Overall impression: Reviews of Avamere at Sandy are strongly weighted toward highly positive experiences, with frequent praise for the quality of care, the compassion of staff, and the cleanliness and amenities of the facility. Many families describe a warm, family-like environment in which staff form long-term relationships with residents; multiple reviewers explicitly named caregivers and leaders (for example Angela Davis, Maddie, and nurse Kaliann) and credited them with providing compassionate, consistent care. Several long-term family accounts (residencies of multiple years) indicate satisfaction and peace of mind, and multiple reviewers explicitly recommend the community for both care and employment.
Care quality and staff: The dominant theme across reviews is that staff are caring, respectful, knowledgeable, and willing to go above and beyond. Memory-care services (Arbor) receive repeated positive mention: reviewers say staff understand dementia-related behaviors, help keep residents comfortable and busy, and respond to hallucinations and other symptoms with appropriate care. Hospice was also described as loving and respectful. Reviewers praise caregivers for attentiveness, patience, advocacy for residents, and strong communication in many cases. Several reviewers noted specific staff who provided exceptional support and continuity, underscoring a perception of stability and strong resident-staff relationships.
Facilities and amenities: Avamere at Sandy is widely described as clean, renovated, and well-maintained, with tasteful decor and a welcoming atmosphere. The campus features a range of amenities that reviewers appreciated: a beauty parlor, routine nail care, coffee and ice cream/snack bars, TV/common rooms, terrace/patio areas, and washers/dryers on each floor. Building features such as elevators, handwashing sinks, and a well-lit environment were noted as positives for accessibility and infection control. Room options include studios and one- and two-bedroom units, and sample rooms and tours are available. The dining experience receives consistent praise: reviewers mention nourishing, well-planned meals (including vegetarian options), two dining areas, and attentive dining service; some families report weight gain and satisfaction with the cook and menu planning.
Activities and community life: Reviewers frequently mention an active calendar of events — happy hours, luncheons, music, themed department events, scavenger hunts, and family-oriented open houses. These activities and special events contribute to a lively, social community feel. Administrators and activity staff are credited with planning engaging events that residents enjoy, and families reported positive impressions from open houses and community celebrations.
Management, communication, and variability in experience: While many reviewers praise responsive administration and helpful staff who keep families informed, there is a notable cluster of negative reports relating to management, communication, and staffing practices. Specific serious concerns include allegations that management failed to notify families of COVID cases in the building, reports of short-staffing or illegal understaffing, and criticisms of HR/hiring procedures (including claims about inadequate background checks or training). Some reviewers described rude or unprofessional behavior from management or the business office. These criticisms stand in contrast to many positive accounts and suggest variability in experiences depending on timing, unit, or staff on duty. Because of this mixed feedback, prospective residents and families should confirm current staffing levels, infection control policies, hiring and training procedures, and channels for escalation during a visit.
Safety and fit considerations: Many reviewers emphasized safety features and fall prevention awareness, and the memory-care unit is repeatedly recommended. However, some families found the facility or room configuration not to be a good fit — examples include small room sizes, roommate arrangements that were undesirable for some residents, and concerns that a visually impaired resident might become disoriented. Cost was called out as relatively expensive by at least one reviewer. Additionally, the presence of both strong endorsements and serious allegations (short-staffing, mistreatment, discrimination) suggests that quality and safety perceptions may vary across shifts, units, or time periods.
Patterns and final recommendation: The most frequent and consistent strengths are the compassionate, long-tenured staff, strong memory-care services, clean renovated spaces, robust amenities, and enjoyable dining and activities. The main recurring risks are inconsistent management/communication and staffing concerns raised by a minority of reviewers, ranging from unprofessional HR practices to more serious claims of understaffing and discriminatory behavior. Taken together, the reviews portray Avamere at Sandy as a highly regarded community for many families — particularly for memory care and those who value a warm, activity-rich environment — but one where prospective families should do targeted due diligence. Recommended steps for prospective residents: tour during different times of day, speak directly with staff and current resident family members, ask for current staffing ratios and infection-control protocols, inquire about hiring and background-check policies, confirm room sizes and roommate policies, and request recent references from families whose loved ones are in similar care levels. This approach will help validate the broadly positive themes while addressing the less frequent but important concerns expressed in the reviews.
