Overall sentiment: Reviews for LSS Kensington Place are largely positive but show a clear split between consistently praised elements (staff warmth, community activities, physical amenities) and recurring operational concerns (staffing levels, management consistency, and occasional declines in dining or services). Many reviewers describe a friendly, caring culture where staff know residents by name, activities are frequent and varied, and apartments are spacious and well-equipped. At the same time, several families reported real problems tied to inconsistent staffing, management communication, and service reliability that materially affected day-to-day care for some residents.
Care quality and staffing: A dominant theme is the high regard many reviewers have for individual staff — aides, nurses, and front-desk employees are frequently called caring, attentive, and professional. Multiple reviewers singled out excellent hands-on care and praised specific staff members for responsiveness and teamwork. However, a nearly equally frequent theme is understaffing: reviewers reported aide and nurse shortages, long wait times for assistance (reports up to 30 minutes), incomplete tasks (dishes not cleaned, laundry not put away, trash not removed), and periods with little or no management presence on weekends or evenings. The net effect described is that though staff are generally compassionate and skilled, insufficient staffing levels create inconsistent care and stress for residents and families.
Management and communication: Reviews show mixed experiences with leadership and administration. Some noted strong directors and communicative leadership who improved situations, while others described misleading information at move-in, poor follow-up on medical assessments, lack of clarity on deposits and care decisions, and gaps in weekend/evening management. These management issues are often cited alongside staffing problems and contribute to perceptions of unpredictability in service quality.
Facilities, layout, and location: Kensington Place repeatedly receives praise for its physical amenities: roomy apartments with good storage, well-appointed common areas (dining room, library, media/game rooms), a gym and therapy room, SeniorFit programming and personal trainers, and pleasant outdoor spaces including courtyards and walking paths. The building has some attractive architectural features (noted first-floor high ceilings, large closets), but reviewers also flagged the facility as older in places, with dated decor or stuffy hallways and some narrow corridors that can be awkward for wheelchairs. Location-wise, many reviewers appreciate proximity to Bexley, Gahanna, and multiple major medical centers, while others feel the surrounding neighborhood is undesirable or unsafe at night — so location impressions vary by reviewer expectations and personal experience.
Dining and housekeeping: Dining experiences are polarized. A substantial number of reviewers praise the food — describing restaurant-style dining, chef-prepared meals, varied menus and tasty breakfasts and dinners. Some even mention a well-regarded chef and positive meal presentation. Conversely, a noticeable portion of feedback reports a decline in meal quality (cheaper cuts of meat, processed or higher-sodium items, desserts not homemade) and instances of missed meals or staffing-related lapses (e.g., missed breakfast when a cook did not show). Housekeeping and laundry are generally reported as available and helpful (biweekly maid service plus self-laundry options), though some reviews cite inconsistent completion of housekeeping tasks.
Activities, social life and community: Kensington Place is frequently described as lively and social with many in-house programs — concerts, movie nights, bingo, arts and crafts, religious services, outings, and recurring fitness classes. Reviewers often highlight an engaged resident population and a family-like community atmosphere. Some concerns appear around program alignment for specific resident needs (for example, memory care families wanting more weekend activities or different programming) but the overall pattern is strong activity offerings and community engagement.
Memory care, clinical services and specialized needs: The community offers independent living, assisted living, and memory care, and many reviewers appreciate that continuum of care and the on-site nursing/therapy resources. That said, several reviewers noted that memory care capacity is limited and often full, which can delay placement. There are also specific concerns raised about accommodation for particular clinical needs (for example, ALS accommodations) and about inconsistencies in medical assessments or upfront decisions about care levels.
Value, affordability and consistency: Price and value are recurring issues. While some reviewers feel the community provides excellent value given the services and nonprofit status mentioned by some, others describe the pricing as steep and not always matching the delivered services (especially when amenities are reduced or staffing is thin). Multiple reviews highlight an inconsistent experience — aspects praised by many (cleanliness, food, staff) are contradicted by other reviewers who experienced lapses — leading to variable impressions of overall value.
Patterns and takeaways: The strongest positive patterns are the warmth and genuineness of staff, robust activity programming, attractive apartments and communal amenities, and convenient transportation and medical proximity. The main negative patterns are staffing shortages and resulting service delays, episodic declines in dining or housekeeping, management/communication shortcomings, and occasional issues with the building’s age or neighborhood safety at night. Prospective residents and families should weigh the consistent strengths (community, activities, space, many staff members praised) against the documented operational weaknesses. Important due diligence items include asking about current staffing ratios and weekend/evening management coverage, recent changes in dining or amenity offerings, memory care waitlist status, and specific accommodations for clinical needs. Scheduling multiple visits, observing mealtimes, and speaking directly with families of current residents can help clarify whether a particular unit or time frame reflects the broadly positive experiences or the reported inconsistencies.
