The reviews for Lakewood Nursing Center present a highly mixed and polarized picture, with some reviewers praising caregivers, cleanliness, and atmosphere while others allege serious safety, staffing, and management problems. Several family members and visitors highlight compassionate, skilled nurses and CNAs, a welcoming reception and dining staff, clean surroundings, pleasant-tasting food for many residents, and positive experiences with hospice care. Recreational activities such as painting classes and the facility's desirable lakeside location are also noted as positives. A number of reviewers explicitly say staff and administration went above and beyond and strongly recommend the facility.
At the same time, a substantial set of reviews raise multiple, serious concerns about care quality and facility management. Recurring themes include inconsistent staff quality—some caregivers are described as excellent while others are seen as negligent or substandard—and allegations of nepotism that reviewers believe affect staffing decisions and accountability. Several reports describe unreported or undocumented resident falls and instances where nurses allegedly failed to document falls properly. There are also reports of residents suffering injurious falls and development of bedsores, both of which point to potential lapses in monitoring, prevention, and wound care.
Medication and safety-related allegations are among the most severe. Multiple summaries claim narcotics theft and broader medication mismanagement; these are serious accusations suggesting problems with narcotics control, documentation, or administration. Other allegations include overmedication or 'doping' of residents and locked-in confinement, with at least one reviewer stating family members were prevented from informing a resident about a funeral. Several reviews claim blocked or denied family communication, which raises concerns about transparency and residents’ rights. There are also allegations of kitchen staff stealing food and of clock-in/clock-out payroll fraud—suggesting systemic ethical and operational problems beyond direct caregiving.
Facility services and resources are described inconsistently. Some reviewers note a lack of rehabilitation services or absent physical therapy, which is critical for residents needing restorative care. Maintenance issues are mentioned (for example, a non-functional men's toilet in the lobby), indicating lapses in upkeep. Meal quality receives mixed feedback: some residents find the food very good (though occasionally heavy), while others report poor meal options (specific mention of a cheeseburger, fruit cocktail, or poor evening meals). Poor communication from the facility to families is another frequent complaint that compounds other concerns.
There are a few particularly alarming and specific negative claims that reviewers call out: alleged staff negligence tied to a COVID-19–related death, claims of mistreatment and abuse, and warnings from some reviewers to avoid the facility entirely. Because these are serious allegations, they stand out in the review set and underscore the importance of independent verification, regulatory inspection records, and direct family follow-up when choosing or evaluating the facility.
Overall sentiment is sharply divided. For some people Lakewood Nursing Center provides compassionate, attentive, and even exceptional care in certain departments (especially hospice), with a clean environment and friendly staff. For others, systemic problems—ranging from documentation failures, medication and food theft, and safety incidents to restricted family access and alleged management corruption—result in a very negative experience. Prospective residents and families should weigh both the positive firsthand accounts of caring staff and the serious allegations raised. Recommended next steps for those considering Lakewood include asking for written policies on fall reporting and medication control, reviewing recent inspection and complaint history from state regulators, meeting direct-care staff and therapy providers in person, and seeking references from current families to clarify consistency of care and transparency.
