Teresian House Center for the Elderly

    200 Washington Ave Ext, Albany, NY, 12203
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    4.0

    Compassionate care with some concerns

    My mother lived here for 2½ years and I had peace of mind: the staff were overwhelmingly friendly, professional and compassionate, the building and rooms were spotless, meals and therapy were excellent, and the chapel, activities and private rooms made her comfortable in her final years. Check-in and safety measures (facial-recognition kiosk, COVID screening) were seamless and staff teamwork/24-7 care impressed me. That said, I witnessed occasional understaffing, management/consistency issues, some communication/language problems and a few isolated lapses in care, so I recommend it but with eyes open.

    Pricing

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    Amenities

    Healthcare services

    • Activities of daily living assistance
    • Assistance with bathing
    • Assistance with dressing
    • Assistance with transfers
    • Medication management
    • Mental wellness program

    Healthcare staffing

    • 12-16 hour nursing
    • 24-hour call system
    • 24-hour supervision

    Meals and dining

    • Diabetes diet
    • Meal preparation and service
    • Restaurant-style dining
    • Special dietary restrictions

    Room

    • Air-conditioning
    • Cable
    • Fully furnished
    • Housekeeping and linen services
    • Kitchenettes
    • Private bathrooms
    • Telephone
    • Wifi

    Transportation

    • Community operated transportation
    • Transportation arrangement
    • Transportation arrangement (non-medical)

    Common areas

    • Beauty salon
    • Computer center
    • Dining room
    • Fitness room
    • Gaming room
    • Garden
    • Outdoor space
    • Small library
    • Wellness center

    Community services

    • Concierge services
    • Fitness programs
    • Move-in coordination

    Activities

    • Community-sponsored activities
    • Planned day trips
    • Resident-run activities
    • Scheduled daily activities

    4.70 · 218 reviews

    Overall rating

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

      4.4
    • Staff

      4.6
    • Meals

      4.1
    • Amenities

      4.4
    • Value

      1.0

    Pros

    • Attentive, caring and compassionate staff
    • Highly praised nursing and medical care by many reviewers
    • Excellent physical, occupational, and speech therapy services
    • Clean, well-maintained and immaculate facility
    • Beautiful grounds, gardens, gazebo and outdoor seating
    • On-site chapel and regular spiritual/faith life integration
    • Varied and plentiful dining options with several positive reports
    • Large, bright private rooms with private bathrooms
    • Spacious common areas and multiple sitting/game rooms
    • Robust activity program (bingo, music hour, dancing, therapy animals)
    • Secure, efficient visitor check-in system (facial recognition/kiosks)
    • Specialized rehab gym and therapy equipment
    • 24/7 care and consistent staff presence for many residents
    • Friendly and helpful front-desk/concierge staff
    • Positive end-of-life and dementia symptom relief reported by families
    • Nutrition-aware meals and frequent praise of dining staff
    • Fast, punctual transport and wheelchair assistance
    • Numerous accounts of residents being happy, engaged, and content
    • Faith-filled, comforting atmosphere often described as ‘homey’
    • Multiple reports of staff going above and beyond for residents
    • Well-organized COVID screening and infection-control protocols
    • Plentiful social opportunities and peer connections during meals
    • Impressive amenities (large TVs, fish tank room, Capital Lounge, gift shop)
    • Consistent positive first impressions on tours and admissions
    • Training and development opportunities for staff (CNA training)

    Cons

    • Reported understaffing, especially low CNA counts and one nurse per floor
    • Inconsistent care quality across different shifts or units
    • Serious safety/medical incidents reported by some families (falls, medication/oxygen issues, missed diagnoses)
    • Management and administration criticized as money-driven or poorly responsive
    • Turnover of leadership/nurse managers causing instability
    • Mixed reports about memory care engagement and outcomes
    • Allegations of staff cruelty or unprofessional behavior in isolated cases
    • Rodent/mice sightings reported in some reviews
    • Perception of decline in quality since earlier nuns-led era
    • High out-of-pocket costs and poor Medicaid flexibility cited
    • Some reports of weight loss and poor follow-up with families
    • A minority described prison-like or institutional atmosphere
    • Occasional dining complaints and uneven meal quality
    • Reports of COVID-era neglect in isolated accounts
    • Claims of racism, language barriers, or discrimination made by some reviewers
    • Admissions experiences described as uncompassionate or money-focused by some
    • Instances of urine/odors reported in specific units
    • Overworked staff leading to timeliness and responsiveness issues
    • Conflicting impressions of housekeeping in a few reports
    • Some reviewers advise caution and closer oversight for loved ones

