Overall sentiment across the reviews for Sandalwood Village is mixed: many reviewers praise the facility's cleanliness, welcoming atmosphere, and the compassion and attentiveness of caregiving staff, while others report serious operational and safety concerns that warrant careful investigation. Positive comments focus on warm, helpful staff, an active activities program (for some residents), a home-like environment with attractive common areas, and rooms that are roomy enough to accommodate personal furniture. Several reviewers noted an informative tour experience and a strong personal connection with an executive manager, and a number of residents and families found the community comfortable, quiet, and easy to navigate.
Care quality is a major point of divergence. On the positive side, multiple reviewers used phrases such as exceptional care, compassionate staff, and attentive caregivers; they highlighted staff who tend to residents' needs and an activities team that offers creative programming. However, other reviews raise serious safety and compliance concerns: medication mishandling is mentioned repeatedly (medications left out, medications taken from carts, staff write-ups related to medication errors). There are also allegations of resident mistreatment and claims of staff theft. These are not minor complaints and, where reported, indicate potential systemic issues with medication security, documentation, and overall oversight. Some reviewers reported adequate or ample staffing, but others explicitly said the community was short-staffed — this inconsistency could indicate variable staffing by shift or unit.
Staff and management receive mixed evaluations. Many reviewers describe staff as friendly, helpful, and responsive; tours were praised as thorough and informative, and at least one reviewer reported a strong positive relationship with the executive manager. Conversely, there are multiple concerning comments about leadership behavior: a recurring complaint about a particular head staff member described as rude to residents, visitors, and staff suggests leadership style problems that could affect culture. Reports of staff recordings of conversations and privacy issues also reflect troubling management and staff practices. The presence of staff write-ups and allegations of noncompliance further underscore the need to confirm how incidents are handled and tracked.
Facility, dining, and amenities are generally noted as strengths with caveats. The building is described as immaculate with beautiful common areas and a warm, not-fancy aesthetic that suits some residents. Room size is praised by some (space for couch and rocking chair), but other reviewers found studios too small for their needs. Dining received both praise and criticism: some cited great meals, while others reported poor food handling, such as food being left out — a potential safety concern. Ongoing construction and an expansion plan are mentioned repeatedly: these are framed positively as future improvements, but currently they create navigation challenges and temporary disruption. This means the current resident experience may differ from what is intended post-expansion.
Activities and resident engagement also show variability. Several reviewers highlighted creative, engaging activities and active residents, contributing to a positive community feeling. Yet at least one reviewer reported no activities currently available, and others noted that the community is quieter and not suited to every preference. Cost is another recurring theme: some reviewers felt pricing was high, and a few decided to choose other communities despite a positive connection with management.
In summary, Sandalwood Village appears to deliver strong points in cleanliness, physical environment, friendliness of many staff members, and some aspects of programming and meals. However, multiple and serious negative reports — particularly around medication handling, privacy, alleged mistreatment, leadership rudeness, and inconsistent staffing — create red flags that prospective residents and families should address directly. Recommended next steps for anyone considering this community: request documentation of medication protocols and recent incident reports, ask about staffing ratios across shifts, speak with multiple current residents and families, observe mealtimes and activities in person, get clarity on how leadership complaints are handled, and verify the timeline and impacts of ongoing construction. These checks will help reconcile the positive testimonials with the serious concerns raised in other reviews.
