Overall sentiment in the reviews is deeply mixed and polarized: a noticeable number of reviewers praise Haywood House for its small, memory-care–focused environment and for individual staff members who are described as kind, compassionate, and attentive. Those positive comments emphasize that the facility’s size allows staff to know residents well, that some families experience good communication, and that the dining room and certain activities are pleasant. Several reviewers explicitly recommend visiting or taking a tour, and multiple comments from current/past employees or residents highlight loving, caring staff and a homelike atmosphere.
Counterbalancing that, there are numerous and serious negative reports that raise significant safety and quality-of-care concerns. Multiple reviewers describe recurrent falls, serious injuries requiring hospitalization (including broken bones and brain injury), and extreme weight loss and dehydration. There are specific allegations of medication mismanagement (examples include medications being administered only once per day rather than as prescribed), absent or insufficient nursing oversight, and medical errors. Some reviews state that CNAs or med aides were relied upon in lieu of round-the-clock nursing, and in several accounts residents were left unattended during meals or other critical times — reportedly resulting in starvation or dehydration that required emergency care.
Facility condition and maintenance emerge as recurring issues in the negative reviews. Problems cited include a mattress removed and replaced with a soiled foam pad and box springs (with staff unable to explain), laundry failures (lost clothes, dirty laundry areas), flooding on an upper floor, urine stains, and other maintenance or sanitation lapses. Reviewers also describe an environment they characterize as "creepy" or unsafe, with residents wandering into others’ rooms and personal items going missing. Such physical deficiencies were supported by at least one mention that the facility had been cited for regulatory deficiencies.
Management and administrative concerns are a strong theme. Several reviewers accuse management of poor communication, being nonresponsive to refund requests or complaints, and even dishonest or misleading behavior to regulators. There are allegations that family advocates or staff who raised concerns were terminated, that unpaid vacation time was not honored, and that the facility may have misrepresented practices to state authorities. These governance issues contribute to a trust gap for many families and appear to have prompted some to move residents elsewhere.
Staffing and culture are described in highly conflicting terms. On one hand, many individual staff members receive high praise for compassion and personal care. On the other hand, systemic staffing shortages, high turnover, and reliance on lower-credentialed staff (med aides/CNAs) without sufficient nursing oversight are repeatedly mentioned. Reports of rude behavior, verbal or mental abuse, and inadequate supervision of aggressive residents are present alongside testimonials about "amazing" or "loving" caregivers, indicating wide variation in team performance and possibly inconsistent supervision or training.
Dining and activities also show divergent experiences. Several reviewers praise the dining room and food, and note that activities are encouraged. Others report no activities, little or no outdoor time, or dining rooms left unstaffed resulting in residents not being fed. This variability reinforces the overall pattern: experiences at Haywood House appear highly inconsistent, with some residents thriving under attentive staff while others suffer from neglect or inadequate care.
Taken together, the reviews reveal a facility with real strengths — a small, memory-care–focused setting and many caring employees — but also with serious, recurring failures in clinical oversight, safety, maintenance, and management responsiveness. The frequency and severity of negative reports (falls, hospitalizations, weight loss, medication errors, sanitation problems, lost belongings, and alleged administrative misconduct) are significant and should not be ignored. For families considering Haywood House, it would be prudent to: review recent state inspection/citation reports; ask detailed questions about nursing coverage, medication administration policies, staffing ratios, and supervision of high-risk residents; request to see current incident logs and staffing schedules; verify laundry and maintenance procedures; and conduct multiple unannounced visits at different times of day to observe care and supervision. Those with residents currently at Haywood House should monitor weight, wounds, medication administration, and communication closely and escalate concerns to state regulators or legal counsel when warranted.
