Overall sentiment across the reviews is highly mixed and polarized: many reviewers describe Hillcrest Commons as a capable, recovery-focused rehabilitation facility with some standout, compassionate caregivers and a strong PT/OT program, while an equal or large number of reviewers report serious, systemic problems including neglect, poor communication, and management failures. The most consistent positive themes are concentrated around rehabilitation services and certain individual staff members or teams; the most consistent negative themes relate to staffing shortages, inconsistent care, administrative problems, and dining/cleaning issues.
Care quality and staffing: Multiple reviews praise the rehab-oriented aspects of the facility — plentiful physical therapy and occupational therapy staff, a multidisciplinary rehab team, and many accounts of effective recovery support and personalized rehab outcomes. Weekend nurses and specific named staff receive strong praise. However, these positives sit alongside numerous and alarming reports of neglect: residents reportedly left in soiled briefs for long periods (examples up to 28 hours), residents unattended for many hours, delays of two hours or more to call bells, missed or delayed medication, underfed feeding tubes, bedsores, and at least one report of a resident with a broken hip being unattended and requiring ambulance intervention. Staffing shortages, burnout, scheduling gaps, a shortage of CNAs, and staff turnover are repeatedly cited as root causes for inconsistent care. Reviewers repeatedly describe a two-tier experience: some highly attentive caregivers and effective rehab therapy, contrasted with times when basic hands-on care is insufficient or absent.
Staff behavior and management: Reviews convey a split picture of staff professionalism. Many reviewers highlight compassionate, dedicated staff who treat residents like family and go above and beyond (including housekeeping, maintenance, and respiratory nurses). At the same time, there are numerous reports of unprofessional behavior: staff allegedly being idle or laughing while residents need assistance, insensitive or insulting interactions with families, threats or abusive behavior by specific staff, and breaches of privacy (alleged HIPAA violations). Administration is frequently criticized as dismissive, deceptive, or nontransparent — with claims that administrators lie to families, fail to notify families appropriately (including about COVID status), sweep problems under the rug, and fail to hold staff accountable. Several reviewers urge regulatory involvement and some explicitly recommend shutting the facility down based on severe incidents.
Facilities, cleanliness, and infection control: Observations about the physical environment are inconsistent. Many reviews describe a beautiful exterior, tidy interior, clean and spacious rooms, and updated rehab spaces. Conversely, other reviewers report dirt, cobwebs, black mold, holes in walls, broken dishwashing and cleaning equipment, and sporadic disinfection. These conflicting reports suggest variable housekeeping standards over time or between units. Disease control and COVID handling were raised as concerns: reviewers reported strict lockdowns with no visitors but also complaints about not being informed about residents' COVID status and weak communication around outbreaks.
Dining and activities: Opinions about meals and programming are mixed but tilt negative when aggregated. Several reviewers said food was fine or adequate, but many more complain about overcooked, limited, or unappetizing meals, infrequent snacks, and missing meal options; some described meals as "disgusting". There are also reports of inconsistent adherence to special diets (including diabetes plans). Activities programming shows a similar pattern: earlier offerings from an Activities Director were praised, but many reviewers say those programs have diminished or disappeared, leaving residents with a lack of engagement and socialization. Where activities are robust, reviewers highlight art, sewing, physical therapy–based activities, and daily posted schedules.
Safety, possessions, and communication: Several reviews recount serious safety and integrity issues: lost or stolen belongings, clothing losses with no reimbursement, mishandled or misplaced wheelchairs, and slow or absent responses in emergencies. Communication with families is another frequent problem — delayed callbacks, incorrect or third-party notifications instead of direct family contact, and perceived emphasis on finances over patient welfare. Conversely, some families report excellent communication and staff advocacy; again, the pattern is inconsistent across reviewers.
Patterns and actionable concerns: The reviews point to a pattern of variability that appears tied to staffing levels, management practices, and possibly unit-specific or time-based differences. Strengths are concentrated in rehab therapy and in pockets of committed personnel; weaknesses are systemic around hands-on care availability, administration transparency, and consistency in housekeeping and dining. Reported incidents of neglect, abuse, HIPAA violations, theft, and serious medical response delays are significant red flags that merit investigation and remediation.
Bottom line: For potential residents and families, Hillcrest Commons appears to offer strong rehabilitation services and has many dedicated, compassionate employees who can deliver excellent care — particularly for short-term rehab stays. However, there is clear risk of inconsistent hands-on nursing and CNA care, problematic communication, intermittent cleanliness and dining issues, and concerning administrative lapses that have led to serious negative outcomes in multiple reports. Prospective families should vet current staffing levels, ask specific questions about CNA-to-resident ratios, incident reporting and complaint resolution procedures, infection control practices, meal and special-diet handling, and how the facility ensures consistent activity programming. Visiting in person, speaking with multiple staff members (including nursing leadership and social work), and checking recent inspection or regulatory records are advised before making placement decisions.
