Overall sentiment across the reviews for Medilodge of East Lansing is strongly polarized. A substantial portion of reviewers praise specific clinical programs (most notably the ventilator/respiratory unit and therapy teams), highlight compassionate and dedicated employees, and describe positive outcomes, clean renovated spaces, and an active community life. At the same time, there are multiple detailed and serious negative reports describing neglect, infection control failures, medication mishandling, management retaliation, rude or unsafe caregiving, and significant maintenance and communication problems. The volume and intensity of both positive and negative comments indicate meaningful inconsistency in experience depending on unit, shift, or individual staff members.
Care quality and clinical services: Many reviewers emphasize outstanding clinical strengths. The ventilator/respiratory unit receives repeated, emphatic praise for 24-hour experienced respiratory therapists, successful weaning outcomes, and highly skilled care. In-house rehabilitation (PT/OT/SLP) consistently appears as a major asset — described as knowledgeable, efficient, and producing good functional outcomes. Social work and discharge planning were singled out positively in multiple accounts for going above and beyond. Conversely, other reviewers report serious clinical lapses: delayed diagnostic testing (e.g., delayed chest x-ray), development of a lung abscess and pressure injuries, infected tracheostomy sites, untreated infections, and med cart mishandling. These latter accounts describe safety risks and suggest uneven clinical oversight across the facility.
Staffing, behavior, and culture: A frequent theme is divergence in staff behavior and culture. Numerous reviewers call out caring, compassionate, and long-tenured staff who treat residents like family, while others report disrespectful CNAs, rough handling during transfers and hygiene, nurses yelling at residents, and third-shift staff sleeping on the job. Several reports allege that some staff appear motivated by paychecks rather than resident wellbeing, and cite high turnover. Positive reports often use words like family-like, dedicated, and going-above-and-beyond; negative reports describe neglectful, uncaring, and even abusive behavior. Together, these comments suggest that resident experience may depend heavily on which staff are on duty and the culture in particular wings or units.
Facilities, maintenance, and cleanliness: Reviews are mixed about the physical plant. Multiple reviewers praise recently remodeled, clean areas, an enclosed courtyard, and a pleasant facility layout. At the same time, there are specific and recurring complaints about maintenance failures (beds falling apart repeatedly, broken or missing wheelchair parts), filthy conditions (reports of feces and unhygienic rooms), and general facility deterioration in parts. These contradictory statements point to heterogeneity across units and to potential lapses in routine maintenance and infection control procedures in certain areas.
Dining, activities, and resident life: Activity programs and outings are strong positives in many accounts — family events, outings, Taco Tuesday, and community activities are appreciated and seen as bringing joy to residents. Food impressions are mixed: some reviewers describe homemade, delicious meals and snacks, while others complain about cheap processed foods or poor meal quality. Diet concerns also appear: reviewers note that therapeutic diets such as low-salt/low-fat menus were not consistently provided unless an allergy was documented, which is a practical and clinical concern for residents needing specific nutrition plans.
Management, communication, and transparency: Communication and management receive sharply different evaluations. Several family members compliment specific administrators, social workers, and DON-level staff for proactive communication and discharge assistance. However, substantial negative commentary accuses management of lying to residents, withholding responsiveness, removing or suppressing negative reviews, and retaliating against complaints (including allegations of illegal punishment for reporting issues). Reviewers also describe difficulty reaching staff by phone, long hold times due to automated systems, and problems coordinating visits when relatives live far away. These criticisms raise concerns about grievance processes, transparency, and responsiveness to families.
Patterns and takeaways: The reviews reveal a facility with notable centers of clinical excellence (particularly ventilator care and rehabilitation) and many deeply appreciated, compassionate employees, but also with recurring systemic problems in other areas. The most serious recurring negative themes involve resident safety and neglect (infections, medication handling, delayed care), inconsistent staff behavior (from exemplary to abusive or negligent), and management/communication failures including perceived profit-driven priorities. The juxtaposition of glowing accounts and severe complaints suggests care is inconsistent across units or shifts rather than uniformly good or bad.
What reviewers and families should consider: If evaluating Medilodge of East Lansing, families should weigh the specific strengths that match their loved one’s needs (ventilator/respiratory care, rehab services, social work support) and probe areas where complaints cluster: infection control practices, staffing levels on specific shifts, maintenance responsiveness, dietary accommodations, and complaint/retaliation policies. Ask for recent state inspection reports, infection rates, staffing ratios by shift, the facility’s process for handling complaints and adverse events, and to meet specific clinical staff who would manage the resident (RTs, therapists, nurses). A tour focused on the target unit, observation of mealtime and shift change, and checking references from families of residents in that same unit may help determine whether a positive or negative pattern is more representative of the particular unit your loved one would occupy.
In summary, reviews portray Medilodge of East Lansing as a facility with strong specialized clinical programs and many beloved, dedicated staff members but with troubling and repeated reports of neglect, inconsistent care, management shortcomings, and facility maintenance/cleanliness issues. Experiences appear highly variable, so prospective residents and families should perform targeted due diligence to confirm the facility’s strengths align with their needs and that reported problems have been addressed in the specific unit they would use.
