Overall sentiment in the collected reviews is strongly positive about the hands-on caregiving, friendliness, and resident-centered culture at Charter Senior Living of Buford, but tempered by recurring concerns about management consistency, communication, and staffing levels. Multiple reviewers emphasize that frontline staff are warm, personable, and attentive — often named individually — and that caregivers frequently go above and beyond normal duties. Praise for individual staff members (nurses, med techs, receptionists, dining staff, and life-enrichment personnel) appears repeatedly, and reviewers describe a family-like atmosphere in which residents feel respected, safe, and well-cared for. Memory care is singled out for particularly high praise in several reviews, including comments that staff cared for residents 'like family' and were 'five-star' in their attention to needs.
Care quality and outcomes are highlighted by specific anecdotes: families report improved resident sleep, weight gain, better appetite, and increased alertness after placement. Reviewers often mention thorough follow-up, reassuring FaceTime updates to families, and staff initiatives (for example, creative aids to help residents drink) that demonstrate individualized attention. The presence of on-site physical therapy and therapy availability is noted as a positive clinical resource. Many families also feel safe placing loved ones in assisted living here, citing both attentive caregivers and a generally peaceful environment.
The facility, grounds, and amenities receive consistent praise. Reviewers commonly describe clean, modern apartments with kitchenettes, well-kept common areas, and a homey, decorated interior. The countryside setting — including a lovely backyard with a gazebo, rocking chairs, a garden, and bird feeders — is repeatedly described as quiet and calming. Dining earns high marks: meals are described as tasty and restaurant-style, with several mentions of a New Orleans chef and specific positive anecdotes (for example, apple pie taken home). The Life Enrichment program is active, with daily activities and holiday events, and staff such as the Life Enrichment Director are described as engaging and energetic.
However, a notable pattern of administrative and operational concerns appears across multiple reviews. Several reviewers report frequent turnover in leadership and director changes, and at least one reviewer described a director as unprofessional — hanging up on callers and behaving rudely. Communication lapses are also cited, including a failure to notify family about a hospital admission and instances of unresponsiveness. These administrative problems extend for some reviewers into a sense that fundraising or photo-op events are prioritized or staged in ways that feel superficial rather than substantively benefiting residents.
Staffing and maintenance issues are another recurring theme. While many reviewers praise staff dedication, others point to short-staffing and low wages (one review cited $9.50/hr), and some describe odors of urine or feces in the building — concerns likely linked to workload and staffing levels. A few reviewers explicitly recommend avoiding this particular location based on negative administrative encounters or perceived unprofessionalism; those accounts stand in contrast to many other recommendations and underscore inconsistency in experience. Minor comfort points (for example, stiff waiting-room chairs) appear as small negatives in otherwise positive facility impressions.
In summary, the dominant narrative from these reviews is a community with strong, compassionate front-line staff, excellent memory care, good clinical resources, appealing grounds, and high-quality dining and activities that contribute to resident wellbeing. At the same time, potential residents and families should be aware of mixed reports about management stability, communication failures, and occasional operational shortcomings (short-staffing and cleanliness odors). Prospective families would be well advised to visit multiple times (including meal and activity periods), meet direct care staff and the current director, ask about director turnover and staffing ratios, and clarify communication procedures for hospitalizations and emergencies. Doing so will help determine whether the highly praised daily caregiving culture is matched by the administrative consistency needed for long-term satisfaction.