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment and key themes: Overall, the review corpus for Teresian House Center for the Elderly skews strongly positive: the dominant and most frequently repeated themes are caring, attentive staff; a clean, attractive facility; strong rehabilitation services; and a rich schedule of social and spiritual activities. Many reviewers explicitly describe the staff as compassionate, professional, warm, and responsive. The facility’s religious identity (Carmelite/Catholic tradition, on-site chapel, regular Mass) and faith-based approach to whole-person care are consistently noted as important positives. Families commonly report feelings of relief and gratitude, citing peace of mind from knowing loved ones are safe, comfortable, and engaged. The admissions and visitor experience is frequently described as seamless and efficient, with facial-recognition kiosks, friendly receptionists, and consistent COVID screening protocols.

    Care quality and clinical services: Multiple reviewers praise the quality of medical and therapy services: excellent physical, occupational, and speech therapists; an extra-large rehab gym with specialized equipment; and many accounts of meaningful rehabilitation progress. Several families reported excellent end-of-life care and symptom management for dementia, while others highlighted attentive nursing and medication management that improved residents’ comfort. These positive clinical reports are numerous and contribute substantially to the facility’s strong reputation for rehabilitative and long-term care.

    However, the reviews also contain serious, isolated allegations of unsafe or negligent care. Specific concerning incidents reported by some families include missed or delayed diagnoses, a turned-off oxygen source, a missed bowel blockage, falls, and inconsistent response to medical needs. These negative accounts are less numerous than the positive ones but are severe in nature; they reflect variability in clinical performance across shifts or units and justify that prospective families ask direct questions about safety protocols, incident reporting, staffing levels, and follow-up procedures.

    Staffing, culture, and administration: The majority of reviews emphasize warm, helpful, and professional staff at all levels — nursing, CNAs, dietary, front desk, and social work. Multiple people singled out individual staff members for exceptional care and communication. Training and employee engagement are also noted positively (CNA classes, praised instructors), and many reviewers say employees appear happy and proud of their work.

    At the same time, reviewer patterns point to recurring concerns around staffing adequacy and administrative responsiveness. Understaffing is mentioned repeatedly (low CNA ratios, only one nurse on a floor at times), producing perceptions that staff are overworked and that timeliness and attention can suffer. Several reviewers cite recent management turnover, criticism of the administration as financially focused, and decreased oversight compared with an earlier era when the facility was more directly run by nuns. These themes together suggest a mixed picture where strong frontline caregivers can be hampered by operational challenges and leadership instability.

    Facilities, amenities, and cleanliness: Teresian House is consistently praised for its physical environment: a well-maintained, bright, and cheerful interior; attractive outdoor gardens and benches; a gazebo for family events; multiple sunrooms, dining rooms, and social spaces; and amenities such as a large fish tank room, gift shop, and “Capital Lounge.” Private rooms with private baths, large TVs, and plentiful natural light are repeatedly highlighted. Cleanliness is a recurring positive in many reviews, with multiple statements about immaculate halls, spotless rooms, and no hospital smells. COVID protocols and infection-control measures are frequently commended.

    There are, however, isolated reports that contradict the predominant cleanliness theme: a few reviewers reported urine odors in specific units and sightings of mice/rodents. These comments appear sporadic but are important to note as potential red flags about housekeeping consistency or pest control in particular areas.

    Dining and activities: Dining receives largely positive feedback: reviewers praise varied menus, nutrition-based meals, special items (stuffed peppers, ice cream desserts), and an attentive dining staff. The social nature of meals — forming friendships and social connections — is emphasized as a key quality-of-life benefit. The activity program is broad and well-regarded: bingo, music hours, dancing, pet/therapy animal visits (dogs and even pigs), therapeutic activities, and spiritual programming. Therapy and recreational offerings are frequently cited as reasons residents remain engaged and content.

