Overall assessment The reviews present a strongly mixed picture of White Oak Manor Kings Mountain. A substantial number of reviews describe warm, compassionate care, clean and updated surroundings, active social programming, good therapy and reliable meal service. These accounts often single out individual staff members (CNAs, nurses, administrators, social workers) as professional, communicative, and caring, and note that residents are engaged, make friends, and receive attentive therapy and nourishment. At the same time, many reviews describe serious and recurring problems: inconsistent care quality across shifts and units, safety and sanitation concerns, lost laundry, and reports of neglect for some residents. The overall sentiment is polarized — some families would highly recommend the facility while others advise avoiding it — indicating significant variability in resident experience depending on unit, staff on duty, and family involvement.
Care quality and clinical concerns Positive reviews emphasize appropriate medication assessment, effective therapy, weight gain and functional improvement for some residents, and responsive nursing/administrative communication when things go well. However, several concerning clinical issues appear repeatedly in the negative reviews: allegations of dehydration and malnutrition, pressure sores and bruising, failure to feed or hydrate residents properly, and delays in hospice involvement for terminal residents. There are also specific medication-related concerns (including a reported risk for serotonin syndrome), which point to inconsistent medication management or oversight in some cases. Multiple reviewers noted improvement after arranging home care, suggesting gaps in the facility’s ability to provide consistent medical and personal care for more vulnerable residents.
Staffing, professionalism, and communication Staff are a central theme, but reviews conflict. Many reviewers praise individual CNAs, nurses, therapists, and administrators — calling them exceptional, kind, and communicative. Several reviewers felt the facility employed more staff than regional averages and that family members were called proactively when issues arose. Conversely, a large portion of reviews complain about understaffing, overworked and underpaid employees, poor staff training (especially for dementia care), unprofessional behavior (including ignoring calls, hanging up on families, refusing to share information, and alleged threats), and administration perceived as unresponsive or profit-driven. These divergent reports suggest staffing and professionalism may vary widely by shift, unit (e.g., memory care vs general skilled nursing), and individual employees. Families also reported that minimal care is provided unless a family member is present and attentive.
Memory care and dementia-specific concerns Multiple reviewers described the memory care unit in strongly negative terms ("prison-like"), citing poorly trained and overworked staff, limited daytime supervision concerns, and insufficient dementia-specific care. Other reviews noted that the memory care unit is kept pretty clean, has activities and daytime supervision, and encourages socialization; thus, experiences again appear inconsistent. Families with dementia patients reported specific neglect such as skipped baths and incontinence-related sanitation issues (urine pooling), which are serious red flags for dementia care safety and dignity.
Safety, incidents, and infection control Safety concerns are prominent: reports include fall risks (unsecured or leaning wheelchairs), staff running with beds, and at least one report of reckless driving by a facility driver with identifying vehicle information. Infection control and COVID-19 surfaced repeatedly — several reviews mention COVID-related deaths, alleged exposure by staff, perceived lax enforcement of safety measures, and inadequate follow-up with families after a resident’s death. These entries amplify concerns about systemic safety and oversight failures for some periods or units.
Laundry, belongings, and financial issues Loss of laundry and personal clothing is a frequently mentioned complaint; reviewers say clothes and blankets went missing and families received no reimbursement. Some reviews also allege financial pressure on families or requests for money, which contributed to distrust of management practices among certain reviewers.
Facilities, amenities, dining, and activities On the positive side, the physical plant is often described as clean, updated, and comfortable: larger rooms, good-sized beds, and a generally pleasant appearance. Dining receives praise in many accounts — three meals a day described as delicious in positive reviews — and activities are plentiful enough that many residents are engaged and invited to join. The presence of a resident cat (‘Tiger’) is mentioned as contributing to a welcoming atmosphere. These strengths are repeatedly cited by families who endorse the facility.
Patterns, variability, and recommendations The dominant pattern across reviews is high variability. The same facility is praised as "the best" by some families and criticized for neglect and poor management by others. This suggests that quality of experience depends heavily on which unit or staff are involved, the timing of care (weekdays vs weekends, day vs night), and the degree of family involvement. For prospective families: verify current staffing levels and turnover, ask specifically about dementia training and supervision if memory care is needed, request written policies on laundry and lost items reimbursement, inquire about incident and infection-control logs, and visit multiple times at different hours to assess consistency. For families already using the facility: document concerns in writing, escalate to administration and state regulators if needed, keep a log of missed care events, and consider supplemental home health oversight if you observe clinical decline.
Bottom line White Oak Manor Kings Mountain shows clear strengths in facility condition, certain staff members, therapy services, dining, and recreational programming, which lead many families to recommend it. However, persistent and serious negative reports — including neglect, inconsistent nursing care, safety lapses, laundry losses, poor communication, COVID-related issues, and alleged administrative defensiveness — mean that experiences vary widely and some residents may be at risk. Families should weigh the positive testimonials against the documented negative patterns, perform thorough, repeated visits, and maintain active oversight if choosing this facility.
