Golden Living Center

    7145 East 21st St, Indianapolis, IN, 46219
    2.6 · 29 reviews
    • Assisted living
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    1.0

    Disorganized dirty facility negligent care

    I was grateful for a few caregivers - Linda, Rochelle, and Justin Vogt were kind and trustworthy - but overall my experience was awful. The place was disorganized, dingy and smelled horrible; bedding stained, shared bathrooms, incomplete remodeling, and meals sparse and poorly prepared. Communication was terrible: meds late, packages lost, staff unreachable, prevented visits, no updates during a COVID outbreak, and I couldn't contact my loved one - safety lapses and apparent neglect led to injury and delayed care. Corporate didn't respond and reviews seemed wiped; despite some excellent staff, I cannot recommend this facility.

    Pricing

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    Amenities

    Healthcare services

    • Activities of daily living assistance
    • Assistance with bathing
    • Assistance with dressing
    • Assistance with transfers
    • Medication management

    Healthcare staffing

    • 24-hour call system
    • 24-hour supervision

    Meals and dining

    • Diabetes diet
    • Meal preparation and service
    • Special dietary restrictions

    Room

    • Air-conditioning
    • Cable
    • Fully furnished
    • Housekeeping and linen services
    • Kitchenettes
    • Private bathrooms
    • Telephone
    • Wifi

    Transportation

    • Community operated transportation
    • Transportation arrangement

    Common areas

    • Beauty salon
    • Computer center
    • Dining room
    • Fitness room
    • Gaming room
    • Garden
    • Outdoor space
    • Small library
    • Wellness center

    Community services

    • Concierge services
    • Fitness programs
    • Move-in coordination

    Activities

    • Community-sponsored activities
    • Planned day trips
    • Resident-run activities
    • Scheduled daily activities

    2.62 · 29 reviews

    Overall rating

    1. 5
    2. 4
    3. 3
    4. 2
    5. 1
    • Care

      2.4
    • Staff

      2.1
    • Meals

      1.0
    • Amenities

      1.0
    • Value

      2.6

    Pros

    • Individual compassionate caregivers noted by name (e.g., Linda, Rochelle, Justin Vogt)
    • Some families report exemplary, accommodating, and helpful staff
    • Instances of trustworthy and involved leadership/director engagement
    • Positive roommate experiences reported by some residents
    • Examples of well-managed pandemic response in a subset of reviews

    Cons

    • Chronic staffing shortages and inconsistent staffing, especially on weekends
    • Poor communication and difficulty reaching staff or obtaining updates
    • Serious safety concerns for vulnerable residents (dementia patients) including suspected neglect or abuse
    • Delayed medical evaluation after injuries and reports of decline in health
    • Allegations that physical/rehabilitation therapy did not occur as expected
    • COVID visitation restrictions and reports of outbreaks during/after stays
    • Rude or unprofessional staff interactions reported by multiple reviewers
    • Facility cleanliness issues: dingy appearance, horrible smell, stained bedding
    • Outdated/deteriorating facility and incomplete remodeling projects
    • Sparse or poorly prepared meals; reports describing food starvation
    • Shared bathrooms and infection-control concerns (e.g., ventilator not cleaned)
    • Medication administration problems, including meds not given on time
    • Access restrictions to residents, prevented visits or prevented talking to patient
    • Operational disorganization (package delivery problems, staffing assignment issues)
    • Allegations of corporate non-responsiveness and possible review suppression
    • Polarized experiences leading to mixed recommendations and distrust

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment: Reviews of this Golden Living Center are highly polarized but skew toward serious operational and safety concerns. A minority of reviews describe compassionate, involved caregivers and pockets of exemplary care, while a larger portion report systemic problems: inconsistent staffing, poor communication, cleanliness and facility maintenance issues, and troubling safety or neglect allegations. Readers should expect widely variable experiences depending on timing, unit, and specific staff on duty.

    Care quality and safety: Numerous reviews raise alarm about resident safety and medical care. Reported issues include delayed medical evaluation following injury, apparent declines in resident health during stays, suspected neglect or abuse, and inadequate attention to dementia-specific safety needs. Several reviewers explicitly state that physical therapy or other ordered services never occurred. There are also reports of shared bathroom situations and at least one allegation that medical equipment (ventilator) was not cleaned, which are serious infection-control and safety concerns. While some families credit individual nurses and caregivers with excellent, attentive care, the recurrence of safety-related complaints suggests inconsistent standards across shifts and units.

    Staffing and communication: A dominant theme is inconsistent staffing levels and poor communication. Reviewers frequently describe short-staffed shifts (weekends especially), unreachable staff, and the inability to obtain updates or even contact residents. These communication failures extend to operational matters (package delivery, room availability) and clinical matters (medications not given on time). Where positive reviews exist, they highlight specific staff or leadership who helped bridge these gaps; however, the larger pattern is one of disorganization and families feeling uninformed or blocked from visiting and talking with loved ones.

