Overall sentiment: The reviews for Excelcare at Wayne present a deeply mixed picture dominated by two strong, recurring themes: excellent rehabilitation and many instances of compassionate, family-like care, contrasted with intermittent but serious lapses in basic nursing care, cleanliness, communication, and safety. A large portion of reviewers praise the therapy teams (PT and OT) for helping residents regain mobility, speech, and independence—outcomes such as walking without aids, climbing stairs again, and returning home driving are repeatedly cited. These rehabilitation successes are frequently described as a core strength of the facility and a primary reason families recommend Excelcare at Wayne for sub-acute and post-acute care.
Staffing and culture: Many reviewers highlight a warm, caring culture among nurses, CNAs, therapists, and activities staff. Words used across reviews include compassionate, attentive, diligent, and family-like. Numerous accounts mention specific staff members and praise their attentiveness (including night nurses), memory for resident preferences, bilingual accommodation (Spanish-speaking staff), and willingness to go above and beyond. Admissions and social services staff receive positive marks for easing transitions, providing welcome baskets, and maintaining open communication with families. The recreation/activities department is frequently cited as a positive contributor to resident quality of life, offering varied programming, events (Easter egg hunts, quizzes), and social engagement that residents and families appreciated.
Facility, environment, and meals: Many reviewers describe the facility as clean, well-maintained, and home-like with attractive, manicured grounds and comfortable common spaces. Private rooms, accommodations for couples, and a welcoming lobby are positives noted repeatedly. Dining earns mixed but often-positive comments: several reviewers describe delicious, homemade-tasting meals (fish, roasted chicken, personalized meal plans), snack availability, and guest meal options. Others, however, strongly disagree—calling the food awful or cold—indicating variability in food quality or meal service across time or units.
Communication and administration: Communication is a frequent praise point for some families—staff solicited feedback, discussed care plans, and provided timely updates. Several reviews commend visible, engaged management and hands-on owner involvement, which helped resolve concerns. However, an equally recurrent complaint concerns poor communication: long phone hold times, difficulty reaching managers, inconsistent chart verification, and unresponsiveness during discharges or emergencies. Discharge coordination and medication handoffs are a notable trouble spot in multiple accounts, with specific reports of discharge meds not being sent, poor discharge services, and pharmacies not receiving prescriptions.
Safety, hygiene, and clinical lapses: While many reviews reflect high-quality clinical care, there are multiple, serious negative reports that cannot be overlooked. Several reviewers allege neglect (residents left soiled, not showered, or without water), untreated catheter care, bedsores, and inappropriate medication administration. There are accounts of slow response to call bells and patients crying for help with no timely intervention. Some reviewers report urine odors, filthy rooms, and infection-control deficiencies—concerns that, when present, suggest systemic issues. In the most severe instances, reviewers state that loved ones experienced deterioration or were transferred to hospital emergencies, and a few allege wrongful prioritization of insurance/money over patient welfare.
Variability and patterns: A clear pattern emerges of significant variability—many families report exemplary care and excellent rehab outcomes, while others report neglect, poor hygiene, and dangerous lapses. This suggests inconsistent performance across shifts, units, or time periods. Positive reviews often mention particular staff members by name and praise visible management involvement; negative reviews frequently describe periods of understaffing, lack of middle management, and unresponsiveness. The mixed nature of the feedback points to strong pockets of quality and dedication within the facility but also to reliability and oversight problems that produce occasional severe failures in care.
Implications for families: For prospective families, the most important takeaway is to weigh the facility’s strong rehabilitation reputation and many testimonies of compassionate, effective staff against documented risks of inconsistent hygiene, communication failures, and potential safety issues. When considering Excelcare at Wayne, visitors should inquire specifically about infection control practices, staffing ratios (especially at night and on weekends), discharge medication processes, and oversight measures to prevent neglect. Meeting therapy staff and nursing leadership, requesting recent inspection records, and asking how the facility addresses complaints and root causes of negative incidents may help determine whether a particular unit or timeframe aligns with the positive experiences many reviewers describe.
Conclusion: The reviews paint Excelcare at Wayne as a facility with significant strengths—especially in rehabilitation, therapy outcomes, and many genuinely compassionate staff—while also revealing worrying, recurring weaknesses in hygiene, communication, discharge coordination, and certain aspects of nursing care. The facility appears capable of delivering outstanding care and recovery for many residents, but inconsistent operational practices and occasional severe lapses mean that family oversight, direct questions about safety protocols, and careful selection (unit, shift, point-of-contact staff) are important to help ensure a positive experience.
