The reviews of The Ivy at Gastonia are highly polarized and present a mix of strong praise and serious, sometimes alarming complaints. Many families describe deep appreciation for compassionate nurses, CNAs, and therapy staff; they cite excellent physical therapy and short-term rehab outcomes, a small home-like atmosphere, friendly housekeeping, and a broad range of engaging activities (reading, karaoke, puzzles, crafts). Multiple reviewers singled out specific leaders and staff (e.g., Heather, Casey) and reported that administration was responsive and professional. In these accounts residents feel safe, loved, and well-cared-for, with clean rooms, tasty meals, security cameras, and attentive daily housekeeping. For many families The Ivy functioned as a rehab-focused facility that delivered good outcomes and a supportive environment for short stays or longer placements.
Contrasting sharply with the positive reports, a number of reviews describe severe care failures and alleged safety violations. These complaints include medication errors or medicines not administered on time, neglect such as diapers and sheets left unchanged, lack of bathing or hygiene, failure to turn immobile residents leading to bedsores, delayed responses to call lights, and inadequate assistance with feeding and toileting. Several reviewers described strong smells of urine or feces, pest problems (roaches), and maintenance issues such as outdated rooms and messy restrooms. There are also multiple, very serious allegations including a food-safety incident where a meal was reportedly served with feces exposed, accusations of administration hiding residents during visits, and reports of falsified records, guardianship abuse, and coercive insurance pressure to cancel private coverage in favor of Medicare. Importantly, some reviewers referenced a state investigation resulting in multiple citations and an Immediate Jeopardy finding and reported at least one resident death associated with care concerns.
A recurrent theme is inconsistency: many families report exceptional, dignified, and compassionate care, while others report neglect, unprofessional behavior, and even abuse. Staffing levels and staff quality appear to be a major driver of this inconsistency. Reports of chronic understaffing (for example very high patient-to-nurse ratios cited by one reviewer) coincide with accounts of long waits for restroom assistance, residents left soiled overnight, and inadequate monitoring after falls. Conversely, when staffing is adequate reviewers report attentive care, meaningful activities, and strong therapy outcomes. This suggests that performance may vary by shift, unit, or period of management change.
Dining and nutrition are similarly mixed: several reviewers praise the food and dietary staff responsiveness, while others report inappropriate meals for dietary needs, unheated or insufficient meals, or even the extreme food-safety allegation noted above. Laundry and possession handling also produced divergence — some reviewers applauded housekeeping while others reported lost or stolen clothes.
Management and administrative themes are likewise bifurcated. Many families praise visible, engaged leadership and an administration that listens to concerns and improves the facility; others describe poor communication, an unreachable Director of Nursing, unprofessional administrators, and allegations of deceptive practices or misrepresentation (including claims related to licensing and billing). Some reviews specifically praise improvements under new ownership or management; others call out legacy problems or serious regulatory issues tied to a prior name (one reviewer referenced a connection to a former facility name).
In summary, The Ivy at Gastonia elicits two very distinct narratives: one of a small, caring facility that delivers strong rehab therapy, compassionate nursing, clean rooms, meaningful activities, and responsive leadership; and one of a facility with significant lapses in basic nursing care, understaffing, hygiene and maintenance problems, billing or guardianship concerns, and alleged regulatory violations and resident harm. The most commonly and repeatedly praised elements are physical/rehab therapy, compassionate individual caregivers, cleanliness (in many reports), and resident activities. The most frequently and urgently noted problems are understaffing, medication/medical errors, neglect of hygiene and incontinence care, inconsistent staff performance, and multiple serious allegations that have attracted state scrutiny. Families evaluating this facility should weigh both sets of experiences carefully, request up-to-date state inspection and citation records, inquire specifically about staffing levels and training, and directly observe mealtimes, medication administration procedures, and activity engagement to assess whether the positive practices described by many reviewers are consistent and sustainable.
