Overall sentiment across the reviews is strongly positive, with families and residents repeatedly praising the quality of hands-on care, the compassion of staff, and the facility’s ability to meet complex medical and dementia-related needs. Many reviews highlight long-term stays (including a 4.5-year example) and describe care that families trusted through significant health declines and even end-of-life moments. Multiple accounts emphasize that caregivers and nurses are attentive, experienced, and calm—attributes that have produced measurable improvements in residents with dementia and reassured families that medical needs are being managed competently.
Staff and management are the most frequently cited strengths. Reviewers consistently call staff pleasant, kind, patient, and responsive. Several specific staff members are named positively (manager Denice and caregiver Les), and reviewers say management responds quickly to concerns and handles incidents professionally. This responsiveness extends to communication about resident issues, with several families noting they are contacted immediately when problems arise. The overall staff culture is described as warm, loving, and welcoming, contributing to a safe environment where residents feel at home and retain freedom of action appropriate to their care level.
Facility upkeep and cleanliness are also commonly praised: reviewers describe the building as clean, well-kept, and smelling fresh. Residents are reported to be groomed and well cared-for. That said, there are consistent caveats about the physical plant: the building is older and a few reviewers mention occasional urine odor and communal bathrooms that limit privacy. A desire for more private rooms is noted (interest in single rooms), and reviewers explicitly warn that the layout and communal bathroom setup may not be a good fit for higher-functioning residents who prioritize independence and privacy.
Dining and meals are an emphasized positive. Multiple reviews describe the food as fantastic, healthy, home-cooked, and appetizing (meals smell delicious). A minority describe food as merely "ok," but the dominant theme is that dining is a strength and contributes to the homelike atmosphere. Activities are mentioned positively in several reviews — group activities and opportunities for social integration are cited — but the activity program is not consistently described as extensive; a few reviewers call it only ‘‘some activities,’’ suggesting programming is adequate but not a standout feature.
Care specialties and services receive strong endorsement. Reviewers repeatedly call out effective dementia care, calming approaches that helped relatives, and nurse-led management of significant medical issues. Hospice and respite services are available and positively noted, and families express gratitude for the way staff supported final moments and transitions. The facility appears to excel at steady, medically attentive care for residents with increasing needs.
Cost and suitability are the main areas of concern. A number of reviewers note that pricing is high, which may be a barrier for some families. Suitability concerns focus less on the quality of care and more on fit: Esther’s Place appears particularly well-suited to residents who need attentive, structured support—especially those with dementia or progressive medical needs—but may be less appropriate for higher-functioning seniors who want more independence, private bathrooms, or modern accommodations. The older building and communal bathroom arrangements underpin many of those fit-related cautions.
In summary, Esther’s Place At Strathmore Assisted Living receives strong, consistent praise for caregiving quality, dementia expertise, responsiveness of management, cleanliness, and meal quality. The facility creates a warm, safe, and home-like environment that families trust for long-term and end-of-life care. Trade-offs include an older building with occasional odors, limited privacy because of communal bathrooms, higher cost, and a program/physical layout that may not suit higher-functioning residents seeking more autonomy or private rooms. For families seeking compassionate, medically capable, dementia-friendly assisted living where staff engagement and continuity of care are priorities, reviewers overwhelmingly recommend Esther’s Place. For those prioritizing modern facilities, private baths, or lower cost, the facility may be less ideal.
