Overall sentiment across the reviews is mixed but leans positive about the human side of care and the lifestyle offerings while revealing persistent operational and safety concerns that matter a great deal to families. A large number of reviewers repeatedly praise individual caregivers, nurses, and long-tenured employees as compassionate, knowledgeable, and deeply invested in residents' well-being. Many families describe a warm, family-like atmosphere, excellent hospice support, and staff who go above and beyond. The activities program is frequently highlighted as a strength: a strong activities coordinator, varied events (music, thematic days, outings, shopping trips), daily engagement, and photo updates help residents stay active and connected. Food and dining receive many positive notes as well; numerous reviewers call the meals fantastic with choice and accommodating special diets, although meal quality is not universally praised. The building and grounds, including an inviting lobby and courtyard, are often described as clean, well maintained and homey, contributing to a generally positive move-in experience for many residents.
However, a consistent and significant theme is staffing and staffing-related quality issues. Numerous reviews explicitly state chronic understaffing, especially on weekends or night shifts, along with high turnover and reliance on temporary workers. These staffing pressures are linked to slow response times, delayed assistance, incidents of residents being left on the commode, missed or inconsistent services (daily housekeeping, linen changes, showers), and in the most serious reports, medication errors, falls, hospitalizations, and alleged improper handling. Several reviewers reported medication-management problems — from meds logged as given when they were not possessed, to wrong-medication incidents — and a few described consequences severe enough to require hospitalization. These safety concerns are a central negative pattern and contrast sharply with accounts praising individual caregivers.
Training and competency appear inconsistent. Many reviews explicitly note that newer or temporary staff need more training and oversight; families who visited during periods of turnover sometimes experienced poor care until more experienced staff were in place. Several reviews describe improvements under newer management or after staffing stabilized, suggesting that some of the negative patterns have been addressed over time. Still, other reviewers report defensive or unhelpful responses from management when concerns were raised, and there are repeated accounts of disputes over billing and contract terms, including non-negotiable community fees, 14-day posthumous charges, and conflicts over refunds. These financial and contractual disputes have left some families feeling taken advantage of, compounding any grief over care problems.
Infection-control and safety protocols also appear uneven in the reviews. There are explicit reports of a COVID case affecting residents, concerns about mask-wearing compliance in memory care, and subsequent implementation of mask sign-ups and vaccination discussions. These reports indicate that infection prevention measures were at times perceived as inadequate or inconsistently applied, prompting families to raise red flags. Memory care receives both strong praise and notable criticism: many reviewers commend the facility's dementia care, noting patient, kind, and improved resident outcomes, while others report one staff member being asked to manage an unusually large number of memory-care residents and limited engagement during those shifts. This variability suggests that care quality in memory care depends heavily on actual staffing levels and which employees are on shift.
Dining, activities, and amenities are commonly cited positives and contribute greatly to resident satisfaction. Multiple reviewers describe freshly prepared meals, accommodating kitchen staff, the option for family to join meals for a small donation, and frequent social activities that improve mood and socialization. Yet reviewers also note shortcomings: a few describe meals being cold or too spicy for some residents, repetitive menus in memory care, styrofoam delivery for room service, a small or dreary dining area undergoing renovation, and limited food choices for certain residents. Facility cleanliness is often praised, but isolated reports of unsanitary bathrooms and poor room cleaning are serious and should not be overlooked; these complaints contrast with the larger body of praise for housekeeping and suggest inconsistencies in service delivery.
Communication and responsiveness show a split pattern. Many families commend admissions staff, specific nurses, and administrators for clear, compassionate communication, timely updates, and helpful coordination with doctors and hospice. Tools like family apps and photo updates are noted positively. Conversely, other families report poor communication, difficulty getting information, unanswered call lights, and defensive leadership when they raised safety or billing concerns. These divergent experiences point to variability based on timing, staffing, and which managers or nurses are involved.
In sum, Addington Place of Clarkston appears to offer a warm, socially engaging environment with many strong caregivers, an active calendar, and overall good facilities that make it a good fit for many residents. At the same time, there are recurring, non-trivial concerns about staffing levels, staff turnover, training, medication management, occasional lapses in cleanliness, and dispute-prone financial/contract practices. The reviews suggest that recent management changes and targeted training have improved care for some residents, but the safety-related reports (medication errors, falls, being left unattended, allegations of sedation without consent) are significant enough that prospective families should ask direct, specific questions before placement. Recommended due-diligence steps include: inquiring about current staff-to-resident ratios (day, evening, night, weekends), turnover rates, training and supervision protocols for new or temporary staff, medication administration and audit procedures, infection-control policies, housekeeping frequency, and any recent or ongoing corrective actions taken by management. Visiting at different times of day and speaking with multiple families currently using the community can help potential residents get a balanced, real-time sense of consistency in care.
