Overall sentiment in the reviews for Swannanoa Valley Health and Rehabilitation is strongly mixed, with a sharp divide between accounts praising individual staff and clean, well-run aspects of the facility and accounts describing serious lapses in care, supervision, and management. Many reviewers highlight individual caregivers—particularly CNAs—who are compassionate, hardworking, and willing to go the extra mile, and several families report feeling peace of mind, good organization, private rooms, pet visits, and pleasant meals. At the same time, a substantial portion of reviews describe systemic problems: chronic understaffing, frequent staff turnover, poor communication from administration, and multiple reports of neglect or unsafe care.
Care quality and clinical responsiveness are central themes. Positive reviews describe competent, family-like care and effective rehab for some residents. Negative reviews, however, raise multiple specific concerns: residents reportedly left on the floor after falls, delays getting medical attention, mobile x-ray units not dispatched promptly, ER transfers for conditions (blood clots) after ineffective rehab, a hip X-ray and UTI testing that were not carried out, and reports of resident starvation or missed meals. There are also accounts of basic hygiene failures — bedding not changed, bathing skipped or inappropriately done in sinks, toileting assistance not provided, and occurrences of bed sores — all of which point to gaps in day-to-day caregiving when staffing levels or supervision fall short.
Staffing, supervision, and workplace environment emerge as another consistent pattern. Many reviews praise particular staff members as dedicated and compassionate, while simultaneously criticizing management for high turnover and inconsistent nursing coverage that prevents families from forming relationships with caregivers. Understaffing is directly linked in several reviews to missed alarms, unattended falls, and delayed care. Some reviewers allege staff theft or losing residents’ personal items (walkers, hearing aids), and others report poor staff hygiene or COVID-related protocol breaches (staff working while sick, inadequate PPE changes), which raised infection-control and safety concerns when outbreaks occurred.
Facility conditions, dining, and activities receive mixed feedback. Several reviewers laud the facility for cleanliness, lack of odors, an organized environment, ample activities, and a skilled chef producing good meals. Conversely, other reviews report episodes of poor cleanliness (e.g., soiled diapers on floors), the kitchen running out of food, and significant meal omissions. Physical issues like outdated beds and furniture are also mentioned. The presence of private rooms and pet visits were singled out positively.
Management, communication, and administrative practices are frequently criticized. Reviews describe name/operation changes that caused confusion, a lack of social workers or care-plan meetings, poor or absent communication with families, and administrators making reassuring promises that are not followed by action. Several families reported no one in charge or no one providing explanations after incidents, and some indicated an intent to file quality-of-care complaints. These governance and communication failures amplify clinical and staffing issues, making otherwise resolvable problems harder to correct.
In summary, the reviews paint a polarized picture. There are clear strengths: a number of devoted caregivers, reports of cleanliness and organization, pet-friendly policies, and satisfactory rehab/meals for some residents. However, the volume and severity of negative reports — understaffing, neglectful incidents (including falls left unattended), failures in basic hygiene and medical response, inconsistent staffing, alleged theft, and poor management/communication — are substantial and recurring. Prospective residents and families should weigh both sets of experiences: verify current staffing levels, ask about infection control and incident reporting practices, confirm how the facility handles medical testing and emergencies, inquire about social work and care-plan meetings, and try to speak directly with front-line staff and families currently using the facility to get a real-time sense of conditions before making placement decisions.
