Overall sentiment across the reviews for The Estates at Excelsior is strongly mixed, with a substantial number of glowing reports about individual staff, therapy programs, activities, and the pleasant grounds, balanced against numerous and serious allegations of neglect, poor clinical care, and unacceptable cleanliness. Many reviewers explicitly praised frontline caregivers and named administrative staff who were helpful (notably a social worker identified as Johnny and a business office manager named Kendra). Positive experiences emphasize a welcoming, family-like atmosphere, engaging social events, strong therapy services (on-site speech therapy, good PT), and improved resident well-being such as better vocabulary, social engagement, and mood changes. The property itself is described as attractive and peaceful by multiple reviewers (pond across from the property, leafy neighborhood, flowering plantings, front deck), and some families reported excellent housekeeping and a delightful dining cook.
However, juxtaposed with those positives are repeated, detailed reports of clinical failures and neglect that are concerning. Multiple reviewers allege missed or refused medications (including dangerous diabetes management practices), delays in calling ambulances, hospitalizations from infections thought linked to facility care, and poor follow-through on medical recommendations after hospital discharge. There are accounts of residents being left without showers for many days, basic grooming and mouth care being neglected, bed linens and rooms soiled with urine or feces, skin tears and missing basic supplies like bandages, and even reports of water in oxygen tubing and pee bags on the floor. Several reviewers described the facility as extremely dirty and smelling of feces, and some said residents were crying or begging for water—clear indications of severe lapses in hygiene, supervision, and infection control.
Management and communication emerge as inconsistent themes. Some families found management to be problem-solving, cheerful, and proactive; others experienced dismissive administrative responses, ignored inventory or personal belongings, language barriers during calls, or no clear medical updates or doctor visits. Named staff received praise in some reviews, while the same or other staff were described as rude or inattentive in others. Staffing shortages are repeatedly cited as a likely driver of the inconsistent care: reviewers link insufficient staffing to missed medications, skipped checks, and reduced ability to respond to medical events. There are also very serious allegations beyond neglect—claims of doctored records (e.g., falsely recorded 'no falls'), overmedication, police involvement related to physical restraint or removal, and at least one death described in the context of poor care—issues that, if accurate, indicate systemic failures rather than isolated lapses.
On dining, activities, and rehabilitation: several reviewers highlight meaningful activities, good meals prepared by a liked cook, and effective therapy services that led to measurable resident improvements. Activities and a welcoming dining room environment were recurrent positives. At the same time, other reviewers complained about terrible food, cold rooms, malfunctioning TVs, and that PT directives were not always followed—again reflecting inconsistency between shifts, units, or time periods.
Patterns across reviews point to a facility with strong individual staff members and some effective programs, but with uneven execution and serious risk areas. The most frequent positive themes are compassionate direct caregivers, helpful and professional therapy staff, and a pleasant campus setting. The most frequent negative themes are lapses in basic hygiene and grooming, medication and clinical management failures, poor communication and accountability from management, and cleanliness/sanitation problems. Staffing shortages are frequently cited as an underlying cause of many negative events.
In sum, while there are clear examples of quality care, positive interpersonal connections, and effective rehabilitation at The Estates at Excelsior, the reviews also contain multiple, detailed, and severe complaints about clinical neglect, hygiene, medication errors, and management failures. The overall picture is one of highly variable care quality: some residents thrive and families are grateful, while others experienced significant harm or distress. Anyone considering this facility should weigh both sets of information, ask specific questions about staffing ratios, infection control, medication administration protocols, incident reporting and record-keeping, and seek up-to-date references or regulatory inspection reports to understand whether the concerning patterns have been addressed.