Overall sentiment in the reviews is broadly positive about the lived experience at The Highlands, with frequent praise for the staff, the social life, and the range of amenities. The most consistent strength across reviews is the quality and warmth of caregiving: many reviewers describe staff as kind, compassionate, attentive, and willing to go above and beyond. Multiple accounts cite low turnover in caregiving teams, staff who remember resident names and preferences, and individualized attention from activity coordinators and front-desk/social services. Long-term residents and families repeatedly report peace of mind, strong social connections with neighbors, and a community feel — comments such as “feels like family,” active choirs, chorale groups, and frequent events are common. The Highlands is lauded for its broad amenity package (indoor saltwater pool, fitness center and classes, movie theater, salon and spa tub, library, garden plots, and extensive outdoor walking areas), which supports an active lifestyle for many residents.
Dining and activities are another major positive theme for many reviewers. Numerous comments describe chef-driven menus, restaurant-like dining rooms with menu choices, attentive dining staff, and special food accommodations. Activity programming is frequently highlighted as robust and varied — examples include therapy dogs, painting, bingo, chair exercises, field trips, scenic bus rides, horticultural therapy, musical performances, and holiday parties. The built environment and grounds receive strong marks as well: reviewers appreciate well-manicured landscaping, secure courtyards, private apartments with kitchens and bathrooms, cottages and one-floor living options, and thoughtful common spaces adjacent to dining areas. Maintenance responsiveness and organization (quick repairs, housekeeping/biweekly cleaning) are noted repeatedly.
Despite many positives, reviews reveal notable and recurring concerns that prospective residents and families should weigh carefully. Cost is the most repeated negative: multiple reviewers describe The Highlands as expensive, with rising rents and high condo fees that can tie up funds for years. Beyond price, administrative and clinical issues appear uneven. Several reviews allege problematic leadership changes, diminished personal attention after management turnover, and a corporate-profit-driven atmosphere. Communication gaps recur in many reports — between shifts (medication or care-change handoffs), between administration and families (unreturned calls or unclear documentation), and in intake or marketing interactions (some visitors found intake staff unhelpful or misleading). A number of reviewers specifically warn about respite stays where promised services were not provided or the resident returned in poor condition, and others report inadequate coverage during dinner breaks or on weekends resulting in delayed assistance.
Clinical and safety concerns, while not universal, are sufficiently serious to highlight. Some reviewers say there is a lack of seasoned gerontological leadership and poor nursing or medical supervision in specific incidents — one review mentions clinical staff being fired, and another references a reported mouse presence in a unit. A few accounts describe trust and safety concerns (patient in distress with no immediate help), and several reviewers recommend confirming clinical oversight and reporting practices before committing. Memory care receives mixed notes: many reviewers praise secure doors, devoted memory-care staff, and bright, cheerful units, while others raise concerns about resident selection policies, regimented routines, or lack of social engagement in certain cases. The pattern suggests quality in memory care can be strong but may depend on staffing and administrative stability.
Another theme is variability: many elements of the Highlands appear highly dependent on timing, leadership, and individual unit conditions. Several reviewers who have long associations report consistently excellent service, while more recent reviewers sometimes report process breakdowns, removed amenities, or poorer communication after management changes. Dining is a clear example of variability — while many residents extol the chef and call meals delicious, others describe greasy, overly salty food with tough meats and soggy vegetables. Similarly, while many praise cleanliness and upkeep, isolated comments about mice or rooms that are dark or poorly maintained suggest unevenness that prospective residents should inspect in person.
In summary, The Highlands commonly delivers a warm, active, and amenity-rich environment supported by caring staff and an engaged community; these are the aspects most reviewers celebrate strongly. However, there are recurrent concerns around cost, administrative turnover and communication, and occasional lapses in clinical oversight and respite services that merit careful vetting. Recommendation: prospective residents and families should prioritize an in-person tour (including the specific apartment/unit offered), direct conversations with current residents if possible, and targeted questions about current nursing leadership, handoff procedures between shifts, respite policies, recent management changes, and the financial implications of condo fees or buy-in requirements. Also ask to observe a dining service, review recent inspection/health records if available, and get written commitments about services included to reduce the likelihood of the inconsistent experiences described in the reviews.
