Overall sentiment about The Cortland Howell is strongly mixed, with a clear split between detailed praise from many families/residents and pointed concerns from other reviewers. Repeatedly cited strengths include a warm, family-like atmosphere, compassionate front-line staff, cleanliness, and an energetic activities program. Many reviewers emphasize personalized attention, responsive communication from certain managers and staff, and a sense that employees "go above and beyond." The facility's dining is frequently highlighted as a major positive — several reviews call out fresh, homemade meals and a creative chef (named in reviews), varied menu options, and accommodating meal alternatives. Memory care offerings, apartment choices, housekeeping, laundry, transportation, and available amenities (church services, beauty salon, enclosed patio) are also routinely mentioned as conveniences that contribute to resident comfort and quality of life.
Care quality and staffing show a pronounced dichotomy. Numerous reviews convey confidence in the care provided: attentive caregivers, coordinated care plans, physical therapy support, a designated hospice charting area with 24/7 chart access, and quick responses to family concerns. Reviewers frequently name life-enrichment staff and individual employees (e.g., Barb, Shay, Jordan, Carol, Mary) as reasons they feel comfortable recommending the community. Activities programming is repeatedly noted as robust and varied — music therapy, bingo, book clubs, crafting, movie nights, field trips and holiday parties create an active social environment for residents.
Conversely, a set of recurring operational and safety concerns appears across multiple reviews. The most serious themes are high staff turnover and frequent management changes, reported understaffing and insufficient clinical coverage, and explicit claims of medication errors (including overmedicating and undermedicating). Several reviewers specifically note a lack of on-site nursing staff — one or more reviews state there is only an on-call LPN and no CNAs — and others warn that the facility is not state-licensed and that signage may be misleading. These are substantive issues for families weighing clinical risk and continuity of care in memory care settings and should be verified directly with the community.
Maintenance and regulatory concerns also recur. A number of reviews allege mold, leaks and even black mold in parts of the building with claims that ownership or management did not adequately address these problems. Some reviewers describe unprofessional or unapproachable behavior by management, including yelling at vendors or poor responses to family concerns, and cite families moving residents out as a result. There are also reports of billing or refund disputes and punitive administrative actions in at least one account. Other operational criticisms include periodic reports of subpar meals or limited activity options from certain perspectives, inconsistent staff training, and repeated rate increases that affect affordability — in several reviews the facility is described as high cost and/or not accepting insurance.
Taken together, the pattern is one of a community that offers many hallmarks of strong assisted living/memory care (compassionate caregivers, appealing meals, active life-enrichment programs, cleanliness and a home-like feel) but also exhibits troubling operational inconsistencies for some residents (clinical staffing, management stability, maintenance and licensing concerns). The division between glowing recommendations and strong warnings suggests variability over time or between households and shifts in leadership or staffing levels. Prospective residents and families should prioritize on-site verification: ask about current nurse and CNA staffing levels and schedules (including on-call arrangements), licensing status and any recent ownership changes, documented responses to mold or maintenance complaints, medication administration protocols and error-reporting processes, current staff turnover statistics, and how dietary preferences/needs are accommodated. Observe mealtime service, tour the memory-care dining arrangement, meet life-enrichment staff, and request references from current families. In short, The Cortland Howell receives repeated praise for staff compassion, food and activities, but families should carefully investigate the reported clinical, management, and facility issues before making a placement decision.
