Pricing ranges from
    $5,041 – 6,553/month

    Camellia Gardens Assisted Living

    5010 S Alston Ave, Durham, NC, 27713
    2.2 · 14 reviews
    • Assisted living
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    1.0

    Unclean Unsafe Facility Unprofessional Staff

    I stayed/visited here and was very disappointed. Staff were often unprofessional, unresponsive or absent (no front desk after hours), residents weren't checked on, and I witnessed staff smoking near patients. The building is poorly maintained, smells like urine, restrooms aren't cleaned and there were bugs; outdoor areas and access felt unsafe. Visitors were hassled or locked out and visits must be scheduled; there are virtually no activities so residents sit idle. A few staff were kind and helpful, but overall it's not worth the money and I would not recommend.

    Pricing

    $5,041+/moSemi-privateAssisted Living
    $6,049+/mo1 BedroomAssisted Living
    $6,553+/moStudioAssisted Living

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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

    2.21 · 14 reviews

    Overall rating

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

      1.2
    • Staff

      1.9
    • Meals

      2.2
    • Amenities

      2.2
    • Value

      2.5

    Pros

    • Some staff are responsive, helpful, and attentive
    • Several reviewers described staff as loving, kind, and professional
    • At least one positive interaction with a staff member named MR
    • Staff accommodated budget and resident needs in some cases
    • Some rooms are sizable and include a full bath and closet
    • Some reviewers found the facility clean and organized

    Cons

    • Unprofessional staff behavior reported
    • Staff often do not check on residents or provide on-site assistance
    • Management issues and inconsistent policies
    • Visitors hassled, sometimes locked out or told they are trespassing
    • Visiting hours require scheduling and no after-hours admissions
    • Front desk often unmanned and long waits for assistance
    • Restrooms reportedly not cleaned and facility smells of urine
    • Bugs observed in the facility
    • No resident activities; residents reported idle
    • Poorly maintained building and outdoor areas
    • Safety concerns for wheelchair users and unsafe building access
    • Staff seen smoking near residents and staff in breakrooms while occupied
    • Inconsistent staff response; some ignored visitors or were unavailable
    • Reports of an ER visit/overnight stay and general health/emergency concerns
    • Overall many reviewers would not recommend or were disappointed

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment across the review summaries is mixed but leans negative due to recurring operational, cleanliness, safety, and activity-related concerns. Multiple reviewers report systemic problems (unprofessional staff, management issues, and a poorly maintained facility), while a minority describe positive, compassionate interactions with individual staff members and acceptable room accommodations. The pattern suggests variability in experiences that may be linked to inconsistent staffing, management practices, or shift-to-shift differences.

    Care quality and staff interactions: Reviews show a wide split. Several reviewers praised particular employees as responsive, helpful, loving, and professional, and noted that staff accommodated budgetary needs and questions. Positive specifics include sizable rooms with full baths and pleasant, attentive interactions with named staff (MR). However, a larger cluster of complaints centers on unprofessional behavior, staff failing to check on residents, ignoring calls for assistance, long waits, and instances where staff were unavailable (no front desk, staff in breakroom, or outside smoking near patients). There are also reports of poor on-site assistance and an ER visit/overnight stay that raise concerns about emergency responsiveness. The overall picture is one of inconsistent care: some residents and families experience good, attentive staff, while others encounter neglectful or unresponsive behavior.

    Facilities, cleanliness, and maintenance: Multiple summaries point to significant deficiencies in building maintenance and cleanliness. Complaints include restrooms not being cleaned, a persistent smell described as dry urine, and bugs in the facility. Outdoor areas are noted as not maintained. At least some reviewers described the facility as clean and organized, but negative comments about smell, pests, and unclean restrooms were frequent enough to indicate a recurring problem. Poor maintenance also extends to access and safety elements of the building, contributing to an uninviting environment for residents and visiting family.

