The reviews for Miss Bell’s Assisted Living of Garner present a mixed but detailed picture with a number of consistent positive themes alongside some serious and specific concerns. On the positive side, many families emphasize a small, home-like atmosphere where staff are friendly, helpful, and often provide individualized attention. Multiple reviewers mention a high level of care from specific caregivers and a top-rate nurse, with several long-term residents and families expressing satisfaction and gratitude for the care provided. The facility itself receives praise for being clean and pleasant-smelling, handicapped accessible, conveniently located for families, and offering a variety of meals and activities that many residents enjoy. Some reviewers explicitly recommend the community and say it offers good value; one family noted that a Place For Mom referral helped them find the facility.
However, alongside those positive reports are a number of substantial and potentially serious complaints that recur across different summaries. Several reviewers report a decline in care after an ownership change, and at least one family claims inadequate around-the-clock supervision. There are alarming allegations of mistreatment when family is not present, and one particularly severe report describes a relative who suffered a hip broken in two places requiring metal rods and who is now unable to walk or feed herself. Other safety and quality concerns include reports of overmedication to keep residents quiet, staff barely assisting with feeding, and improper or outdated supplies (for example, a thickener noted as being stored in a cabinet). Additional issues include missing personal belongings and unprofessional staff behavior (a staff member reportedly taking a test inside a resident’s room). Several reviewers also mention that the owner is not present full time, and at least one called the owner unprofessional.
These mixed impressions suggest variability in the resident experience that may depend on timing, staffing, and management. Multiple families explicitly praise individual staff members and the small-group, family-like environment—those aspects appear to be consistent strengths for many residents. At the same time, other families describe lapses in basic care and safety that are significant and actionable: feeding assistance problems, possible overmedication, medication/supply management issues, and incidents leading to serious injury. The contrast between high praise (friendly staff, responsive communication, good activities and meals) and severe criticism (neglect, injury, missing items, unprofessional conduct) points to inconsistent implementation of care practices.
For prospective families, the reviews suggest several practical takeaways: (1) visit multiple times and at different times of day to observe staffing and interactions when family members aren’t present; (2) ask directly about staff-to-resident ratios, night coverage, and owner/management presence; (3) inquire about medication management policies and how feeding assistance is provided, especially if a loved one has swallowing or mobility issues; (4) request documentation of any recent ownership or management changes and how those transitions were handled; and (5) clarify procedures for tracking personal belongings and staff professional conduct. Overall, Miss Bell’s appears to offer a genuinely home-like environment with many caring staff and satisfied families, but there are credible, serious complaints that warrant careful questioning and close observation before placement.
