Overall impression: The reviews for Benedictine Living Community–St. Joseph are strongly mixed but lean toward positive when averaged across submissions. A large portion of reviewers praise the facility for compassionate, attentive caregivers, strong skilled nursing and rehabilitation therapy, clean and pleasant physical spaces, and a robust schedule of activities and spiritual support. Many families singled out specific staff members (Administrators, nurses, nursing assistants, therapists, and marketing/activities staff such as Amy, Tiffany, Karen, Rose, Kylee and others) as going above and beyond, and several reviewers highlighted awards, leadership engagement, and smooth transitions from hospital to facility care.
Care quality and clinical operations: Numerous reviews describe excellent clinical care—skilled nursing, near-daily therapy, and effective post-ICU or post-hospital rehabilitation. Families report meaningful strength gains, improved function, and strong therapy teams (PT/OT). At the same time, there are multiple, serious negative reports describing lapses in clinical care: missed doctor orders (including a missed blood thinner), pills dropped on the floor, delayed catheter removal causing pain, inadequate assistance with medical devices (CPM/ice), and inconsistent pain management. These negative incidents are not universal but are significant because they reflect major safety/clinical concerns when they occur. Several reviewers explicitly link some of these issues to short-staffing or staff being overwhelmed.
Staffing, training and culture: Staffing emerges as a central, divergent theme. Many reviewers praise staff professionalism, kindness, dedication, responsiveness, and emotional support—particularly nursing and direct care staff who formed genuine connections with residents and families. Conversely, a notable subset of reviews report short-staffing that resulted in neglect, delayed responses, minimal rehab time (one report of 15 minutes/day), and unsafe practices such as single-person Hoyer lifts or rough handling. Complaints about staff training surface specifically related to caring for residents with mental illness. There are also reports of non-clinical staff issues—bullying by a housekeeping supervisor, management not acting on misconduct, and belongings being discarded—that point to lapses in workplace culture and leadership oversight in some areas.
Facility, cleanliness and environment: Many reviewers consistently describe the facility as clean, pristine, and well cared for—'home-like' or even 'resort-like' with pleasant outdoor spaces and a serene fountain. Cleanliness and hygiene were repeatedly praised, and several reviewers explicitly stated there was no smell and that rooms were neat. Nonetheless, a small number of reviews noted cleanliness lapses (urine odor at times, an unacceptable incident with feces on a resident/bathroom) and facility maintenance issues such as old tiny TVs with poor signal, AC problems, and worn furniture that is not suitable for larger residents.
Dining and activities: Dining receives strong, generally positive comments—many reviewers called the food fantastic and better than hospital meals. However, there are also complaints about dietary leadership instability (turnover), timing problems (breakfast not served on time), and some food complaints. Activities and wellness programming are frequently described as engaging and meaningful, with many events, social opportunities, and individualized attention from event leaders and the wellness department. Spiritual support and chaplain visits are also noted as valued components.
Management, communication and responsiveness: Families report mixed experiences with management and communication. Positive comments reference proactive admissions staff, marketing and sales personnel who provide genuine connection, and nursing leadership that addresses and corrects issues. Other reviewers reported poor communication, unreturned phone calls, management turnover, and failure to appropriately address staff misconduct or bullying. Several reviewers said the director of nursing was involved and corrective action was taken in clinical matters, suggesting variability depending on leadership responsiveness and the issue type.
Safety, cost and suitability: Safety-related concerns (medication errors, missed orders, rough handling, single-person lifts) are intermittent but serious and should be considered by prospective families. Cost was noted as high by at least one reviewer (specific daily price mentioned). The facility may be an excellent fit for many residents—especially those needing skilled rehab, structured activities, and compassionate end-of-life care—but reviewers caution that it may not be ideal for residents with significant behavioral or mental-health needs unless specific assurances about staff training and supervision are obtained.
Patterns and recommendations: A clear pattern emerges of generally high-quality care and a caring culture among many direct care staff, offset by variability in staffing levels, supervisory follow-through, and some operational areas (dietary, housekeeping, maintenance). The most frequently cited strengths are staff compassion, therapy quality, cleanliness, dining, and programming. The most frequently cited risks are staffing shortages, inconsistent clinical follow-through, and management/communication problems. Prospective families should ask specific questions during tours about current staffing ratios by shift, training for behavioral/mental-health needs, medication administration safeguards, recent incidents and corrective actions, dietary staffing stability, and how the facility handles complaints or staff misconduct. For current families, monitoring medication administration, ensuring clear documentation of doctor orders, and maintaining open communication with nursing leadership appear to be prudent steps based on the reviews.
Bottom line: Benedictine Living Community–St. Joseph receives many strong endorsements for compassionate caregiving, effective rehabilitation, clean and pleasant facilities, and engaging programming. However, several serious and recurring negative reports—often tied to short-staffing, communication breakdowns, and isolated safety lapses—mean experiences can vary significantly by unit, shift, or timeframe. The facility is highly recommended by many families but not without notable caveats; due diligence (questions around staffing, clinical safeguards, and management responsiveness) is advisable before placement.
