Universal Healthcare/North Raleigh

    5201 Clarks Frks Dr, Raleigh, NC 27616
    • Assisted Living
    • Memory Care
    • Skilled Nursing
    2.8ยท100 reviews

    Excellent compassionate care and rehabilitation

    I'm very pleased with the care my family received - staff are consistently friendly, professional, and compassionate, and the rehab team (Z in particular) was outstanding in helping my brother improve. The facility is clean and homey with good activities and dining, staff are attentive and responsive, and I feel real peace of mind recommending this community.

    Loved one of resident
    Jul 2026

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    Amenities

    Healthcare services

    • Activities of daily living assistance
    • Assistance with bathing
    • Assistance with dressing
    • Assistance with transfers
    • Medication management
    • Mental wellness program

    Healthcare staffing

    • 12-16 hour nursing
    • 24-hour call system
    • 24-hour supervision

    Meals and dining

    • Diabetes diet
    • Meal preparation and service
    • Restaurant-style dining
    • Special dietary restrictions

    Room

    • Air-conditioning
    • Cable
    • Fully furnished
    • Housekeeping and linen services
    • Kitchenettes
    • Private bathrooms
    • Telephone
    • Wifi

    Transportation

    • Community operated transportation
    • Transportation arrangement
    • Transportation arrangement (non-medical)

    Common areas

    • Beauty salon
    • Computer center
    • Dining room
    • Fitness room
    • Gaming room
    • Garden
    • Outdoor space
    • Small library
    • Wellness center

    Community services

    • Concierge services
    • Fitness programs
    • Move-in coordination

    Activities

    • Community-sponsored activities
    • Planned day trips
    • Resident-run activities
    • Scheduled daily activities

    Reviews

    2.80ยท(100)

    Overall rating

    1. 5
    2. 4
    3. 3
    4. 2
    5. 1
    • Care

      2.2
    • Staff

      2.4
    • Meals

      2.0
    • Amenities

      3.7
    • Value

      1.0

    Pros

    • Strong rehabilitation services (physical, occupational, speech)
    • Compassionate and dedicated therapy staff
    • Friendly and helpful front-desk and reception staff
    • Engaging activities program and proactive activity director
    • Pleasant, well-maintained building and comfortable communal spaces
    • Supportive rehab teams that improve mobility and engagement
    • Prompt incident response when management is engaged
    • Positive interpersonal interactions between some caregivers and residents

    Cons

    • Chronic staffing shortages and high staff turnover
    • Long callโ€‘bell response times and insufficient directโ€‘care coverage
    • Inconsistent nursing oversight and supervisory gaps
    • Staff professionalism and conduct, including substanceโ€‘use issues
    • Weak controls over personal property and inventory
    • Medicationโ€‘management and billing/documentation inconsistencies
    • Poor family communication and limited clinical followโ€‘up procedures
    • Sanitation and cleanliness issues in rooms and some common areas
    • Unreliable meal timing and limited menu choices
    • Safetyโ€‘process weaknesses (transfer, fall prevention, oxygen management)
    • Management focus on census/finances with a culture of intimidation
    • Regulatory scrutiny and at least one allegation of serious misconduct

    Summary of reviews

    The reviews for this facility present a mixed but heavily polarized picture. Many families and visitors praise the rehabilitation program โ€” physical, occupational and speech therapy are repeatedly described as knowledgeable, effective and encouraging. Several reviewers also single out individual caregivers, therapists, the reception team and the activity director for compassionate, attentive interactions that produced measurable improvement in mobility, engagement and resident mood. The building and communal spaces are frequently described as pleasant and homey, and when leadership is engaged reviewers note prompt incident response and good coordination.

    Counterbalancing those positives are persistent operational concerns that cut across clinical, administrative and environmental domains. Staffing levels and turnover are recurring issues: reviewers describe insufficient aide coverage, frequent reliance on agency staff, and large patientโ€‘toโ€‘aide ratios that contribute to prolonged callโ€‘bell response times and gaps in basic assistance (feeding support, bathing schedules, toileting/incontinence care). Nursing oversight and supervisory coverage are described as inconsistent, with instances where the nurses' station is unattended and families experience poor clinical followโ€‘up or unclear medication guidance.

    Several reviews raise concerns about staff conduct and professionalism, including allegations of substanceโ€‘use behavior on shift and inappropriate workplace behavior; these matters have contributed to a perception of an unsafe or unprofessional work environment. There are also repeated complaints about misplaced or missing personal items and weak property controls, which has eroded family trust. Medication administration, billing practices (including oxygen charges) and certain documentation processes are described as inconsistent or opaque, prompting families to request clarification before admission.

