Overall sentiment in these reviews is strongly positive, with repeated praise for the quality of care, the compassion of staff, and active management presence. Multiple reviewers describe the nursing staff as caring, attentive, gentle, and highly recommended; several explicitly call out excellent nursing, administration, housekeeping, and therapy services. The facility is portrayed as safe and well-managed, with managers often on the floor and involved in hands-on oversight. Reviewers also report that staff listen to resident needs, explain how needs will be met, and are well informed about each tenant — all indicators of individualized care and effective communication.
Therapy and clinical services receive consistent commendation. Physical and occupational therapy (PT/OT) and rehab services are highlighted as strong areas, and reviewers mention both long-term and rehab options being available. Care conferences were described positively, indicating proactive care planning and family engagement. One reviewer named a specific nurse (Tracy) as delivering family-like care, which reinforces the recurring theme of compassionate personal attention.
Activities and quality of life are another clear strength. Reviewers note a varied activities program with frequent participation from residents: trivia nights, animal visits, and external entertainment are specifically mentioned. Several comments say residents appear happy and attend daily activities, which supports the impression of an engaging social environment. Family visitation is supported, and meal service includes options and alternatives, contributing to resident choice and satisfaction.
Facilities and housekeeping are regarded favorably: rooms were described as wonderful and housekeeping was labeled excellent in multiple summaries. The overall environment is characterized as clean and well-kept. Food service garners mixed feedback; while some reviewers list food service among the facility’s strengths, at least one reviewer described the food as "not great" and noted that it was being worked on. This signals an area of improvement acknowledged by staff or management.
The most consistent and notable concern across reviews is related to night/third-shift staffing. While day and evening staff are repeatedly praised as wonderful and attentive, there is at least one report of third-shift caregivers being rude, not caring, and failing to properly attend to a resident after a bathroom visit. This inconsistency in overnight care stood out against an otherwise very positive pattern and may represent an isolated issue or a staffing/training gap that affects perceptions of safety during nighttime hours.
In summary, the Good Samaritan Society - Howard Lake is depicted by reviewers as a well-run facility with compassionate, responsive staff, strong clinical and therapy services, a varied activities program, clean rooms, and family-friendly practices. Management presence and individualized care planning receive special mention. The primary negatives to note are some reported problems with third-shift staff responsiveness and occasional food quality issues; otherwise the reviews trend strongly positive, with multiple explicit recommendations from families and residents.
