Van Rensselaer Manor

    85 Bloomingrove Dr, Troy, NY, 12180
    3.6 · 32 reviews
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousCurrent/former resident
    3.0

    Good care but management fails

    I've lived here for 16 years and my experience is mixed. The grounds, rehab/PT/OT, cleanliness and many nurses and aides are outstanding-caring, quick, and attentive-so residents often feel safe and well cared for. But management problems, chronic understaffing, occasional neglect/overmedication, rude or bullying staff, and misleading website info have made recent years chaotic; residents deserve better.

    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

    3.56 · 32 reviews

    Overall rating

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

      4.0
    • Staff

      3.7
    • Meals

      3.8
    • Amenities

      4.0
    • Value

      3.6

    Pros

    • Many caring, friendly, and attentive staff and aides
    • Strong rehabilitation services (large PT/OT room)
    • Comprehensive on-site services (dental, podiatry, hairdressing)
    • Clean, bright, and well-maintained facility and grounds
    • Comfortable, homey atmosphere and well-sized rooms (private and double)
    • Security presence and general sense of resident safety reported by some
    • Active social programming (exercise, birthday/holiday events, occasional outings)
    • Beautiful dining room and on-site meals available
    • Quick responses to questions/concerns and accommodating staff
    • Capacity for hospice and oxygen-equipped rooms
    • Long-term residents reporting continuity of good care
    • Specific standout staff and wings noted for exceptional care

    Cons

    • Chronic understaffing and high resident-to-staff ratios
    • Inconsistent quality of care — wide variation between staff members
    • Reports of neglect (left in wet sheets, poor personal care) and infection concerns
    • Allegations of rude, abusive, or bullying staff and tolerated toxic behavior
    • Management and leadership problems, including poor oversight
    • Overmedication concerns for some residents
    • Occasional cleanliness and maintenance issues reported by some reviewers
    • Food quality mixed; some residents not happy with meals
    • Safety concerns including potential bed mix-ups and procedural lapses
    • Disruptive routines (example: very early group lunch at ~10:00)
    • Unorganized or inaccurate public information (misleading website)
    • Chaotic periods reported, with some describing the facility as 'worst place'

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment about Van Rensselaer Manor is mixed but leans toward cautiously positive when staff and facility strengths are present, and strongly negative when operational problems surface. Many reviews emphasize genuinely caring, friendly, and dedicated staff members and aides who provide attentive, compassionate care; several reviewers explicitly praised specific wings and individual employees for "rock star" treatment. The facility's rehabilitation services are repeatedly mentioned as a strength — reviewers note a large, well-equipped PT/OT room and effective rehab care. On-site ancillary services such as dental, podiatry, and hairdressing, plus hospice capability and oxygen-equipped rooms, contribute to a perception of comprehensive clinical and supportive offerings. The physical environment receives positive comments too: clean, bright, well-maintained interiors, beautiful outside grounds, a pleasant dining room, and comfortable, homey rooms (both private and double) are called out by numerous residents and families.

    However, a dominant and recurring issue across many summaries is understaffing and variability in staff performance. Multiple reviewers describe high resident-to-staff ratios, short staffing, and slow or inadequate personal care during busy periods. This understaffing is linked by some writers to neglectful incidents (being left in wet sheets, perceived infection risk, inadequate assistance at meals) and to general frustration. While many staff are praised as caring and professional, others are described as rude, abusive, or bullying — with at least one reviewer naming a CNA and alleging tolerated toxic behavior. This sharp divergence in staff quality seems to drive polarized experiences: families that encountered dedicated teams report peace of mind and long-term satisfaction, while others describe chaotic periods and say management did not adequately address problems.

    Management and operational concerns appear frequently enough to be notable. Several reviewers complain about leadership, claiming poor oversight, inaccurate or misleading public information (such as website inaccuracies), and a work environment that allows poor staff behavior to persist. These management problems exacerbate the impact of understaffing: where leadership handles issues proactively, reviewers report excellent care; where it does not, reviewers report neglect, overmedication concerns, and safety lapses such as worries about bed mix-ups. The presence of both glowing and severely negative accounts suggests inconsistency across shifts, floors, or time periods rather than a uniformly good or bad institution.

    Dining and activities receive mixed feedback. The facility offers exercise programs, birthday and holiday events, and occasional outings to plays or musicals — these social opportunities are appreciated by many families. Some reviewers found the food satisfactory or good, while others were "not thrilled" or said dining assistance at lunch was necessary. One operational detail that drew criticism was an early group lunch around 10:00 a.m. that some found disruptive. Overall, social programming exists and benefits residents, but mealtime quality and scheduling may need attention for some families.

    Cleanliness and safety are mostly praised but with exceptions. Several reviews call the facility "spotless" and "immaculate," note a lack of unpleasant odors, and appreciate the security presence. Contrasting reviews claim dirty conditions, infection risk, and personal neglect. These conflicting observations again highlight inconsistency: many residents experience a clean, safe environment, while a subset report troubling lapses.

    In summary, Van Rensselaer Manor presents as a well-equipped, generally pleasant facility with strong rehabilitation services and numerous on-site supports, run in a physical environment many find clean and homey. The primary weaknesses are operational: persistent understaffing, uneven staff behavior, and leadership/management issues that allow care quality to fluctuate. Prospective residents and families will likely find excellent care depending on unit and staff assignments, but should inquire specifically about staffing levels, management responsiveness, safety protocols, and recent quality reports. Addressing staffing ratios, standardizing training and oversight, improving consistency of care, and refining dining schedules would likely convert more of the positive infrastructure and dedicated employees into uniformly good outcomes for all residents.

    Location

    Map showing location of Van Rensselaer Manor

    About Van Rensselaer Manor

    Van Rensselaer Manor sits on a 20-acre campus in North Greenbush, a bit outside Troy, and the place is run by Rensselaer County as a County Nursing and Rehab facility, so it's got 362 beds since it was built in 1996, and the focus is on long-term care and short-term rehabilitation for people who need it, whether that's because someone's recovering from surgery, needs skilled nursing, or has something ongoing that needs extra support. They provide physical, occupational, recreational, and speech therapies-folks can get help moving around better, speaking, or just keeping active, and there's even special units for Alzheimer's and dementia care if memory's a concern, which feels important these days.

    They have doctors and nurses with experience in Family Medicine and General Medical Practice, so it's not hard to get basic medical care, plus there's an onsite pharmacy to make sure people can get medicines without leaving the building. They've arranged for telehealth services too, so it's possible to get certain visits virtually, and they listen to people's time constraints by offering appointments outside of regular business hours, which is helpful for families who work during the day. There's free onsite parking if anyone drives in, and the place seems structured to help residents and visitors both.

    A big part of what Van Rensselaer Manor does is rehabilitation, both physical and occupational, with separate services for speech therapy, so whether it's getting strength back after an illness or help with daily tasks, it's all set up on-campus. The Manor takes extra steps with emergency management, working with the New York State Department of Health, and puts thought into disaster planning too, which includes pandemic plans and an evacuation plan. While they're open to all, they do give a preference for Rensselaer County residents, and the admissions team carefully reviews applications using a PDF form you can get online. Not every insurance plan is accepted, so it's best to check before applying since they can't take some like MVP, GHI, or Wellcare.

    Van Rensselaer Manor runs several programs related to employment, rehabilitation, and volunteer opportunities, has a Facebook page, and keeps things straightforward when it comes to rules and services. The place is designed for both people who are moving in for the long haul and those just there for a short rehabilitation. Overall, the Manor aims for steady, reliable care on a broad campus, focusing on plain needs like safety, therapy, and clear routines for residents and their circles.

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