Overall sentiment in the reviews is highly mixed, with strong pockets of excellent, compassionate care and therapy balanced against serious reports of neglect, understaffing, and safety concerns. Many families praise individual staff members and departments — especially therapy/rehab and certain nurses or administrators — and recount positive outcomes such as rapid recovery after surgery, excellent wound care, dignified hospice support, and a home-like environment. At the same time, a notable portion of reviews describe alarming clinical lapses (missed checks, delayed breathing treatment, medication errors) and environmental cleanliness issues (urine/feces odor, soiled beds, dirty floors) that have led some families to relocate loved ones and consider legal action.
Care quality and staff behavior are the most frequently discussed themes and show stark variability. Numerous reviews describe staff as caring, compassionate, responsive, and family-focused — with names singled out for praise (Becca in therapy, Miranda RN, Taylor in the business office, Carissa the DON, Dr. Zimmerly, Edan, Bev, Lisa). Those reviewers report attentive nursing and therapy, good communication with families, staff who go above and beyond, and successful rehab outcomes that enabled quick returns home after hip or knee surgeries. Conversely, other reviews describe overwhelmed or uncaring caregivers, nurses seen on phones during shifts, delayed treatments, and grave oversights (oxygen dropping to 74%, G-tube leaking, MRSA positive). These negative accounts sometimes include claims of hospitalization after the stay and strong discouragement to others considering the facility.
Therapy and rehabilitation consistently receive high marks from many reviewers. The therapy department is frequently characterized as thorough, effective, and instrumental in patient recovery. Several accounts credit the therapy team with rapid, safe discharges following joint replacement or fracture, and they describe physical and occupational therapists as kind, patient, and skilled. This strength is a major driver of positive recommendations and repeat admissions for short-term rehab.
Staffing, administration, and culture are recurring pain points. Multiple reviews cite chronic understaffing (including examples of only one nurse on duty, nighttime/weekend shortages, and a reported ratio of 27 residents to one staff member), which contributes to missed care, long periods without checks, and resident isolation. Some families report an absent or unresponsive administration, tensions with the Director of Nursing, and a facility culture that protects staff despite complaints. In contrast, other reviewers describe proactive administrators and admissions staff who are communicative and helpful with logistics and insurance — illustrating uneven leadership experiences that vary by time and unit.
Facility, cleanliness, and environment receive mixed impressions. Many reviewers praise the clean, well-maintained areas, beautiful rooms with views of a gazebo, and a pleasant dining room with countryside scenery. Others describe older, dated areas that feel dark and depressing, smelly halls, shared small memory-care rooms, and remodeling still in progress. There are specific, serious cleanliness complaints including pervasive urine or feces odors, soiled beds, and instances where residents were not checked for hours. These inconsistent reports point to variation in upkeep and housekeeping between units or shifts.
Dining and activities are similarly inconsistent across reviews. Some residents and families enjoy delicious meals and desserts, a robust activities calendar, and opportunities for social engagement — even special touches like donuts and scenic seating. Other reviewers complain of cold or poor-quality food, childlike activities in memory care, limited or no exercise, lack of educational programming, and resident isolation. Memory care in particular draws criticism for small shared rooms, insufficient stimulation, wandering risks, and alleged harsh treatment for behavioral issues in some reports, while other families praise the memory care program director and report excellent, attentive care.
Safety, clinical management, and amenities raise red flags in several reviews. Specific accusations include medication errors, negligent care, unauthorized resident sign-outs, and incidents that families say warranted hospitalization. Reports of MRSA, leaking G-tubes, and dangerously low oxygen levels are highlighted as serious clinical events. Amenities issues — broken TVs, dead remote batteries, and missing medications — further contribute to concerns about oversight and day-to-day management.
In summary, Brown County Health & Living Community elicits polarized experiences: it can deliver high-quality therapy, compassionate individualized care, strong family involvement, and a homelike atmosphere, especially when certain staff members or units are involved. However, there are repeated and serious concerns about staffing adequacy, cleanliness, safety, and managerial responsiveness that have led some families to report neglect, clinical harm, and the need to move residents elsewhere. Prospective residents and families should weigh the facility's notable strengths in rehabilitation and individualized kindness against the documented variability in clinical oversight, cleanliness, and leadership. If considering this community, ask specific, recent questions about current staffing levels, weekend/night nurse coverage, infection control practices, memory-care staffing and room arrangements, incident reporting and follow-up, and which staff and units will be directly responsible for care.
