative reviews. There are allegations ranging from neglect to active mistreatment (claims that a patient was tied up, overdosed on medication, became lethargic and unresponsive, and that staff were cruel). Several reviewers called for the facility to be shut down or for authorities to be notified, and at least one review recounts COVID-19 outbreaks with family members alleging lack of timely notification. These are serious accusations and recur often enough to be a significant theme: reviewers express fear about patient safety, cite workplace violence, and question the competence and accountability of management and HR.

    Communication and management practices are consistently criticized. Families report poor or rude customer service from admissions and nursing staff, being hung up on or cut off during calls, misrepresentation of events to family members, and an overall lack of transparency (including allegations that monthly financial statements were not provided and that money was mishandled). Payroll and staffing administration problems are also mentioned (underpayment, poor payroll documentation). There are multiple allegations of discrimination and racism by staff, further compounding concerns about equitable treatment of residents.

    Despite numerous serious criticisms, a substantial minority of reviews provide positive counterpoints: accounts of excellent rehab outcomes, long-term residents who are content, professional kitchen staff, and specific staff members who go above and beyond. This contrast indicates a volatile and inconsistent operating environment where care quality can vary dramatically depending on staff assignment, unit, and timing.

    In summary, the reviews paint a facility with highly variable performance: committed and caring employees produce good outcomes for some residents, but pervasive systemic issues — understaffing, inconsistent cleanliness and food safety, poor management/HR practices, communication failures, and serious allegations of neglect or abuse — generate strong negative experiences for many others. The most frequent and significant concerns are understaffing and turnover, inconsistent hygiene/maintenance (including pest reports), unsafe or unprofessional food handling, poor family communication and financial transparency, and allegations of serious safety incidents. These patterns warrant close scrutiny by prospective residents and families: verify current staffing ratios, infection-control measures, licensing and inspection records, incident reporting practices, and financial/accountability procedures, and consider speaking directly with multiple families and staff on-site to assess variability in care and culture.

    Location

    Map showing location of Stoddard Baptist Nursing Home

    About Stoddard Baptist Nursing Home

    Stoddard Baptist Nursing Home stands as a pillar of excellence and compassion in elder care, with a history that dates back to its founding in 1902. Over the many decades since opening its doors, the nursing home has fostered a rich legacy rooted in a commitment to caring for residents and supporting their families. The atmosphere at Stoddard is characterized by an ongoing dedication to ensuring that every individual is treated with grace and dignity, fostering an environment where aging is met not with fear or isolation, but with hope, faith, and a sense of purpose.

    The values of Stoddard Baptist Nursing Home center on providing both physical and emotional well-being for its residents. The facility emphasizes that growing older can be a journey filled with meaning, allowing those in their care to continue leading fulfilling lives. This commitment is reflected not only in daily care routines but also in the vibrant celebrations and activities organized within the community, such as milestone events like the 94th birthday celebration of a resident. The home regularly acknowledges and rejoices in the lives and stories of the individuals who live there, helping residents remain engaged and connected to those around them.

    Stoddard Baptist Nursing Home also maintains a strong connection to broader cultural and community conversations. In recognition of Black History Month and its own historical roots, the home actively participates in educational and outreach activities that highlight both the organization's and the community’s shared heritage. A notable example of this was the involvement in the Health Policy Breakroom Podcast, where the facility’s President and CEO, Steven Nash, discussed topics central to health equity and the challenges faced by aging populations. These efforts highlight Stoddard's commitment not just to individual care, but also to leadership in the wider context of health and social policy.

    Dedicated to open communication and community engagement, Stoddard Baptist Nursing Home produces “Stoddard Lives: Stoddard Live!,” a radio broadcast featured every Tuesday morning. This weekly program provides updates, shares inspiring stories, and allows listeners a window into the daily life and ethos of the home. Through these airwaves and community outreach, Stoddard builds enduring connections with families, neighbors, and supporters, affirming its role as a trusted resource for elder care and advocacy.

    Through all its activities and services, Stoddard Baptist Nursing Home embodies its foundational values of faith, value, and hope. The nursing home continuously adapts and evolves in response to challenges such as those presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, always striving to safeguard the well-being of residents and staff. With a blend of compassionate care, a sense of shared purpose, and an unwavering respect for the dignity of every individual, Stoddard stands as a testament to what long-term elder care can and should be.

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