Overall sentiment is mixed but leans positive among the largest group of reviewers, with repeated praise for the facility’s cleanliness, newer or recently renovated physical plant, and a pleasant, home-like atmosphere. Many reviewers highlight the facility as attractive — a beautiful dining room, cozy entrance and lobby with refreshments, nice common areas, and decent one-bedroom apartments. Several visitors and residents specifically praise the facility’s design and layout, and multiple reports cite transportation to doctor appointments, on-site salon services, and organized outings as appreciated conveniences.
Staff is the most commonly discussed theme and is described both very positively and very negatively, producing a polarized picture. On the positive side, many reviewers repeatedly praise staff as warm, friendly, and caring; they note staff members going above and beyond, providing emotional and ADL support, and fostering a strong sense of community. Kali Turner is specifically mentioned multiple times as personable, knowledgeable, and helpful — a frequent reason reviewers say they would recommend or refer the community. These reports describe diligent, compassionate caregivers and active engagement by activity staff who organize events, games, and field trips that create a social, family-like environment.
Countering those positive impressions are severe negative allegations from other reviewers. Some report untrained or abusive staff, slow emergency responses, and alleged safety hazards. Several reviewers claim that management does not adequately address concerns, citing ignored complaints, poor communication about residents’ care, and even HIPAA/privacy problems or restrictions on family visits in isolated cases. There are also allegations of favoritism, manipulation, and intimidation tactics. These negative reports include at least one account that involved police and claims of improper placement by a family member, which points to significant disputes in individual cases.
Dining and food quality are another highly divided area. Multiple tours and visitors praise a new chef and describe delicious meals and a beautiful dining room, while other reviews state food is canned, processed, served cold, or hard to chew and that second helpings are denied. These contradictions suggest variability over time, between shifts, or between reviewer expectations. Several reviewers also reported short-staffing affecting meal service or dining access (COVID-era restrictions were mentioned by some), while others described positive dietary involvement and adequate meal service.
Activities and social life are frequently praised: the activity director is called fun and engaging, there are regular programs, and many residents report a lively social scene with outings and games. That said, a subset of reviewers claim a lack of activities and outings, indicating inconsistent programming or differing resident experiences. The social environment is also complicated by troubling reports of resident-to-resident substance use, bullying, and safety concerns — issues that could undermine the otherwise positive accounts of community life.
Facility maintenance and safety present mixed signals. Many reviewers emphasize a clean, fresh facility with no "nursing home smell," while other reviews allege infestations (roaches, bed bugs), marijuana odors in hallways, and fire-safety hazards. Some reviewers call the building newly built and well-designed; a few describe it as outdated. These conflicting descriptions could reflect changes over time, differences between wings or units, or isolated incidents versus the general condition.
Management and credibility are recurring topics. Numerous reviewers express high satisfaction with admissions staff and ongoing responsiveness; they recommend the community and credit staff with helping residents gain independence with assistance. Simultaneously, there are allegations of poor management responsiveness in specific cases, privacy/visitation disputes, and concerns about fake-looking 5-star reviews or brochure-like language. The coexistence of multiple strong endorsements and serious complaints suggests either highly variable experiences or that a small number of negative incidents have been amplified in some reviews.
In sum, Silver Birch of Hammond receives many strong commendations for staff warmth (notably individual staff members), cleanliness, community-oriented programming, transportation services, and an attractive physical environment. However, there are enough serious allegations — relating to staff training/behavior, safety and emergency response, substance use and bullying among residents, variable food quality, and some management/communication failures — that prospective residents and families should investigate further. Because the reviews are strongly polarized, a recommended approach is to verify current conditions by touring at different times, asking specific questions about staffing levels and incident resolution, checking state inspection records, and speaking with current residents and their families to validate the aspects most important to you (safety, food, activities, staff consistency).
