Overall sentiment across the reviews is mixed but leans positive: many families and residents praise Navion of New Bern for its welcoming atmosphere, engaged staff, clean and updated facility, and a robust activities program. A substantial number of reviewers describe the staff as compassionate, attentive, and like family; they highlight strong staff-resident interactions, frequent check-ins, and assistance that helped residents become more engaged and happier. The physical environment receives frequent compliments — recent updates such as new carpet and furniture, bright dining areas, a well-kept courtyard, and generally clean common spaces contribute to a pleasant, home-like setting. Many reviewers report peace of mind, good transitions into the community, and meaningful social opportunities (bingo, live music, cards, exercise classes, holiday events) that improve residents’ moods and engagement.
Care quality and staffing produce a bifurcated picture. Numerous reviews describe excellent, high-quality care, with helpful clinical staff, an energetic administrative team, and individualized attention. Families often cite clear communication, willingness to collaborate, and staff who go above and beyond. Conversely, a notable subset of reviews raise serious concerns about staffing levels, turnover, and inconsistent staff performance. Reports of unfilled positions, reduced worker hours, difficulty contacting staff, and slow response times to assistance calls indicate operational strain in some periods. These staffing challenges are cited as affecting the consistency of care and engagement in activities for some residents. Reviewers should be aware that experiences appear variable and may depend on staffing at a given time or specific personnel on duty.
Housekeeping and cleanliness are likewise mixed. Many reviewers praise the general cleanliness of the facility, well-kept rooms and common areas, and an attractive interior. However, other reviewers report inconsistent room cleaning, bathrooms not being thoroughly cleaned, and alarming claims such as towels being used to mop floors without resident permission. These discrepancies suggest uneven housekeeping performance: while the community overall appears maintained, individual unit-level cleanliness may vary and should be checked during a tour or move-in inspection.
Dining receives both positive and negative remarks. Several reviewers describe good to excellent meals, three cooked meals a day, variety on the menu, and a pleasant dining experience. At the same time, multiple reviewers report limited meal options, prepackaged or processed food, and unappetizing offerings. Additionally, some families note extra charges for pharmacy services and room meals, and there are concerns that the actual food quality and menu variety can be inconsistent. Prospective residents should confirm current dining menus, sample meals if possible, and review any additional meal-related fees.
Activities and social life are frequently cited strengths. The community offers a large activities calendar with many daytime and evening events, including music programs, holiday parties, games, outings, and exercise classes. Reviewers commonly say residents make friends, laugh, and participate in regular social engagement. Some families, however, felt staff emphasized socialization over activity variety or that activities were not as engaging as advertised when staffing was limited — another indication that programming can be influenced by personnel levels.
Management, policy, and safety issues appear as important recurring themes. While some reviewers praise the administrative team and energetic executive director, others report management problems ranging from unprofessional behavior by leadership to employee-relations issues (reports of unfair write-ups and mass staff departures). Serious safety and policy concerns raised in a few reviews include allegations of medication theft by staff, missing DNR instructions, a reported leg injury, and policies that allow vaping or alcohol in resident rooms and children in kitchen areas. These are high-priority items for families to verify directly with management: ask about medication handling procedures, incident reporting, staff background checks, supervision of visitors, and the community’s policies on vaping, alcohol, and kitchen access.
Cost, transparency, and availability also vary. Several reviewers note that Navion of New Bern is on the higher-cost end with extra charges for some services, while at least one reviewer praised a one-set-price structure. Some families experienced unexpected fees for pharmacy services or meals in-room. Availability of furnished or single-occupancy rooms was limited according to some reviews, which created privacy or fit concerns for certain families.
In summary, Navion of New Bern is consistently praised for its caring and engaged staff (in many instances), attractive and updated facilities, and active social programming that benefits resident wellbeing. However, there are significant and recurring concerns about staffing stability, management practices, inconsistent housekeeping, mixed dining quality, and several serious safety/policy allegations reported by a minority of reviewers. Because experiences appear to be variable, prospective residents and families should conduct thorough tours, interview management about staffing and safety policies, review current menus and billing practices, inspect unit-level cleanliness, and ask for references or recent family contacts. Those steps will help verify whether the community’s strengths align with your priorities and to identify any operational issues that may impact quality of care.