    Memory care and social engagement: Reviews about memory care are mixed. Several families report that residents in memory care are engaged, visited regularly, and enjoy programs. Others describe concerning patterns: weight loss, perceived lack of engagement, poor follow-up from staff, and a sense that residents were treated like “numbers.” These divergences suggest variability in experiences for residents with cognitive impairment and indicate that families should ask specific, unit-level questions about programming, staff ratios, and family outreach if memory care is needed.

    Costs, access and fairness: Some reviewers criticize financial and administrative practices, describing high out-of-pocket requirements, poor Medicaid flexibility, and admissions staff who seemed focused on money over compassion. These comments appear alongside praise for individual admissions staff who were welcoming and helpful, indicating a mixed experience depending on who the family interacts with and the resident’s payer status.

    Patterns, recommendations, and final assessment: Taken together, the dominant impression is that Teresian House is a well-maintained, well-staffed facility in many respects, with standout strengths in compassionate frontline caregiving, therapy/rehabilitation services, a rich activity and spiritual life, and an attractive physical environment. These strengths are repeatedly corroborated across dozens of reviews. Nevertheless, there are important and recurring concerns: understaffing on certain shifts or floors, administrative/management criticisms and turnover, occasional serious safety/medical incident reports, and mixed experiences in memory care. A small number of reviews raise hygiene or pest-control issues and allege discriminatory or unprofessional behavior.

    For prospective residents and families: the reviews indicate many families have excellent experiences and would strongly recommend Teresian House. To make an informed decision, visitors should (a) tour the specific unit(s) under consideration, (b) ask about current staffing ratios (CNAs and licensed nurses per shift), (c) request information on incident rates and how the facility addresses and communicates adverse events, (d) inquire about memory-care programming and family outreach practices, (e) confirm payer options and any Medicaid policies, and (f) ask what pest-control and housekeeping protocols are in place. Doing so will help emphasize the facility’s many strengths while ensuring any local or episodic weaknesses are understood and mitigated.

    Location

    Map showing location of Teresian House Center for the Elderly

    About Teresian House Center for the Elderly

    Teresian House Center for the Elderly sits at 200 Washington Ave Ext, Albany, NY 12203, right in Westmere, NY, and serves as a faith-based senior living community that's sponsored by the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese and cared for by the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, and you'll find the staff trying every day to be friendly, helpful, joyful, and kind to everyone who walks in. The place offers independent living, assisted living, memory care, long-term care, skilled nursing, and even home care services, so folks can get companionship, non-medical care, or more advanced help if they need it, and they keep trained staff like licensed nurses, certified nurse aides, and support staff available 24 hours a day, which helps people feel safe. For residents with Alzheimer's or dementia, they have specialized housing and therapies to cut down on confusion and wandering, while a focus on mutual respect and trust can be felt in the way they go about everyday living and care.

    Private rooms come with small dining and kitchen areas so folks can feel more at home, and meals are cooked by chefs and meal planners who put a lot of thought into quality and taste, as part of the Teresian 5-Star Quality program that gets them recognition for meals, care, activities, and friendliness-plus they've got resort-quality meals and some nice extras as part of their wellness programs. Social activities, programs, and amenities intend to keep residents active and engaged, and the place tries to keep everything the right mix of elegant and comfortable, which a lot of people enjoy. When it comes to medical care, they offer skilled nursing, 24-hour nursing, rehabilitation such as speech, physical, and occupational therapy, and have a clinic area for visiting specialists like podiatrists, dentists, optometrists, and audiologists. In-house physicians are available for both physical and mental care.

    You'll find advanced rehabilitation services and help for people recovering from illness or surgery, and they've got sub-acute rehabilitation and respite care too. Transportation and staff accompaniment to medical appointments is provided for those who need it, and they work with Medicare and Medicaid so residents can get the care that fits their finances, with staff in admissions and the front desk ready to help with questions and resources about long-term care, family caregiving, and Long-term Care Insurance. The Avila Retirement Community is part of their offerings too. The atmosphere aims for mutual respect, trust, and a focus on enriching residents in all parts of life, with hospitality, food services, and programs to support both physical and spiritual well-being. The facility has a rating of 3.6 based on 28 reviews and holds a CMS Care Compare 5-Star Rating. Overall, Teresian House tries to provide a broad range of care, along with well-maintained surroundings and commitment to the elderly community.

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