Overall impression The reviews for TerraBella Fayetteville are strongly polarized. A substantial number of reviewers praise the staff, the memory care programming, and the homelike environment; these reviewers emphasize compassionate caregivers, frequent checks, consistent hygiene assistance, supportive transition services, and enjoyable social elements such as religious/choir activities. Conversely, an important subset of reviews describes serious safety, management, staffing, and cleanliness concerns: missing personal items, falls, alleged neglect and abuse, poor communication, and administrative indifference. This split suggests that resident experience can vary considerably by unit, shift, or individual caregiver teams.
Care quality and safety Memory care earns some of the most positive comments, with multiple reviewers calling it 'fantastic' or 'top-tier' and praising staff who specialize in dementia care. Reported positives include routine and medication adherence improvements, frequent checks (one reviewer cited 15-minute checks), effective engagement in daily routines, and a safe, fenced outdoor area for supervised wandering. However, other reviewers report the opposite: no designated memory care director, observed neglect, unsupervised wandering, misplaced mobility equipment (walker), lost personal items (glasses, clothes), multiple falls with alleged lack of fall-prevention measures, and families not being notified about falls or pain. There are also anecdotal incidents with high acuity consequences — for example, a medtech calling an ambulance and hospice coordination being arranged — that some families felt were handled poorly. These safety-related reports are among the most serious concerns raised and point to inconsistent application of safeguards and protocols.
Staffing, training, and culture Staff receive widely divergent assessments. Many reviews celebrate compassionate, devoted, and engaged staff who go above and beyond, and several individuals are singled out for praise (Rhonda Murphy, Marcio, CC, Donna). Families report that staff keep them informed and create a warm, family-like environment. At the same time, multiple reviews cite undertrained hourly workers, low caregiver pay (reported as low as $8/hour in one account), poor morale, insufficient staffing levels, problematic night shifts, and a mandatory training policy that reviewers call ineffective or a 'joke.' These operational factors contribute to reports of delayed responses to requests, inconsistent care, and in some accounts, unsafe conditions. The presence of both strong teams and poorly functioning shifts or units is a consistent pattern.
Facilities and amenities Many reviewers find the facility pleasant: clean rooms, well-kept grounds, a one-floor layout with separate wings, apartment-style living, a quaint dining area, and an on-site salon available multiple times a week. Residents and families often comment that the atmosphere feels warm and not institutional. Conversely, some visitors report serious cleanliness lapses — a persistent urine smell in areas, urine observed on furniture or floors, and a generally 'raggedy' appearance in select parts of the building. This again highlights inconsistencies: some residents live in clearly well-maintained spaces, while others encounter unacceptable hygiene issues.
Dining, activities, and social life Food receives mixed but generally positive mention: several reviewers liked the meals. Organized activities are available, particularly religious and choir programs that some residents enjoy and attend regularly. However, there are complaints about limited non-religious programming and insufficient variety in activities. Some families feel the social and activity schedule is sparse beyond faith-based events. Where staff are engaged, residents report enhanced social connection and meaningful daily routine, but in other cases the limited activities contribute to boredom or a poor fit for some residents.
Management, communication, and operations Management and administration receive repeated criticism from multiple reviewers. Common concerns include lack of proactive communication, unhelpful or patronizing executive leadership, slow or poor responses to problems (for example, laundry miscommunication and items lost), and abrupt management changes or rent increases that create financial stress. Some reviewers explicitly state the leadership appears to prioritize occupancy over resident care. A few families counter that management has been proactive in alerting them and helpful during transitions, indicating uneven performance over time or across leadership teams.
Patterns and red flags to consider The dominant pattern across reviews is variability. Many families and staff describe TerraBella Fayetteville as a warm, caring, and well-run place, particularly for memory care residents, while another significant group reports neglect, safety events, poor cleanliness, and managerial indifference. Specific operational red flags recurred: lost personal items (including walker and glasses), inconsistent laundry service, falls with inadequate fall-prevention or family notification, alleged staff mistreatment, and complaints about low pay and training. These recurring issues suggest systemic problems in staffing, training, and leadership that can materially affect resident safety and family trust.
Guidance for prospective families Because experiences vary so widely, prospective families should: 1) tour at different times (day, evening, night) and ask to see the memory care unit and staffing levels on each shift; 2) ask specifically about memory care leadership, fall-prevention protocols, supervision and wandering safeguards, and incident notification policies; 3) inquire about laundry and lost-item policies and track records; 4) request references from current families and ask about night shift performance and staff turnover; and 5) discuss training, pay and staffing ratios with management, and ask for recent inspection or quality reports. If possible, visit during an activity period to assess programming variety and resident engagement.
Bottom line TerraBella Fayetteville can offer strong, compassionate memory care and a homelike environment for many residents, but there are repeated and serious complaints about inconsistent care, safety incidents, cleanliness, and management. The facility may be an excellent fit depending on unit, staff team and shift, but the frequency and severity of negative reports mean families should perform careful, targeted due diligence before placement.
