Brother Bonaventure Care Center

    655 E Jersey St, Elizabeth, NJ, 07206
    3.5 · 13 reviews
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    3.0

    Warm staff, aging facility, unresponsive

    I found the staff warm, kind and attentive - nurses, social worker, PTs and aides (Anita and Maria) gave excellent care and housekeeping kept rooms spotless. The building is aging, food quality is poor, parking is inadequate, and despite new management the office and doctors were often unresponsive - after four months my dad hadn't recuperated. Also note Google lists a 4:00 pm closing time that should be updated.

    Pricing

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    Amenities

    3.46 · 13 reviews

    Overall rating

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

      4.0
    • Staff

      4.2
    • Meals

      3.0
    • Amenities

      3.0
    • Value

      3.5

    Pros

    • Compassionate, warm and welcoming staff
    • High-quality nursing care
    • Effective physical therapy with strong recoveries
    • Supportive social worker involvement
    • Thorough housekeeping and clean rooms
    • Helpful certified nursing assistants (Anita and Maria named)
    • Attentive caregiver interactions
    • Reports of improvement under new management

    Cons

    • Aging building and poor facility condition
    • Concerns about food quality
    • Limited or no off‑street parking
    • Unresponsive office/administrative staff
    • Doctors not communicating adequately with families
    • Some residents not improving after extended stays
    • Inconsistent or incorrect posted hours (lunch/closing times)
    • At least one report of a very negative overall experience

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment in these review summaries is mixed but leans positive around direct care staff and therapeutic services, while administrative, facility, and dining issues receive repeated criticism. Multiple reviewers specifically praise the nursing staff, social worker, and physical therapists for providing excellent, attentive care and enabling strong recoveries. Housekeeping also receives explicit positive mention for thorough room cleaning. Individual caregivers are named and praised (assistants Anita and Maria), and several comments describe the staff as warm, top‑notch, and welcoming. One set of remarks even highlights positive change under new management and describes the facility as thriving, indicating improvements have been noticed by some families.

    At the same time, there are consistent concerns about the physical plant and nonclinical services. Several reviewers describe the facility as aging or in poor condition, which may contrast with praise for staff performance and could affect overall resident comfort and perception. Food quality is mentioned as a concern by multiple reviewers, suggesting dining is an area needing attention. Practical issues such as lack of off‑street parking also appear, which can be an important logistical drawback for visiting families and vendors.

    Communication and administrative responsiveness emerge as another clear theme. Reviewers report unresponsive office staff and frustrations that doctors are not communicating directly with family members. One reviewer noted that their father had not recuperated after four months, which may reflect either clinical complexity or perceived shortcomings in medical oversight/communication. There are also discrepancies and annoyances around posted hours — specifically a lunch hours discrepancy and a Google listing that shows a 4:00 pm closing time and a request to update those hours — pointing to inconsistent or outdated information being provided to the public.

    While many comments are positive about caregivers and therapy services, there is at least one strongly negative summary that states “horrible, never again,” indicating that experiences can vary considerably between residents and families. This outlier reinforces the need for prospective residents and families to ask specific questions about their concerns, tour the facility, and check the most recent status of management and maintenance efforts.

    In sum, the dominant strengths reported are the quality and kindness of direct care staff (nurses, aides, therapists, social worker) and clean rooms thanks to housekeeping. The dominant weaknesses are the building condition, food/dining quality, parking limitations, and administrative/physician communication problems, along with inconsistent public information about hours. There are signs of positive change under new management according to some reviewers, but variability in experiences — including at least one severe negative report — suggests due diligence is important for prospective families. If considering this facility, prioritize direct conversations about clinical oversight and communication practices, recent maintenance or renovation plans, dining menus/standards, parking arrangements, and confirmation of current hours and contact responsiveness.

    Location

    Map showing location of Brother Bonaventure Care Center

    About Brother Bonaventure Care Center

    Brother Bonaventure Care Center sits at 655 E. Jersey Street in Elizabeth, New Jersey, working as a nonprofit skilled nursing facility that's got 124 beds for people who need different types of help, and you'll find they handle just about everything from independent living for active seniors to assisted living, memory care, long-term care, and short-term rehabilitation. The staff includes physicians, registered nurses, practical nurses, certified nursing aides, and licensed therapists in physical, occupational, and speech therapy, all supervised by a Medical Director, and they're available all day and all night, so someone's always there. They've got direct connections with Trinitas Regional Medical Center and offer access to specialty services like wound care, dialysis, respiratory care, and even behavioral health and mental health programs, and if someone has more complex needs, the care team works with local doctors and hospitals, so people don't lose track of their treatment.

    There's help with activities of daily living like bathing, dressing, and managing medicine, and if someone's dealing with Alzheimer's or another type of dementia, they have a special memory care program in a secure area to prevent wandering and confusion, and they run therapies meant to help residents hold on to their best level of functioning. The center pays attention to people who want to keep their independence, offering social activities, computer labs so folks can keep in touch, beautifully kept gardens and courtyards for fresh air, plus a bright atrium dining room where meals use quality ingredients aimed at keeping everyone healthy and comfortable, and you get things like laundry, religious services, a hairdresser or barber on site, and different sorts of recreation, from exercise to bingo, trips out, group talks, and even live music or pet therapy. They want families to stay involved, so visitors are encouraged, and staff work with families and other helpers to plan care and smooth transitions.

    On the health side, the place runs special programs like wound healing, orthopedic support for people recovering from surgery or injury, palliative care, respite care for when a short break is needed, and long-term programs for those who need ongoing help. There's a focus on each person's unique needs, with staff aiming to encourage the best possible level of independence, and there are programs even for people needing behavioral health care, including an Adolescent Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Program offered in English and Spanish. The Social Service and Admissions folks can help with questions about moving in or out and pay attention to each step residents take.

    Residents live in a setting that feels homelike, not like an institution, and there's a real community atmosphere, with a Recreation Department providing different ways for residents to stay active and engaged. Amenities include cable and Wi-Fi, an interfaith chapel, patient concierge service all the time, and transportation for outings when required. The place welcomes both adults and kids for certain behavioral health services, and medical, psychological, dental, and podiatry needs are met through cooperation with the hospital. Brother Bonaventure Care Center is approved by Medicare and Medicaid and holds a license from the State of New Jersey, plus they note their distinction as the only 5-star rated CMS facility for quality care in Elizabeth. It's a steady presence for people who need everyday help, a little more medical care, or a safe space for recovery or memory support, and it's got more information online at brotherbonaventure.com.

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