Overall sentiment in these reviews is highly mixed and polarized. Many reviewers report excellent experiences, praising hands-on care, outstanding therapy, abundant activities, pleasant grounds, and attentive nurses. At the same time, a substantial number of reviews describe serious problems: understaffing, poor communication, inconsistent caregiving, cleanliness issues, and troubling incidents of neglect. This creates a split picture where the same facility receives both glowing endorsements and urgent warnings from different families.
Care quality and therapy: Therapy services (physical and occupational) are consistently singled out for strong, even phenomenal, performance. Several reviewers described meaningful progress and gratitude for the therapists and doctors involved. However, the quality of daily nursing and aide care is inconsistent. Many families report warm, attentive nurses who check residents frequently and form relationships; others report long response times to call buttons, aides leaving residents unattended, and refusals to provide care after falls. There are also specific serious clinical concerns described, such as suspected premature discharges from rehab, subsequent deterioration, ambulance trips, pneumonia and fever, and worries about discharge decisions. These conflicting reports suggest that while clinical rehabilitation teams may be strong, nursing coverage and continuity of basic care can vary and may be vulnerable during staffing shortages or transitions.
Staff, communication, and management: Reviews repeatedly praise individual staff members for compassion, professionalism, patience, and dedication. Yet a recurrent theme is variability in staff performance and organization. Many families describe excellent, accommodating staff and managers who interact positively; others describe disorganized staff, poor communication, socializing during shifts, and administrators or management being unavailable when concerns arise. Understaffing and overwork emerge as root causes in multiple negative reports, correlating with long call response times, slow problem resolution, and a sense that some staff are stretched too thin. A few reviews reference a change in administration that coincided with declines in cleanliness and responsiveness, which suggests management transitions may have impacted service consistency.
Facilities and cleanliness: Several reviewers praise the facility’s clean, well-maintained interior and beautiful outdoor space, including gardens, wooded areas, and paved paths suitable for walks. Amenities such as a game room, banquet room, shuttle, and full cable in rooms were noted favorably. However, other reviews note older-building issues: narrow hallways, shared rooms and bathrooms, and ongoing renovation work such as flooring updates. Cleanliness is described inconsistently: while many state the facility is very clean and well-kept, a number of accounts report urine odors in hallways, general uncleanliness under newer administration, and an uneasy feeling about sanitation. These divergent observations indicate that cleanliness and upkeep may be uneven across units or over time.
Dining and nutrition: Dining impressions are mixed. Some reviewers praise meal choices—especially dinner—and describe dining areas as clean, with meals delivered when necessary. Others strongly criticize the food quality, calling it inedible or not comparable to home-cooked meals. During COVID outbreaks many residents were confined to rooms with meals delivered, and reviewers felt that the situation impacted residents’ nutrition and social engagement. A few comments suggest a desire for more dietician involvement or menu improvements. The variability suggests that while the facility offers meal services and choices, consistency and palatability may be problematic for some residents.
Activities, amenities, and social life: Activity programming is a clear strength according to many reviewers. Frequent and varied offerings were noted, such as bingo, music nights, exercise classes, holiday events, and outdoor activities. Residents and families appreciate the social opportunities, snacks, and game involvement by staff. COVID-related restrictions temporarily halted activities in some cases, which reviewers noted had a negative impact on morale. Amenities like shuttle service, game rooms, banquet facilities, and pleasant common areas were highlighted as positive contributors to resident quality of life.
Safety, infection control, and COVID impact: Several reviewers mention COVID outbreaks that led to visiting restrictions, isolation, cessation of activities, and meals served in rooms. While some reviewers appreciated strict protocols and social distancing measures, others noted extended isolation and interruptions to rehabilitation and social programming. Infection control and safe discharge practices are a recurring concern: accounts of residents becoming weaker after rehab, hospitalizations for pneumonia, and questions about discharge readiness underline the importance of transparent discharge planning and close follow-up.
Operational concerns and recommendations for prospective families: Common operational complaints include admission and room availability delays, weekend service delays, inconsistencies between therapy and social work coordination, transport limitations and occasional charges, and occasional poor responsiveness from administration. Given the polarized reviews, prospective residents and families should perform targeted due diligence: schedule visits during mealtimes and activities, ask about current staffing levels and recent administrative changes, request examples of staffing ratios and call response times, inquire about rehab discharge policies and hospital follow-up, review recent state inspection reports, and clarify transport and extra-charge policies. Ask specifically about cleanliness protocols and recent or ongoing renovations, and meet with therapy and social work staff to understand coordination of care.
In summary, Elderwood Assisted Living at Cheektowaga receives both strong praise and serious criticisms. Its clear strengths are therapy services, active programming, pleasant grounds, and many individual staff members who demonstrate compassion and professionalism. Its weaknesses center on inconsistent day-to-day nursing care, communication and management variability, occasional cleanliness and food quality issues, and operational gaps that sometimes translate into safety or discharge concerns. The facility can offer excellent care and quality of life for many residents, but the variance in experiences means families should investigate current conditions, staffing stability, and recent administrative changes before committing.
