The reviews for The Gardens of Eastbrooke present a strikingly mixed picture, with many families and residents praising the compassion, engagement, and specialized memory care programming while others report troubling incidents of neglect, hygiene lapses, and unreliable management practices. A significant portion of reviewers describe staff who are warm, attentive, and genuinely caring—greeting residents with smiles, treating them like family, and running a robust activities program that includes music, prayer, outings, and personalized recreation. Memory care is repeatedly highlighted as a strength: reviewers note experienced staff, focused programming, and staff (including named individuals like Courtney Willoughby and Nurse Kim) who provide personalized attention, regular updates, and help families navigate placement decisions. Several accounts emphasize the positive impact on resident mood and quality of life, and many describe the facility as homelike, sunny, and nicely renovated with an attractive setting.
However, there is a recurrent theme of staffing instability and operational problems that undercut those positives. Multiple reviewers cite chronic staff shortages, high turnover, and particular weakness on weekends, which correlate with specific care failures such as missed medication doses, residents left soiled, diapers not changed, and delayed response to health changes. Several serious adverse incidents are reported in the summaries: dehydration leading to hospitalization, a bed sore, and a finger injury from a door slam after showering. These incidents raise legitimate safety and supervision concerns and contrast sharply with other reports of excellent hands-on care.
Cleanliness and infection-control are inconsistent across reviews. While some families say the community is very clean and non-sterile in a positive way, others report severe problems including roaches, scabies, urine-smelling hallways, and pervasive odors. These opposing reports suggest variability by unit, timing, or staffing levels. Laundry and personal property management are another frequent negative: lost clothing, disorganization, and unresolved refund or billing disputes appear across several reviews and contribute to a perception of poor operational follow-through.
Management and communication receive mixed marks. There are reports praising strong leadership and executives who engage with residents and families, and reviewers note that a new executive director was brought in in response to staffing shortages. Conversely, many families describe poor communication, slow phone response, an unresponsive head nurse at times, an unprofessional nursing office manager, and allegations of deceptive or dishonest behavior related to hospital communications and billing. Financial concerns include unexplained small charges and requests for refunds that were not resolved. These inconsistencies point to uneven leadership or a transition period where improvements have not been uniformly implemented.
Dining and activities are generally cited as strengths, with many residents enjoying meals, regular nutritionist visits, and a lively activity calendar that supports social engagement—especially for those with Alzheimer’s. That said, some reviewers found the food lacking. The facility's physical condition is similarly mixed: many praise renovations, bright interiors, and a homelike atmosphere, while others mention older areas that need TLC and problems with odors or pest control.
Overall pattern and practical guidance: experiences at The Gardens of Eastbrooke appear highly variable—ranging from exemplary, family-like care and strong memory programming to reports of neglect, hygiene failures, and administrative dysfunction. Positive reports emphasize engaged caregivers, strong recreation, and effective memory-care leadership; negative reports focus on understaffing (especially weekends), inconsistent cleanliness and infection control, medication and care lapses, and billing/communication problems. Prospective families should: 1) tour multiple times including weekends and evenings to assess staffing and atmosphere; 2) ask directly about staffing ratios, weekend coverage, and turnover rates; 3) request infection-control policies and pest management records; 4) clarify laundry, billing, and refund procedures in writing; 5) inquire about incident reporting and follow-up procedures (especially for falls, dehydration, or pressure injuries); and 6) seek references from current families in the specific unit they are considering. Given the polarized feedback, the community may offer excellent care when fully staffed and well-led, but there appear to be periods or areas with significant operational risks that families must evaluate carefully.