    Dining and daily living operations show variability. Some reviewers describe helpful kitchen staff and acceptable meals, while others report late meal deliveries, limited menu choices and poor food quality. Activities programming receives consistent positive mentions when staffed and led, but staffing lapses on weekends or evenings have resulted in lower visibility and engagement at times. Environmental reports are mixed: many note a pleasant facility, yet sanitation and odor concerns in specific areas and delayed housekeeping have been raised.

    Management and leadership are central themes. Multiple reviewers express dissatisfaction with communication, a perceived emphasis on census over care, and a culture that can feel defensive or punitive when concerns are raised. There has been regulatory scrutiny and at least one allegation of serious misconduct, which families should review in public inspection records. Importantly, experiences appear highly inconsistent across units and shifts: some families describe meaningful improvement and reliable care, while others describe repeated operational failures that prompted relocation.

    For prospective residents and families: a targeted tour and specific questions are advisable. Ask about current staffing ratios, recent turnover rates, the facilityโ€™s policy for lost items, medication and billing transparency (including oxygen charges), how callโ€‘bell response times are measured and addressed, and how management responds to family concerns. Review state inspection reports and inquire about any corrective actions taken. Where possible, speak directly with therapy staff and dayโ€‘shift caregivers to verify rehab and dailyโ€‘care expectations. This facility demonstrates notable strengths in rehabilitation and certain staff relationships, but the operational inconsistencies and governance concerns identified in reviews warrant careful due diligence before making placement decisions.

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    Location

    Map showing location of Universal Healthcare/North Raleigh

    Universal Healthcare/North Raleigh is located at 5201 Clarks Frks Dr, Raleigh, NC, 27616.

    About Universal Healthcare/North Raleigh

    Universal Healthcare/North Raleigh sits near Route 1 and I-540 in North Raleigh, run since 2004 by Choice Health Management Services, and has a mix of care levels for people aged 55 and up, offering skilled nursing, assisted living, independent living, memory care, and long-term care. This place has 132 certified beds with about 98 residents on average and rooms in studio or one-bedroom layouts, both semi-private and private, along with a community fee, respite fee, buy-in fee, and different charges based on care needs, which can range from light help to heavier support, with staff offering standby help for those who are non-ambulatory and help for transfers from beds to wheelchairs. Staff stay on site all hours to respond in emergencies, watch blood sugar for diabetes, and give extra care for incontinence, though residents must manage their own supplies. The facility offers meals every day, so residents never worry about cooking, and has gym areas where therapists do both inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, with up to 2-3 hour therapy sessions seven days a week, all inside a gym with advanced therapy tools. Universal Healthcare/North Raleigh also features the LifeWorks Rehab Recovery Program, which gives people unique tools like the Recovery Map and a Personal Report Card to track how much therapy helps them get moving after surgery, illness, or injury. The team can help with pain management and stress in their Center for Stress and Pain Management, and you'll find indoor common areas for activities and space to move around, encouraging folks to socialize. There are devotional services but these happen offsite. Pharmacy services and medical supplies are available, and therapy staff, physicians, and nurses are all regular team members, not outside contractors. Universal Healthcare/North Raleigh has faced problems, which is important to know-it's been a Special Focus Facility because of ongoing quality concerns, they have twenty-four-hour staff but also higher nurse turnover than average at 63.5%, and state inspectors have found 109 deficiencies over time, including a major one for failing to manage infection control, plus other issues around nurse skills and competencies, so it's something to think about. The facility gets about 3.5 nurse hours per resident each day, a little under the state average, and has hospice services if needed along with respite and recovery care for surgeries and illnesses.

    People often ask...

    Universal Healthcare/North Raleigh offers assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing.

    The full address for this community is 5201 Clarks Frks Dr, Raleigh, NC 27616.

    No, Universal Healthcare/North Raleigh does not offer respite care. Respite care in assisted living communities provides temporary, short-term relief for primary caregivers by offering professional care for their loved ones. It allows individuals to stay in an assisted living community for a limited time, giving caregivers a break while ensuring residents receive necessary support and assistance with daily activities.

    Disclaimer

    Mirador Living is not affiliated with the owner or operator(s) of Universal Healthcare/North Raleigh. The information above has not been verified or approved by the owner or operator. For exact information, please contact Universal Healthcare/North Raleigh directly. There is no cost for this service. We are compensated by the community you select.

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