The reviews for Fellowship Amelia Island present a strongly mixed picture with pronounced positive themes about staff, community atmosphere, location, dining and activities, while also documenting frequent and sometimes severe negative incidents around cleanliness, medical management, administration and billing. Many reviewers describe the community as small, warm, and family-like with caring, personable staff who engage residents in a rich schedule of activities. Positive accounts consistently highlight bright, well-appointed apartments (some with patios and kitchenettes), quick and enjoyable food service, a broad calendar of social, creative and physical activities, and a proximity to the beach and local amenities. Several reviewers call the facility a "hidden gem," praise long-tenured staff, and emphasize resident happiness, safety, and privacy — describing attentive caregiving and an inviting, home-like environment.
Contrasting those positive accounts are a set of recurring, serious concerns raised by multiple reviewers. Foremost among these are reports of severe cleanliness and hygiene failures in portions of the building — including descriptions of soiled showers, urine on bathroom floors and pervasive odors, especially in memory care areas. There are multiple allegations of slow or inadequate housekeeping (noted as service only on Fridays by at least one reviewer) and maintenance needs such as worn carpeting and rooms in need of refreshing. These complaints coexist with accounts of high infection- and odor-related distress, creating a stark contrast with reviewers who say the community is always clean and homey.
Care quality and clinical management are another axis of divergence. Numerous positive reviews note 24-hour care, medication administration, on-site medical visits and responsive assistance with activities of daily living. However, several strongly negative reports describe medication mismanagement (including missed medication doses reportedly resulting in an ER visit), a lack of on-site nursing coverage for complex needs (diabetic care specifically cited), and instances where families felt compelled to provide basic care because staff failed to meet needs. Memory care is a particular flashpoint: reviewers reported residents falling multiple times due to perceived neglect, missing personal items in the memory care wing, poor training of memory-care staff, and a terrible smell in that area. These accounts raise tangible safety and quality-of-care concerns despite other reviewers’ positive experiences.
Dining and activities are generally praised, with many residents enjoying three meals a day, snacks, and a robust activity calendar (music, art, exercise, games, parties). Several reviewers singled out the food and chef as outstanding; others, however, criticized meal quality — noting canned soups, fried items, poor nutritional value, small portions and salt- or diet-related limitations not handled well. There are also specific complaints that the facility misrepresented dining or laundry services and did not deliver individual laundry service as advertised (laundry labeled only with room numbers), which fed perceptions of poor follow-through on promised amenities.
Administration, billing and communication emerge as consistent areas of dissatisfaction for a subset of reviewers. Complaints include high and disputed move-in and reservation fees, inconsistent invoicing (including failure to send invoices to long-term care insurers), delayed occupancy and billing irregularities, and billing disputes that in at least one case escalated to court and settlement. Multiple reviews describe an unresponsive or dishonest administration, poor warrantying of paperwork and transition hiccups. Additional administrative red flags mentioned include alleged harassment via e-mail and text, claims of upper management manipulating reviews, and poor follow-through on commitments made by directors or staff.
A clear pattern in the reviews is high variability: many families report excellent, loving care, a vibrant and safe community, and strong recommendations, while others recount experiences of neglect, unsafe conditions, poor hygiene and problematic administration. Staffing issues are mentioned on both sides — with praise for staff compassion and dedication, but also reports of understaffing, staff distracted by phones, and poor training. Emergency and crisis responses raised concerns for a few reviewers: hurricane evacuation problems, residents placed on cots, and general anxieties about safety and security during such events.
In summary, Fellowship Amelia Island attracts strongly polarized impressions. Its strengths appear to be a warm, activity-rich culture, good location, often excellent dining and many genuinely caring staff who create a home-like atmosphere. Its risks, as reported by multiple reviewers, include intermittent but severe lapses in cleanliness and clinical care (notably in memory care), inconsistent management and billing practices, and variable facility maintenance and services. Prospective residents and families should weigh these contrasts carefully: many residents are very happy and well cared for, but multiple reports of serious safety, hygiene and administrative problems merit investigation and verification during tours and discussions with management. Observing the memory care wing, asking about nursing coverage, housekeeping schedules, incident reporting, billing practices and references from current families could help clarify whether the community’s positive attributes will be consistently delivered in any given apartment or care unit.
