Overall impression: The reviews present a mixed but sharply divided picture of Lodge of the Wabash. Several reviewers praise the staff, cleanliness of rooms and facility, welcoming atmosphere, and the quality of care and services like home-cooked meals, beverages, and personal grooming. At the same time, a number of serious complaints describe sanitation problems, abusive or impaired staff behavior, and management or operational failures. These contrasting reports suggest pockets of consistently good care and a pleasant environment coexisting with notable, potentially systemic concerns that deserve attention.
Care quality and staff behavior: Many reviewers emphasize positive caregiving experiences — staff are called amazing, fantastic, and helpful, and at least one person reported trusting the facility to care for a family member through to the end of life. However, other reviews raise alarming issues: a CNA allegedly working while drunk and a nurse described as verbally abusive and unhelpful. This creates a concerning inconsistency in care quality and professionalism. The pattern indicates that while some teams or shifts provide compassionate, excellent care, others may fall far below expected standards, which is especially problematic in a senior living setting where vulnerability and continuity of care matter.
Facilities and cleanliness: Several comments note that the facility looked nice and smelled clean, and resident rooms were described as clean. These positive observations suggest basic housekeeping and appearance are often maintained. Conversely, there are very specific sanitation complaints — cockroaches in the kitchen, cups that fell to the floor being placed back on shelves, and food splattered on walls in the dish area. Those reports point to serious lapses in food safety and environmental hygiene. The coexistence of generally clean rooms with severe kitchen/dish-area sanitation issues suggests uneven maintenance practices or failures concentrated in back-of-house operations.
Dining and nutrition: Dining experiences are reported both positively and negatively. Some reviewers praise good home-cooked meals, sufficient portions, and multiple beverage options, while others complain of insufficient food and even dietary staff withholding food from residents. This direct contradiction implies inconsistencies in portioning, staffing, policy enforcement, or communication between dietary staff and nursing/CNA staff. Food safety concerns in the kitchen compound the seriousness of nutritional complaints, elevating them from service issues to potential health risks that require prompt investigation.
Activities and amenities: The facility appears to offer activities and event resources — a movie projector for events is mentioned, and grooming services like hair and nails are available. These amenities contribute to a homelike environment and social engagement. That said, at least one reviewer noted the movie projector did not work, indicating maintenance or equipment-management issues can reduce the value of offered activities.
Management, workplace culture, and safety: A recurring theme in the negative reviews is poor management and staff conflicts, with one reviewer specifically characterizing the environment as unsafe for staff. Such statements, together with reports of impaired or abusive employees and questionable food-handling practices, suggest systemic problems with hiring, training, supervision, and enforcement of policies. When management and workplace culture are flagged in this way, it often explains the inconsistent resident experience described across other areas (care, dining, cleanliness).
Conclusion and implications: In summary, Lodge of the Wabash receives strong praise from several reviewers for compassionate caregiving, cleanliness of resident areas, and a welcoming atmosphere with good meals and grooming. However, serious negative reports about kitchen sanitation, food withholding, impaired or abusive staff, and poor management raise substantial red flags. These issues are significant because they affect resident health, safety, and dignity. For prospective residents or families, the reviews suggest the importance of targeted questions and on-site observation — particularly of kitchen cleanliness, staff professionalism, and management responsiveness — and for management, an urgent need to investigate and address sanitation, staffing, training, and culture to ensure safety and consistent quality of care.
