Overall sentiment: The reviews for Highlands Square are overwhelmingly positive, with recurring praise across care quality, staff friendliness, facility cleanliness, dining, and activities. Many reviewers describe Highlands Square as a small, family-like community (several explicitly note fewer than 50 residents) where staff are attentive, responsive, and personally invested in residents’ well-being. Families repeatedly emphasize relief and satisfaction at finding a place where loved ones are treated with respect and appear happy, and employees also report a nurturing workplace culture.
Care and staff: The dominant theme is strong, caring, and knowledgeable staff. Reviewers highlight the responsiveness of caregivers and front desk personnel—examples include staff quickly assisting someone who became short of breath and front desk team members named positively. Multiple staff roles receive special praise: Life Enrichment/Activities Coordinators (called out as engaging and going the extra mile), a professional Business Office Manager, and an Executive Director mentioned by name. Staff are repeatedly described as friendly, attentive, and willing to answer questions; many families say staff treat residents 'like family' and provide personalized attention. That said, there are a few reports of inconsistent staff quality or perceived staffing issues; a small number of reviewers claim a decline in staff attentiveness or competence, which suggests occasional variability in staffing or supervision.
Facilities and grounds: Highlands Square is consistently described as clean, modern, well-lit, and well-maintained by most reviewers. Apartments (studios and one-bedrooms) are often called comfortable and spacious, with features such as screened-in porches, sunrooms, and lovely views of gardens and woods. Outdoor amenities — community garden, barbecue area, walking paths, and accessible outdoor spaces — receive regular praise and contribute to an impression of a safe, pleasant environment for residents. The presence of a salon/beauty shop and shuttle service (to Somerset) are additional conveniences highlighted by families. A minority of reviews express concern about building maintenance or note that the facility had declined, indicating isolated issues that may be localized or episodic rather than universal.
Dining: Food is one of the strongest, most consistent positives. Many reviews praise excellent, delicious, balanced meals with variety, healthy options, fruit, and appealing desserts. Several visitors and residents emphasize that meals make residents feel at home. Conversely, a small number of reviewers report problems with dining — describing minimal dinner options (hot dogs or sandwiches), small portions, or insufficient dining-room staffing — and at least one person questioned the value relative to price. These dining criticisms appear to be the exception rather than the rule, but they are specific enough that families who prioritize meal variety and portion sizes may want to sample meals themselves.
Activities and social life: The activity program at Highlands Square is frequently lauded. Residents and families cite a full activities calendar with daily exercise classes, singalongs, bingo, ring toss, wine-and-cheese nights, holiday parties, outings to restaurants and movies, and special events (car shows, illusionists). The Life Enrichment Coordinator is often singled out as a standout staff member who keeps residents engaged and organizes frequent community outings. Reviews indicate a socially active environment where residents make friends and participate in many events — a key selling point for prospective residents seeking an active lifestyle.
Management, communication, and family experience: Communication with families is generally reported as good, with many reviewers praising management and office staff for being professional and helpful. Several families express gratitude for the sense of relief and peace of mind provided by Highlands Square. There are multiple recommendations by current and former residents’ families, and some staff and family members volunteer or refer others, suggesting strong community goodwill. However, there are a few notable negative outliers: at least one reviewer reported a serious billing dispute and accused a staff member of overcharging (described using strong terms), and another said the facility 'went downhill' and residents were miserable. These are isolated but serious claims; prospective families should verify billing practices and ask about any recent staffing or quality concerns during tours.
Notable patterns and advice for prospective families: The dominant pattern is a warm, well-run small community with strong programming, excellent food, caring staff, and beautiful grounds. The most common praise centers on individualized attention, active life enrichment, and a safe, clean environment. The primary risks identified across reviews are isolated instances of billing disputes, occasional reports of declining quality or staffing shortages, and a few comments about limited dinner options. Given the overwhelmingly positive consensus but a small number of serious complaints, prospective residents and families should: (1) request a meal sample and ask about dining schedules/portion sizes, (2) inquire explicitly about staffing ratios and turnover, (3) review billing policies and request written explanations of fees, and (4) ask about maintenance and any recent changes in management or staffing. Overall, Highlands Square presents as a highly recommended, family-like senior community with rich activities, strong staff engagement, and well-regarded amenities, tempered by a need for due diligence on billing and any episodic staffing or maintenance issues.
