Overall sentiment across the reviews is mixed but centers on a clear pattern: the staff and activities at Truewood by Merrill, New Bern are frequently praised, while administrative, dining, and maintenance areas show significant inconsistency. A large number of reviewers emphasize that direct-care staff — caregivers, aides, memory care teams, and activities directors — are compassionate, personable, and deeply engaged with residents. Multiple mentions single out memory care staff and specific activities directors for dramatically improving residents' moods and engagement. Residents and families often describe a family-like atmosphere, attentive daily check-ins, broad activity options (game nights, music, bus outings, recreation rooms, pool tables, shuffleboard, exercise classes), and many social opportunities that contribute to resident well-being.
Facilities and grounds are repeatedly described positively: attractive common areas, a grand piano, fireplace, lovely gardens, gazebo, and well-kept outdoor walking paths. Apartments vary in size and finish — many reviewers are pleased with one- and two-bedroom units that include kitchen areas and private bathrooms. Several accounts note useful features like single-floor layouts, easy walking paths, and pet-friendly services (dog walking). Housekeeping, scheduled room cleaning, delivered laundry, and on-site transportation are commonly cited as valuable conveniences offered by the community.
Dining is a major point of polarization. Numerous reviews applaud the presence of a real chef, fresh foods, salad bars, good breakfast offerings, and multiple meal choices with some residents calling the food excellent. Conversely, an almost equal number of reviews report serious problems: meals served in Styrofoam boxes, undercooked or burned entrees, soggy vegetables, overly salty food linked to blood pressure issues, fewer meal options, self-serve transitions, and declining meal service standards under newer management. Reports of messy meal delivery and specific incidents (e.g., gravy on cake, boxed dinners instead of table service) indicate an inconsistent dining experience that varies by timeframe and perhaps by unit.
Management, administration, and pricing are recurring areas of concern. Several reviewers describe a deterioration in services after ownership or management changes — citing reduced services, increased rents, surprise fees, hidden charges, and a feeling that certain resident amenities were removed or downgraded. Communication problems with admin (long delays returning calls, canceled meetings, hard-to-reach management) and apparent policy reversals contribute to family frustration. Positive reviews do exist about responsive management and helpful admissions staff, but the frequency of negative anecdotes suggests uneven performance depending on timing or turnover.
Maintenance, cleanliness, and safety show a bifurcated picture. Some residents praise quick maintenance responses and well-kept buildings; others report slow, uncompleted maintenance requests, structural issues (ceiling leaks from sprinkler work), creaky doors, unstable toilets, and wardrobe/cabinet deterioration. More serious accounts describe pest infestations (roaches), mold, storm-related flooding, laundry problems, and even theft of medications. Clinical and safety concerns include delayed detection of falls, medication schedule discrepancies, emergency-room visits tied to high-sodium meals, and isolated reports of disrespectful or neglectful behavior. These serious incidents are relatively less common in volume than praise of staff, but they are high-impact and repeatedly mentioned enough to be noteworthy.
Activities and social life are typically strong selling points: an engaged activities director, regular outings, diverse programming (crafts, bingo, music, dancing, movie nights, card games), and accessible spaces for socializing. That said, some reviewers note limited offerings in certain units (bingo and crafts only, small celebration rooms) or a lack of lively options for more mobile residents. Memory care programs are repeatedly described as a strength, with staff and programming making a noticeable positive difference for many residents.
Value and overall recommendation are mixed. Many families say Truewood represents good value relative to other local options, citing included utilities, support services, and a safe environment. Others feel the community has become overpriced given recent service reductions and increased fees. Frequently recommended reasons include compassionate direct-care staff, active programming, attractive grounds, and the convenience of support services; cautionary notes focus on verifying current food service, staffing levels, maintenance responsiveness, pest control, billing transparency, and recent management changes.
In summary, the strongest and most consistent positive theme is the quality and compassion of front-line staff and the vitality of the activities program; the most frequent and serious negatives relate to dining quality, administrative/management instability (fees and communication), and episodic maintenance, cleanliness, and safety problems. Prospective residents and families should prioritize an in-person tour, ask targeted questions about recent management changes, current food service operations, pest-control and maintenance response timelines, staffing ratios (especially in assisted and memory care), billing policies, and examples of how the community responded to prior complaints. These targeted checks will help determine whether the highly praised elements (staff engagement, activities, grounds) are present and whether the reported problem areas have been addressed.
