The reviews for Berkeley Nursing & Rehab present a strongly mixed and polarized picture. Many reviewers report very positive, compassionate care experiences: attentive day staff, friendly CNAs, precise medication management by head nurses, clean and large rooms, and staff who make an effort to entertain and care for residents in a family-like manner. Specific staff members (including a social worker referred to as "Ma Blonde" and a wound nurse) receive individual praise, and multiple reviewers call the food restaurant-quality. Several families said their loved ones were comfortable and happy, and recommended the facility for short-term or temporary stays. Cleanliness and responsiveness on certain shifts are highlighted repeatedly as strengths.
Counterbalancing those positives are multiple serious and recurring concerns. A number of reviewers describe poor bedside manner from some CNAs and incidents that made residents uncomfortable. Staffing appears inconsistent: reviewers point to limited day/afternoon coverage and notable understaffing on weekends, which aligns with reports of uneven staff presence and responsiveness. Communication problems recur — families report unhelpful phone staff and an unresponsive administrator when issues arise. There are also accounts of unprofessional behavior and allegations of clinical incompetence from named staff members, which have led at least one family to move a resident out and to consider reporting the facility to health authorities.
Safety and property issues are among the most alarming themes. One reviewer claims there were no mats or bedrails despite fall risk, and reports that their mother rolled out of bed and required hospital transfer. Another reviewer lost glasses while a resident. These types of incidents, combined with allegations that the facility "doesn't follow rules" beyond COVID precautions and calls for state intervention, raise red flags about oversight, fall-prevention protocols, and safeguarding residents' personal belongings. Facility condition issues are inconsistent in the reviews as well: while many praise clean rooms, others describe the environment as dark and having a nasty smell, and at least one reviewer noted a poor-condition bed.
Dining, activities, and atmosphere are similarly mixed. Several reviewers praise the food highly and say residents are very happy, while other families complained the food was bad and not worth the cost. The facility receives positive mentions for seasonal or holiday engagement (e.g., a Christmas-themed team) and for staff efforts to entertain, suggesting there are active programs at times. However, inconsistency across staff and shifts appears to affect how uniformly these positives are experienced by different residents and families.
Overall, the pattern is one of variability: some residents and families have strong, positive experiences that emphasize compassionate, skilled staff and good amenities, while others report troubling lapses in care, safety, communication, and responsiveness from management. The divergence suggests that quality may depend heavily on specific shifts, individual staff members, or particular units. Prospective residents and families should be aware of both sides of these reviews — verify current staffing levels and fall-prevention measures, ask about how the facility handles lost personal items and complaints, request names of regular caregivers, and, if possible, tour the facility multiple times (including evenings and weekends) to see how care and atmosphere vary before making a placement decision.
