Barnwell Wm J Apartments

    21 E St Joseph St, Perryville, MO, 63775
    2.2 · 10 reviews
    • Independent living
    • Assisted living
    AnonymousCurrent/former resident
    1.0

    Dirty, unsafe, mismanaged, discriminatory, inaccessible

    I lived here and it was awful: dirty, smelled bad, virtually no maintenance (no HVAC for a year), no washer/dryer for months with broken secondhand replacements, and wheelchair residents couldn't access laundry - there hasn't been a manager for months. Staff were discriminatory and mistreated residents, security was lax with people being let in at night, and it caused real emotional distress; a few smiles didn't fix any of it - I would not recommend and it needs new management or shutdown.

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    Amenities

    2.20 · 10 reviews

    Overall rating

    1. 5
    2. 4
    3. 3
    4. 2
    5. 1
    • Care

      1.0
    • Staff

      1.0
    • Meals

      2.2
    • Amenities

      1.0
    • Value

      2.2

    Pros

    • happy atmosphere reported by some reviewers
    • smiling residents observed
    • some residents describe it as a great place
    • past holiday decorations/community spirit noted as missed

    Cons

    • no manager for months
    • HVAC out of service for about a year
    • security concerns: residents letting homeless people in at night
    • laundry machines unavailable for months
    • promised replacement appliances not delivered
    • use of secondhand units that frequently break down
    • wheelchair residents unable to access laundry
    • staff mistreatment of residents
    • reports of discriminatory staff behavior
    • emotional distress experienced by residents
    • virtually no maintenance
    • facility is unclean and has bad odors
    • reviewers would not recommend the facility
    • calls for shutdown or new management
    • frequent description as the worst place to live

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment across the supplied reviews is strongly negative, dominated by persistent operational failures and concerns about safety, cleanliness, and staff behavior. While a small number of comments point to a cheerful atmosphere and smiling residents, the bulk of the feedback documents long-term, systemic problems: a lack of on-site management for months, a nonfunctional HVAC system lasting roughly a year, and extended periods without working laundry facilities. Those operational failures are presented as ongoing rather than occasional lapses, contributing to a sense of neglect and frustration among residents and reviewers.

    Management and operations are the most frequently cited problems. Multiple reviews explicitly note the absence of a manager for months, and there are calls from reviewers for either a shutdown or new management. Promises made by management—specifically the replacement of washers and dryers—are reported as unfulfilled. These governance issues appear linked to other failures: reviewers describe virtually no maintenance, secondhand appliances that break down soon after installation, and a lack of responsiveness to resident needs. The combination of absent leadership and unmet commitments has eroded trust and prompted blunt assessments such as "would not recommend" and "worst place to live."

    Facilities and maintenance concerns are severe and varied. The HVAC reportedly being out for about a year is a major comfort and health concern, especially in extreme weather. Laundry services were unavailable for months, and when replacements were mentioned they were characterized as secondhand units that quickly fail. Accessibility problems are also highlighted: wheelchair users are reportedly unable to access laundry facilities, indicating a failure to meet basic accessibility needs. Reviews describe the property as unclean with unpleasant smells, and maintenance is characterized as virtually nonexistent. Taken together, these reports suggest both declining physical conditions and limited operational capacity to fix problems once they occur.

    Safety and security issues appear repeatedly and are a distinct pattern in the reviews. Several reviewers allege that residents have been allowing homeless people into the building at night, creating concerns about who has access to common areas and apartments after hours. This, combined with the lack of on-site management, contributes to a perception of an insecure environment and raises legitimate safety anxieties for residents and their families.

    Staff interactions and care quality are mixed in the commentary but lean negative in critical ways. There are explicit accusations of mistreatment and discriminatory behavior by staff, and at least one review links staff actions to emotional distress for a resident. Those accounts suggest problems with staff training, supervision, or culture. However, the reviews also include remarks about a "happy atmosphere" and "smiles on faces," which may indicate that some front-line staff or residents maintain a positive interpersonal environment despite broader organizational failures. The dominant narrative, though, is that staff behavior and management oversight are insufficient to ensure respectful, safe, and consistent care.

    Activities and community life are only sparsely mentioned. The few positive notes concern a generally happy atmosphere and the absence of holiday decorations now being missed, which implies that community traditions or festive activities used to occur and have since been reduced or stopped. There is no mention of dining quality, programming, or structured activities in the provided summaries, so no reliable conclusions can be drawn about those service areas from these reviews.

    In summary, the reviews indicate serious, ongoing problems in leadership, maintenance, safety, accessibility, and staff conduct, with only isolated positives about resident demeanor and past community touches like holiday decorations. The most urgent themes are long-term failures (months without a manager, about a year without HVAC, months without laundry) and unresolved promises (replacement appliances not arriving or failing). These patterns point to systemic operational issues rather than one-off incidents. Any reader should interpret the overall picture as a facility experiencing significant decline in core services and resident safety/comfort, despite some localized positive aspects of community atmosphere.

    Location

    Map showing location of Barnwell Wm J Apartments

    About Barnwell Wm J Apartments

    Barnwell Wm J Apartments sits at 21 East St. Joseph Street in Perryville, Missouri, where you'll find a senior housing community mainly for people 62 and older who want independent living without the trouble of home upkeep, and you'll notice rent here changes based on income, date you move in, and whether you qualify for HUD or other government help, which means that some people pay less if their income is lower-sometimes just 30% of their adjusted gross earnings-and there's the choice between spacious one-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments or even open concept efficiency units, and you see a variety from affordable to market rate and luxury options, all designed for seniors. These buildings get built, kept up, and changed with seniors in mind, so things are senior-friendly and easy to get around in, which helps when you want to live on your own but wish for some help or a safe, support-focused place, and you'll notice pet policies are friendly, and there's on-site parking, private porch or balcony space, and well-kept grounds for walking. Residents find access to home care if needed, with trained aides coming by, and for those who have memory concerns like Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia, there are memory care and assisted living services along with layouts that help prevent confusion or wandering. Community parts of the property include a clubhouse, a fitness center, and even a dining room where chefs and meal planners serve nutritious meals, and you see friendly staff ready to help, activities that keep people busy and learning, plus everything gets aimed at helping you enjoy your time while living as independently as you're able, with staff and residents alike keeping things welcoming and positive, and though every apartment and service varies a bit, the focus really seems to be on simple comfort, safety, and making life easier for seniors who just want a good place to live without the worry.

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