Essex Center

    81 Park St, Elizabethtown, NY, 12932
    3.3 · 79 reviews
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    2.0

    Excellent therapy but poor management

    I had a family member at this facility and the therapy and many floor nurses were terrific - compassionate, skilled, and got her walking again after surgery. That said, administration was disorganized and often unresponsive: poor communication, rushed/botched discharge planning, delayed or missing belongings, and billing/records delays. Worse, we experienced safety and care concerns - stolen meds, unprofessional/harassing and sometimes discriminatory staff, unsanitary conditions, inadequate meals, understaffing, and APS/state complaints. In short: excellent hands-on caregivers and rehab, but systemic management, cleanliness, security, and communication problems make me very cautious about recommending it.

    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

    3.25 · 79 reviews

    Overall rating

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

      2.6
    • Staff

      2.9
    • Meals

      2.0
    • Amenities

      2.3
    • Value

      3.3

    Pros

    • Caring and compassionate floor-level nursing and caregiving staff
    • Skilled and effective physical therapy (PT) and speech-language pathology (SLP) teams
    • Documented successful rehab outcomes (improved mobility, discharge home)
    • Several reports of attentive, kind, and individualized caregiving
    • Some administrators and front-desk staff described as prompt and efficient
    • Occasional quick resolution of initial issues by staff
    • Comfortable rooms and pleasant atmosphere reported by some residents
    • Positive experiences with discharge back home when coordinated well
    • Operator or certain staff sometimes easy to reach and responsive
    • Specific staff members repeatedly praised for exceptional care

    Cons

    • Allegations of abuse and neglect, including claims that contributed to death
    • Delayed, missed, or incorrect medication administration
    • Alleged alteration or delay of medical records and documentation issues
    • Reports of theft and missing belongings, including medications
    • Unsanitary conditions: soiled linens, filthy bathrooms, disgusting odors
    • Poor food quality and inadequate meals (cold or insufficient food)
    • Dehydration and undernourishment leading to hospital visits
    • Denied basic personal care (showers, timely diaper changes)
    • Understaffing and high staff turnover creating care shortfalls
    • Management focused on budget/ bottom line and disorganized administration
    • Poor communication and unresponsiveness from administration and phone lines
    • Racist, unprofessional, or abusive behavior by some staff members
    • State investigations, APS involvement, and formal complaints reported
    • Rushed, failed, or unsafe discharge planning and coordination
    • Delayed or missing shipment of residents' belongings
    • Safety risks and care lapses leading to ICU or hospital admissions
    • Inconsistent quality of care between floor staff and management oversight
    • Favoritism, nepotism, or uneven treatment reported
    • Harassment related to vaccination policies and other administrative disputes
    • Sleep disturbances caused by nighttime lighting, noise, or roommate issues
    • Marketing/ review integrity concerns (allegations of fake 5-star reviews)
    • Phone/voicemail malfunctions and long wait times to contact residents
    • Facility maintenance issues and run-down areas in contrast to nicer parts
    • Photoshopped or misleading marketing materials alleged by reviewers

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment about this facility is deeply polarized: reviews range from glowing accounts of exceptional rehabilitation and compassionate bedside care to severe allegations of abuse, neglect, theft, and systemic mismanagement. Many reviews applaud floor-level caregivers, therapists, and specific staff members who produced measurable improvements in residents’ function and wellbeing. Conversely, a substantial number of reviews raise serious safety, hygiene, and administrative concerns that have led families to file state complaints, involve Adult Protective Services, or seek legal action.

    Positive themes: numerous reviewers emphasize that physical therapy and speech-language services are strong points; multiple accounts credit PT/SLP teams with returning residents to independent function (for example, cases where a mother walked without a walker after rehab). Floor staff in several reports are described as kind, compassionate, and attentive—providing individualized attention and going above and beyond for some residents. In positive accounts, administrative staff are efficient, the facility is comfortable and welcoming, and discharge back home was handled smoothly. These positive experiences tend to highlight specific staff members by name and describe real, observable clinical improvements.

    Negative themes and patient-safety concerns: a large cluster of reviews describe serious problems. Allegations include abuse and neglect severe enough that reviewers claim it contributed to a resident's decline or death, reports of medication errors or missed meds, and accusations that medical records were delayed or altered. Multiple reviewers reported theft of belongings and medications, and others said residents were dehydrated, undernourished, or denied showers and timely diaper changes—some resulting in hospital or ICU admissions. Unsanitary environmental conditions are described repeatedly: soiled linens on the floor, filthy bathrooms, bad odors, and threadbare bedding. Food quality and adequacy are frequently criticized (cold oatmeal, sandwiches, or otherwise inedible meals), and some reviews describe sleep deprivation from bright lights left on at night and noisy roommates.

