Overall sentiment across the reviews is mixed but points strongly to a facility whose greatest strength is its staff and rehabilitation services, while its biggest vulnerabilities are physical plant condition, inconsistent management/communication, and safety/quality-control issues. Many reviewers emphasize compassionate, attentive care from nurses, CNAs, therapists, and administrators — in particular several comments single out an Administrator named Izzy as proactive, approachable, and hands-on. Multiple accounts describe a family-like, homelike atmosphere where staff go above and beyond, communicate well with families, and focus on resident dignity and recovery. Rehabilitation and therapy are frequently praised; some reviewers report excellent therapy outcomes, with claims that over 90% of residents return to the community and many people saying the facility helped them “get back on their feet.” When things go well, reviewers describe clean, organized spaces, nutritious meals, engaging programming (recreation, cookouts), and high overall satisfaction.
Despite these positive patterns, a substantial portion of reviews raise concrete and recurring concerns about the facility’s physical condition and operational reliability. Several reviewers report an old or falling-apart building, rotting furniture, dated/staged photos, strong odors, and pest sightings (mice and water bugs). Plumbing and utility problems are cited more than once — clogged toilets, lack of hot water, and denied basic requests such as water — and reviewers also note broken equipment (non-working beds) and shortages of supplies. These sorts of infrastructure complaints contrast sharply with other reviewers who call the facility well-maintained; the contrast suggests uneven maintenance or differences in which wings/rooms were seen by different families.
Management and communication emerge as another polarizing theme. Many families praise an involved, accessible administration that listens and quickly fulfills requests; other reviewers report unresponsiveness, rude conduct, slow phone responses, attempted Medicaid cancellation without family consultation, procedural check-in problems, and poor transparency about major health events. The most serious allegations include delayed notification of a resident’s deteriorating condition and even a death, as well as accusations of negligent care. There are also isolated but serious safety concerns: a described CNA push incident, denial of water to a resident, and an allegation of staff theft. These reports indicate variability in staff performance and oversight, and they raise red flags about consistent enforcement of policies and resident safety.
Dining, activities, and therapy show mixed but specific patterns: multiple reviews praise nutritious, good food and comprehensive programming, while other reviewers report repetitive dinner menus (e.g., the same tuna/cole slaw/potato salad nightly), dented canned food, and effectively no activities. Some families describe active social programming and one-on-one attention from staff; others say the facility is too small to support robust programming or lacks a dedicated PT/OT space. This again points to inconsistency — some residents experience meaningful engagement and effective rehab, while others see limited stimulation and inadequate spaces for therapy.
In summary, University Center appears to deliver strong person-centered care and effective rehabilitation for many residents, anchored by compassionate staff and, in several accounts, a highly involved administrator. At the same time, there are repeated and serious complaints about the facility’s physical state, maintenance, supplies, safety incidents, and inconsistent management/communication. The pattern suggests a place where individual staff and specific teams often excel, but systemic issues (aging infrastructure, uneven oversight, and occasional lapses in communication or safety protocols) can create markedly different experiences for different families.
For prospective residents and families: prioritize an in-person tour that inspects rooms and common areas, asks directly about pest control, maintenance schedules, and recent renovations, and verifies hot water, plumbing, and equipment condition. Ask for specifics on staffing ratios, incident reporting procedures, how administration communicates serious health changes to families, and whether there is a dedicated space for PT/OT. Request recent menus and activity calendars and, if possible, speak with current residents or families about both day-to-day care and how the facility handled any past incidents. The reviews indicate that University Center can provide excellent, compassionate rehab and nursing care, but also that outcomes and experiences can vary substantially depending on unit, timing, and oversight.
