Overall sentiment across the reviews is mixed and polarized, with a nearly equal number of strongly positive and strongly negative reports. Several reviewers describe Advena Living of Bonner Springs as a well-run, caring facility with friendly, attentive staff, strong administration and ownership, and physical improvements under new management. Those positive accounts highlight roomy and comfortable resident rooms, personalized care (such as permanent clothing labels), frequent family engagement and visits, staff who go "above and beyond," and instances where the building and caregiving were described as very clean and kept up. Some reviews even call the facility one of the top skilled nursing homes in the area and express gratitude for high-quality care and safety measures during difficult times.
Conversely, a number of reviewers describe very serious problems focused primarily on cleanliness, staffing, and basic care. Multiple accounts report persistent foul odors (including urine) in common areas and dining rooms, sticky and crumb-laden floors, dirty resident rooms with bare mattresses, and alarming allegations that residents were left in urine and feces. Cleanliness complaints are among the most consistent negative themes and are often paired with reports of long response times to call buttons and residents being neglected. Several reviews also report that food quality is poor—described as mushy, left out for hours, and served cold—though other reviewers reported decent or good food, indicating inconsistency.
Staffing and skill levels emerge as another major area of concern and variability. Many reviewers mention understaffing, high turnover, and heavy reliance on agency or temporary staff; some reviewers say agency staff were discouraged from staying. Complaints include staff distracted by phones, unprofessional behavior, and claims that nurses were not sufficiently skilled. At the same time, other reviewers praise the staff as friendly, helpful, and deeply devoted. This divergence suggests inconsistent staffing levels and variable staff competence from shift to shift or across time periods.
Management and administration receive mixed feedback. Several reviewers praise new administration and ownership, noting visible improvements and sensitivity to residents' best interests. Other reviews describe negative interactions with management—specifically a reported harsh interaction with the Director of Nursing and unresolved electronic charting/iPad issues. There is at least one serious administrative red flag: a report of an unpaid final paycheck. Activity programming also appears inconsistent; some reviews report frequent family engagement and visits, while others report little to no daily activities or missing activity logs. Facility layout issues such as shared rooms, lack of private rooms, and no phones in rooms were also raised.
Notable patterns: positive reviews often reference recent changes under new leadership, suggesting improvement over time in some areas. Negative reviews cluster around cleanliness, staffing shortages, poor food handling, and neglectful care (e.g., unanswered call lights and residents left in unsanitary conditions). Given the polarity, the experience may depend heavily on timing (older reviews vs newer ones), specific staff on duty, and whether the unit in question is better supported.
Recommendations for prospective residents and families: visit in person at different times of day (meal times, evening and night shifts) to observe cleanliness, food service, staff responsiveness to call buttons, and staffing levels. Ask management about recent turnover rates, use of agency staff, what steps have been taken to address cleanliness and food-safety concerns, and evidence of activity programming and documentation. Probe for references to the reported issues (unpaid wages, charting/iPad resolution, and specific instances of neglect). For those considering placement, weigh the positive reports of devoted staff and recent administrative improvements against the serious negative allegations; if possible, obtain the facility's most recent inspection reports and staffing metrics before deciding.
