Overall sentiment: The reviews for Benton House of Clermont are predominantly positive, with a strong majority of reviewers praising the facility’s cleanliness, modern-but-homey design, and the compassion of its caregiving team. Many families report smooth move‑ins, quick rapport between staff and residents, and an overall ‘family’ atmosphere in a relatively small community (roughly 70 rooms). Frequent compliments address the immaculately kept grounds and interiors, spacious apartments with kitchenettes and storage, and an accessible, one‑level layout that suits seniors well.
Staff and care quality: Care quality is a major theme with mixed but largely favorable commentary. Numerous reviewers explicitly describe caregivers, nurses, and leadership (several naming the director and intake nurse) as attentive, compassionate, responsive, and going “above and beyond,” especially during transitions and the COVID lockdown period. Many families appreciated proactive communication—text updates, photos, and direct outreach from leadership—and praised staff for making residents feel welcomed. Positive memory care outcomes are mentioned by multiple reviewers who say their loved ones did very well in the unit. That said, there is a recurring caution: a subset of reviewers reported staff turnover, thin staffing, or declines in hands‑on care after administrative changes and during/post‑COVID. These reviewers noted CNAs being overworked, housekeeping tasks taking priority over resident assistance, or needing to advocate persistently to secure routine assessments or attention.
Facilities, layout and amenities: The facility’s physical plant receives consistent praise. Many reviewers highlight new construction or recent updates, attractive public spaces (piano in the lobby, screened porches, courtyards, walking paths, dog‑friendly areas), and amenity offerings such as a movie room, library, salon/beauty shop, game room, and dining room described as “hotel‑like.” The small community scale is often framed as a positive — easier to navigate, more personalized attention, and a friendly social atmosphere. A few reviewers noted preferences against the small size or specific room layouts (darker rooms, dislike of certain floorplans), and one or two commented that the location wasn’t ideal for them geographically.
Dining and nutrition: Dining impressions are polarized. Many reviewers praise the chef, varied menu selections (soups, meats, sides, desserts) and the ability to accommodate picky eaters or special diets. Several call the dining experience “first‑class.” Conversely, other reviewers report inconsistent food quality tied to kitchen staff turnover—burnt meals, subpar dishes, or instances where kitchen staff were perceived as rude or even refused to serve a resident. There are also isolated reports of resident weight loss tied to eating issues. These mixed accounts suggest the dining experience can be excellent but may currently be subject to personnel instability.
Activities and community life: Activity programming is consistently cited as a strength. Reviews mention a lively calendar with card games (bridge, poker), bingo, hallway events, concerts, outings to parks and lakes, courtyard concerts and frequent social events like BBQs and parties. The program is described as enriching and varied, and multiple reviewers observed increased resident engagement after admission. As with other areas, pandemic restrictions led to reduced or altered activities for a time, but staff efforts (FaceTime, director updates, mixed programming between memory care and assisted living) were noted positively.
Management, communication and variability: Several reviewers commend specific leaders and intake staff for excellent communication and follow‑through; these individuals appear to drive much of the positive family experience. However, administrative turnover and management instability are recurrent concerns. Some families describe an unwelcoming tour experience, fee increases post‑move‑in, and the need to be persistent to get routine updates or assessments. Multiple reviews emphasize variability in experience — while many families report exceptional, reassuring care, others report problematic incidents and response gaps. This pattern suggests that outcomes may be sensitive to current staffing levels and the presence of engaged leadership on site.
Safety and concerns: While many reviewers expressly felt safe (some noted zero COVID‑19 cases or strong infection control during the pandemic), a minority raised serious safety or oversight concerns: missed call‑button responses, claims that residents were hurt, and reports that family had to provide supplemental care in memory care. These are relatively uncommon in the corpus but important because they reflect potential consequences of thin staffing or rapid turnover. Prospective families should consider asking about current staffing ratios, emergency response protocols, and turnover trends.
Cost, logistics and fit: Reviewers generally describe the community as competitive or reasonable compared with local alternatives, and some say the smaller size is advantageous. Nonetheless, cost is a concern for some families — several say the price may be high long‑term or higher than they can sustain, and limited availability of desired apartment types (studios) was noted. Accessibility (ground‑floor design) and convenient parking were appreciated by many.
Bottom line: Benton House of Clermont is widely praised for its cleanliness, attractive design, strong amenities, active programming, and many genuinely caring staff members who create a family‑like atmosphere. Positive accounts of memory care, good medical visits on site, and robust activities are prominent. However, recurring themes of staffing and administrative turnover, inconsistent kitchen staff performance, occasional lapses in communication or attention to detail, and cost/availability constraints introduce variability in the experience. For families considering this community, the reviews suggest it is often an excellent choice — particularly when leadership and core staff are present and stable — but it’s prudent to verify current staffing levels, stability in dining/culinary staff, management continuity, and safety/response procedures during an in‑person tour or follow‑up calls before making a final decision.