    Facility environment and maintenance: Multiple reviews describe an outdated, dingy facility with incomplete remodeling and cosmetic neglect—examples include stained bedding, a pervasive bad smell, and uneven renovation (e.g., hallway flooring completed but rooms left untouched). These environmental complaints contribute to perceptions of neglect and reduce trust in infection control and overall management. Conversely, a few reviewers note a dated exterior but still praise the caregiving staff, illustrating again the split between physical plant concerns and individual staff performance.

    Dining and daily living: Concerns about meals recur, with reports of sparse portions and poorly prepared food; one reviewer used the phrase "food starvation." Combined with reports of isolation, shared bathrooms, and reduced therapies, the dining/activities experience appears limited for some residents. Positive feedback on daily living tends to be anecdotal and tied to specific staff members who go above and beyond rather than systemic excellence in dining or programming.

    Management, corporate response, and reputation issues: Several reviews allege poor responsiveness from corporate headquarters and possible suppression or removal of negative reviews. There are claims of unresolved complaints and a lack of accountability. Other reviewers praise director-level involvement and describe feeling "blessed" by the care and oversight they received. This split indicates there may be variability in management performance between departments, shifts, or time periods. The existence of accusations about review wiping and threats of negative publicity are signs of high family distress and reputational volatility.

    Patterns and risk assessment: The most consistent negative patterns are staffing instability, communication breakdowns, facility cleanliness/maintenance issues, and serious safety/medical concerns. Positive reports cluster around certain named individuals and short periods when leadership or specific caregivers were notably effective. For prospective residents or families, the reviews suggest a need for careful, specific inquiry: ask about current staffing ratios, recent infection-control audits, medication administration protocols, therapy schedules, and the facility's process for family communication and incident escalation. Visiting unannounced and meeting direct-care staff on the unit may help assess day-to-day conditions.

    Bottom line: Golden Living Center shows a split reputation—some families encountered warm, compassionate caregivers and attentive leadership, while many others experienced significant lapses in staffing, communication, cleanliness, and resident safety. Given repeated, serious allegations (delayed medical attention, possible neglect, cleanliness and infection-control issues), families should conduct thorough, up-to-date checks and consider multiple reference points before making placement decisions. If a relative is already there and concerns exist, document incidents, escalate to the unit director and corporate contacts, and involve ombudsman or state inspection authorities if safety problems persist.

    Location

    Map showing location of Golden Living Center

    About Golden Living Center

    Golden Living Center in Indianapolis offers skilled nursing care, short-term rehabilitation, respite care, and long-term care, helping older adults with daily activities, medication management, meals, and personal care, and there's support for both physical and memory care needs with dedicated service units, like the Bloomington Care Center, plus specialized care options for memory loss and dialysis, and residents can get outpatient therapy, cognitive training, pain management, and help with mobility using ambulatory support. Veterans can use VA benefits or VA contract programs if they qualify, and there's a special Hall of Heroes honoring veterans on-site. Nurses and therapists give care twenty-four hours a day, and the center can provide high acuity care, incontinence care, non-ambulatory care, dental care, audiology, eye care, pulmonary and pharmacy services, IV therapy, restoratve care, plus dental services and laboratory tests. Nutrition specialists closely watch over diabetic needs and meal planning, ensuring people get nutritious, chef-prepared meals in two big dining areas, always matching special diets and allergies, and meals made with good ingredients. There are snacks, linen service, laundry, and housekeeping to keep things tidy, with private and semi-private rooms including wheelchair accessible showers and private suites, and WiFi, phone, and TV access in common areas and rooms so people can stay connected. Residents can join in arts and crafts, movies, Bingo, karaoke, soccer, family game days, a prom, and daily church services or spiritual programs, with a dedicated staff making sure there are activities for everyone's interests and needs, and they welcome both dogs and cats as pets. The facility has organized transportation for doctor visits, errands, and group outings, plus resident parking available, and there's a barber and beauty shop on-site for grooming and care. Golden Living Center has indoor and outdoor spaces like a deck with tables for relaxing, roomy common areas, and scenic environments, and family lounges for visitors. The team pays attention to cultural and language needs by offering care in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian, and strives to make each care plan personal, listening closely to residents and families. Discharge planning and support after a short stay helps people return home safely, and you'll find dedicated memory care units and therapy rooms as needed, with staff including an executive director committed to steady support. The senior living community's goal is to provide a safe, clean, and supportive place for those who want comprehensive care, with attention to physical health, nutrition, social needs, and spiritual well-being.

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