    Safety, access, and visitor policies: Safety and access emerged as important concerns. Reviewers report visitors being hassled, locked out, or told they were trespassing, and that visiting requires scheduling with no staff available after hours to admit guests. There are specific notes about unsafe building access and a mention of safety concerns for a wheelchair user, which implies accessibility issues. The absence of a staffed front desk and long waits for assistance exacerbate these problems. These patterns suggest that security and visitor-management policies may be overly restrictive or inconsistently applied, and that staffing levels or procedures for admitting visitors and monitoring residents after hours are inadequate.

    Activities and social engagement: A clear, repeated criticism is the lack of resident activities. Several reviewers state that residents are idle with no organized programs, which impacts quality of life and engagement. This absence of programming, combined with reports that staff do not regularly check on residents, paints a picture of limited daily stimulation and supervision for residents.

    Management and consistency: Many of the negative themes converge on management and operational inconsistency. Reports of visitors being locked out, scheduling requirements for visits, no front desk coverage, staff smoking near residents, and staff being unavailable point to gaps in supervision and enforcement of policies. The coexistence of glowing staff descriptions with severe criticisms of professionalism and responsiveness suggests turnover, uneven training, or inconsistent leadership oversight.

    Notable positives and the overall impression: Despite sizable negative feedback, there are concrete positives: some staff are described as compassionate and professional, rooms with full baths and closets were appreciated, and a subset of reviewers called the facility amazing and would return. These contrasts indicate that positive experiences are possible, likely depending on staffing at particular times or interactions with specific employees.

    Conclusion and implications: The reviews indicate an assisted living location with notable variability. Key issues to address are cleanliness and pest control, consistent staffing and supervision (including front desk and after-hours coverage), clear and consistently applied visitor policies, resident engagement through activities, and accessibility/safety for mobility-impaired residents. While individual staff members receive strong praise, systemic operational and management problems appear to cause many negative experiences. Prospective residents and families should weigh the inconsistency reported by reviewers and, if considering this facility, meet staff across shifts, verify cleaning and activity schedules, ask about after-hours access and emergency procedures, and confirm accessibility for specific mobility needs.

    Location

    Map showing location of Camellia Gardens Assisted Living

    About Camellia Gardens Assisted Living

    Camellia Gardens Assisted Living sits over at 5010 S. Alston Avenue in Durham, NC, and you'll notice right away the place has a warm, friendly feel, with people coming and going, staff always around to help out, and residents free to join all sorts of activities from devotional gatherings and outings to things happening right there onsite, be that in the library, the garden, or inside one of the common rooms where folks tend to spend time together. The professional staff works around the clock, handling all kinds of needs, making sure people get help with things like bathing, dressing, and medication management, and they've got services for those who need diabetic, incontinence, or even non-ambulatory care, plus they keep a robust 24-hour call system so residents and their families never have to worry about getting ahold of someone when help is needed. There's a real focus here on supporting seniors who want to keep as much independence as they can, with private apartments available in studio, semi-private, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom layouts, and all meals are served three times a day, either indoors or outdoors depending on the weather, always purposefully nutritious to suit various needs. Camellia Gardens covers different types of care, including assisted living, memory care for those with Alzheimer's or other memory issues, independent and continuing care, and respite if someone just needs short-term help, and they're able to help folks who need a bit more nursing support for 12 to 16 hours a day or even all day if required, plus they help with vital signs, transfers from bed to wheelchair, and individualized health care plans. You'll find amenities like a beauty salon, fitness room, library, and scheduled transportation so it isn't hard to get to shopping, doctor visits, or community events, and they've set up lots of activities meant to keep people social and moving, along with a mix of resident-led clubs and events the staff puts together. For comfort, there's laundry and housekeeping, and a garden available for some quiet or a bit of fresh air, and the place is open for scheduled tours, with a map available if someone wants to come by and look around. Room options suit both couples and singles, and there are different fee setups depending on what level of care is needed, with payment handled privately, through insurance, Social Security, or veteran's benefits, depending on the situation. Camellia Gardens has a solid community reputation, shown by their verified status through Seniorly, and while it scores a 5.5 in their ratings, many families seem to value the strong community feeling, active schedule, and staff who try their best to treat every resident with care and respect. The location helps, too, being close to places like CVS and Duke Health Center, and it's aimed at adults 55 and older who want comfort, care, and some extra help, whether for a short time or to settle in for the long term.

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