Overall sentiment across the reviews for Hattiesburg Health & Rehab is mixed but strongly polarized around staff quality versus systemic and management issues. A large portion of reviewers consistently praise frontline employees — CNAs, nurses, therapists, and administrative greeters — describing them as friendly, welcoming, helpful, and attentive. Many reviewers reported feeling reassured by staff interactions: residents were escorted to the right rooms, greeted with smiles, received personalized attention, and benefited from a capable therapy/PT department. Positive accounts note the facility can be clean, well-organized, and family-like, with useful activities coordinated for residents and flexible visitation policies. Several families described clear progress with rehab, effective weekend coverage, and caring staff who went above and beyond (haircuts, escorting, or personalized guidance). For numerous visitors the initial impression was very positive and they reported residents appearing healthy and comfortable during stays.
However, multiple reviews raise serious and recurring concerns about care consistency, management, and safety. Several reviewers explicitly contrast former management — described as running the facility well — with a current administration they perceive as profit-driven or neglectful. These reviewers cite staffing shortages, high staff turnover, and resignations that appear to degrade the quality of direct care. A pattern emerges where daytime or specific shifts are praised while other shifts, especially nights, are described as severely understaffed or negligent; allegations include night staff sleeping on duty, missed rounds, double diapering, and patients left in soiled conditions. More severe reports include bedsores, missed medications, missed appointments, and at least one account linking a poor second stay to a resident’s deterioration and death after return home. These safety-related complaints, alongside allegations of unprofessional or abusive staff behavior from some reviewers, represent the most alarming and frequent negative themes.
Facility physical plant and operational issues are another consistent theme. Multiple reviewers describe the building as old, with narrow, congested halls and double rooms that can feel cramped and overstimulating for some residents. Odor complaints (particularly urine smell) surface repeatedly, though others counter that the facility can be very clean and not-smelly — highlighting inconsistent cleanliness standards across different times or units. Dining feedback is mixed: some reviewers praise the dining area and food, while others report undercooked or unpleasant meals. Administrative pain points also appear: difficulty obtaining records and fees charged for records requests drew criticism, as did reports of missing personal belongings during respite stays. Communication is likewise inconsistent — many families appreciated informative progress updates and responsive staff, yet others experienced poor communication, lack of information, and unfriendly administrative interactions.
There are clear patterns in the variability of experiences. Positive reports commonly reference attentive daytime staff, effective rehab, and strong interpersonal interactions with employees who know residents by name. Negative reports cluster around nights, management changes, and staffing shortages that lead to neglect and safety problems. This suggests the facility’s strengths (compassionate frontline staff and therapy services) are being undermined in places by structural and management weaknesses that cause uneven care quality. For prospective families, the reviews recommend caution: ask specific questions about staffing levels on all shifts, recent management changes, infection control and odor remediation practices, handling of personal belongings, medication administration protocols, and the facility’s process for records requests. It would also be prudent to investigate how the facility addresses night shift supervision and follow-ups on any safety or neglect allegations.
In summary, Hattiesburg Health & Rehab receives frequent praise for individual employees, rehabilitation services, and a welcoming atmosphere on many visits, but an equally pronounced set of complaints around management, staffing consistency, night-shift care, safety incidents, and facility maintenance. The overall picture is of a place that can provide excellent, compassionate care under certain conditions but has recurring operational issues that have led to serious negative outcomes for other residents. Those considering placement should weigh the strong positive reports about staff and therapy against documented concerns over administration, staffing, and safety, and should perform targeted due diligence to confirm current conditions and oversight practices.
