St. Mary's Nursing Center

    21585 Peabody St, Leonardtown, MD, 20650
    2.3 · 6 reviews
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    1.0

    Understaffed, dirty, neglectful nursing home

    I placed my grandma there for a short respite stay and was very disappointed. Early discharge planning, barely any therapy (OT/PT combined to one hour), and she was in pain while nurses were often inattentive. The facility is old, understaffed, phone often unanswered, and management refused basic supplies (wipes, chux pads, full meals). It smelled strongly of feces, rooms were filthy with soiled diapers, patients left alone in the day room, and ventilation was terrible (about 85°F); an inappropriate visitor was even allowed to try to kiss residents. Phone staff were helpful and the building looks nice, but overall I felt there was neglect-avoid this place.

    Pricing

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    Amenities

    Healthcare services

    • Activities of daily living assistance
    • Assistance with bathing
    • Assistance with dressing
    • Assistance with transfers
    • Medication management
    • Mental wellness program

    Healthcare staffing

    • 12-16 hour nursing
    • 24-hour call system
    • 24-hour supervision

    Meals and dining

    • Diabetes diet
    • Meal preparation and service
    • Restaurant-style dining
    • Special dietary restrictions

    Room

    • Air-conditioning
    • Cable
    • Fully furnished
    • Housekeeping and linen services
    • Kitchenettes
    • Private bathrooms
    • Telephone
    • Wifi

    Transportation

    • Community operated transportation
    • Transportation arrangement
    • Transportation arrangement (non-medical)

    Common areas

    • Beauty salon
    • Computer center
    • Dining room
    • Fitness room
    • Gaming room
    • Garden
    • Outdoor space
    • Small library
    • Wellness center

    Community services

    • Concierge services
    • Fitness programs
    • Move-in coordination

    Activities

    • Community-sponsored activities
    • Planned day trips
    • Resident-run activities
    • Scheduled daily activities

    2.33 · 6 reviews

    Overall rating

    1. 5
    2. 4
    3. 3
    4. 2
    5. 1
    • Care

      1.0
    • Staff

      1.8
    • Meals

      1.0
    • Amenities

      2.3
    • Value

      2.3

    Pros

    • Helpful and accommodating on the phone (per at least one reviewer)
    • Facility described as 'very nice' in appearance by a reviewer
    • Acceptable for a short respite stay for at least one guest
    • Provides occupational and physical therapy services (though limited)

    Cons

    • Old and outdated facility
    • Strong foul odors, frequently described as smell of feces
    • Poor cleanliness and filthy conditions, including soiled diapers
    • Residents left unattended in common areas (day room)
    • Perceived neglect and cruel or inattentive treatment by staff
    • Nurses and caregivers described as inattentive or unresponsive
    • Understaffing cited as a recurring issue
    • Management allegedly refuses to provide basic supplies (wipes, chux pads) and full meals
    • Inadequate ventilation and high indoor temperatures (reported ~85°F)
    • Safety/supervision concerns (example: inappropriate visitor behavior)
    • Early or premature discharge planning
    • Insufficient therapy hours; OT and PT combined into one hour per day
    • Phone often unanswered
    • Residents in pain not being adequately addressed

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment from the collected reviews is predominantly negative, with multiple reviewers describing serious and recurring problems related to cleanliness, staffing, care quality, and management practices. While a few isolated comments note helpful phone interactions and an acceptable short respite stay or pleasant appearance, the most frequent and emphatic themes are concerns about hygiene, neglect, and inadequate supervision.

    Care quality and staffing emerge as central issues. Several reviewers recount instances of residents being left alone in common areas, nurses being inattentive during visits, and even descriptions of neglect or what felt like cruel treatment by staff. Understaffing is explicitly cited as a cause or contributing factor, and reviewers say that basic needs—such as pain management and timely attention—are not always met. One reviewer noted that their grandmother was in pain and that phone calls were not answered, reinforcing patterns of poor responsiveness.

    Facility conditions and infection-control-related issues are another major theme. Multiple reviewers report a persistent foul odor, often described specifically as the smell of feces, and state that the environment is filthy with soiled diapers observed. Management practices compound these concerns: reviewers allege that staff or administration refused to provide essential supplies such as wipes and chux pads, and even declined to provide a full meal in at least one account. Inadequate ventilation and high indoor temperatures (one report cited about 85°F) were also mentioned, which raises further concerns about resident comfort and environmental controls.

    Therapy, discharge planning, and services are noted but often described as insufficient. While the facility does provide occupational and physical therapy, reviewers explicitly say the hours are inadequate—some mentioning OT and PT being combined into a single hour per day—and that discharge planning can be premature. These reports suggest that rehabilitation and transitional-care services may not meet expected levels of intensity or coordination.

    Communication, safety, and management responsiveness were additional areas of concern. Multiple comments describe phone lines going unanswered, and at least one reviewer mentioned an instance of an inappropriate visitor attempting to kiss residents—indicating lapses in supervision and security. Although one reviewer praised phone interactions as helpful and another described the place as 'very nice' for a short respite stay, these positive notes are limited and do not offset the repeated reports of neglect, sanitation problems, and operational deficiencies.

    In summary, the pattern across reviews points to systemic issues: poor cleanliness and odor control, understaffing and inattentive caregiving, inadequate provision of basic supplies and meals, questionable environmental controls, limited therapy services, and communication/supervision failures. There are a few isolated positives (helpful phone staff, acceptable short respite experience, and a pleasant physical appearance claimed by one reviewer), but the dominant and recurring themes are serious enough that reviewers advise caution or avoidance. Anyone considering this facility should verify current staffing levels, cleanliness and infection-control practices, therapy schedules, meal provision policies, and visitor supervision before making placement decisions.

    Location

    Map showing location of St. Mary's Nursing Center

    About St. Mary's Nursing Center

    St. Mary's Nursing Center in Leonardtown, Maryland, sits less than a mile from St. Mary's Hospital and has served the community since 1965, offering a broad range of care services for seniors. The center's got 160 licensed beds and provides long-term care, short-term rehabilitation, respite care, and specialized memory care, making use of a staff that includes Geriatric Nursing Assistants, a dedicated Staff Coordinator, and even a longtime Cosmetologist who's worked with elderly and disabled clients for thirty years, which folks seem to find comforting. St. Mary's Nursing Center is a place where residents get 24-hour care every day, with skilled professionals ready around the clock, providing nursing attention, medication management, personal care, physical, occupational, and speech therapy, and even palliative and hospice services. Rehabilitation programs run under an attending physician and a medical review team, and they work to keep things clean, comfortable, and home-like, and to build a supportive environment that encourages residents to take part in activities and events arranged by the staff and community (resident) council, aiming for better mental well-being through social and emotional programs. The facility makes room for both independent and assisted living and is licensed as a senior care facility, sticking to required caregiver-to-senior ratios and participating in the Maryland medical assistance program so they can provide for low-income community members. In the year ending June 30, 2024, the center provided nearly 40,000 days of care, averaging close to 109 residents each day, and maintains a five-star rating for long-term nursing care and rehabilitation in St. Mary's County. St. Mary's Nursing Center accepts Medicaid and Medicare, helps families with guidance about long-term care insurance and caregiving, and offers amenities aimed at keeping life active and comfortable, like nutritious meals, activity programming, and features like TTY communication. There's a clear admissions process with help for families looking for answers, and they have employment opportunities with benefits, plus the SMNC Foundation for extra support of facility projects. Residents can also take part in a dedicated council, and there's a focus on personalized care plans and respectful attention for each person living there, whether someone's recovering from surgery or looking for a longer-term home.

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