    Administrative, communication, and operational issues: many reviewers highlight poor communication and unresponsiveness from management—phone lines that go unanswered, voicemail problems, long call-backs, and difficulty getting information about residents. There are repeated references to understaffing and high turnover that seem to undercut otherwise capable floor staff. Several reviews allege favoritism or poor leadership practices and claim management prioritizes cost over care. Discharge planning is inconsistent: while some residents experienced well-coordinated returns home, others report rushed or failed discharges, missing or delayed shipment of personal belongings, and little help from discharge services. A few reviewers also allege harassment related to vaccination policy enforcement and recount racism and unprofessional conduct by staff.

    Patterns and contradictions: a clear pattern emerges where the same facility delivers both high-quality, compassionate care and alarming lapses—often within different units, different shifts, or under different supervisors. Positive reports tend to focus on the competence and dedication of direct care staff and therapy teams, while negative reports cluster around managerial oversight, systemic resource shortfalls, and safety/cleanliness failures. Several reviewers explicitly call out inconsistent quality: floor staff are praised, yet the facility overall is described as understaffed, dirty, or mismanaged. There are also claims that some highly positive online reviews are inauthentic, which further complicates an objective assessment.

    Implications and practical considerations: given the mix of strong rehabilitative outcomes and serious safety allegations, prospective residents and families should exercise caution and perform targeted due diligence. Key steps include reviewing the facility's most recent state inspection reports and complaint history, asking specifically about staffing ratios and weekend/night coverage, inquiring about medication administration protocols and auditing practices, touring the specific unit where a loved one would stay to observe cleanliness and routines, asking for references from current families, and clarifying discharge and belongings-handling procedures in writing. If safety concerns are suspected after admission, document incidents carefully, escalate to state regulators or APS as appropriate, and consider alternative placements promptly.

    In summary, this facility elicits strong praise for individual caregivers and rehabilitation services from many reviewers, but recurring and serious allegations about neglect, theft, hygiene, communication breakdowns, and management failures appear frequently enough to be concerning. The reviews indicate that quality may vary widely by unit, shift, or staff, making direct observation, verification of regulatory records, and ongoing vigilance essential for anyone considering this facility for a loved one.

    Location

    Map showing location of Essex Center

    About Essex Center

    Essex Center - Elizabethtown, NY, is a skilled nursing facility run by Centers Health Care, and it serves seniors and families needing nursing care, assisted living, memory care, and independent living, with a mix of other health and rehab services thrown in, which means you get access to Cardiac Care, COVID-19 Care, Dementia Care, Dialysis, HIV/AIDS services, hospice, long-term care, orthopedic support, pain management, pulmonary care, short-term rehab, stroke care, a TBI/Neurobehavioral Unit, Ultra-Care, ventilator services, and wound care, so there's pretty much something for a wide mix of health needs and you'll see plenty of medical staff like nurses and expert therapists using modern EMR and charting to talk with each other. There are trained staff and a RehabStrong™ program that focuses on individual plans and getting folks back to independence, plus there's physical, mental, and social programs, with adult day care, assisted living, residential care home support, and even rehab services for children and folks in opioid recovery. You'll find a tight-knit care team led by Kenny Rozenberg, with a mission that really seems about helping everybody get better and go home if possible, and with regular activities, a nutrition program, counseling, wellness offerings, and lots of amenities to help people stay active and connected. The building keeps a cozy and home-like setting, with plenty of comforts, a full calendar of events, a gallery of photos, and accommodation choices, and folks can see the map for location details or book a tour online if they're curious. Families can reach out during business hours and check published prices, ratings, and verified reviews-they even have a five-star CMS rating and an online payment option-and if you want to know about visitation, the place takes COVID-19 seriously, requiring testing, screening, PPE, and special policies to keep everybody safe. There's a strong sense of community, and they focus on family, friendship, and keeping everyone involved, and you'll find staff available around the clock to look after residents, whether it's for daily living help or more complex health needs, so all in all, Essex Center seems ready to support a pretty wide group of folks, with a lot of information on their website, local advisors, maps, and a Facebook page to help families stay in touch.

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