Good Shepherd Home - Raker Center

    601 St John St, Allentown, PA, 18103
    4.6 · 13 reviews
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    5.0

    Caring staff, comfortable rooms, lively

    I'm genuinely grateful to Good Shepherd - the caring, dedicated staff consistently go above and beyond, the rooms are comfortable and decently sized, and the food is high quality with residents getting what they order. There are tons of engaging activities (DJ night, YMCA dance) and a warm, prideful atmosphere that keeps residents happy; staff rave it's the best workplace. My only gripe: a few nurse aides sometimes seem distracted by their cell phones.

    Pricing

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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

    4.62 · 13 reviews

    Overall rating

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

      4.3
    • Staff

      4.6
    • Meals

      4.0
    • Amenities

      4.0
    • Value

      4.6

    Pros

    • friendly, caring and dedicated staff
    • engaging and varied activities (e.g., DJ event, YMCA dance)
    • high-quality food with accurate meal orders
    • residents report happiness and gratitude
    • decent-sized, comfortable patient/resident rooms
    • facility displays pride and integrity
    • longstanding, established facility
    • positive workplace and staff morale
    • staff often go above and beyond
    • warm, welcoming atmosphere
    • memorable personal interactions and anecdotes

    Cons

    • some nurse aides distracted by cell phones

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment across the reviews is strongly positive, with multiple reviewers emphasizing the caring nature of the staff, the quality of care, and the warm atmosphere at Good Shepherd Home - Raker Center. Staff are repeatedly described as friendly, engaging, and dedicated, using phrases like "above and beyond," "caring," and "great care." Several notes point to staff morale and workplace quality—one summary explicitly calls it the "best workplace for staff"—which suggests good staff retention and a positive work culture that likely benefits residents through continuity of care.

    Care quality is a prominent theme. Reviewers explicitly say residents are happy and receiving good care. Staff commitment is highlighted not only in direct caregiving but also in the personal touches and memorable anecdotes residents and family members share. The combination of caring staff and positive workplace culture implies attentive, stable caregiving. The only consistent concern mentioned across reviews is that some nurse aides were observed distracted by cell phones; this appears isolated compared with the broader praise but is a notable operational issue to address so it does not undermine otherwise strong care impressions.

    Facilities and rooms are described favorably: patient and resident rooms are called "decent-sized" and "nice/comfortable," indicating adequate personal space and a comfortable living environment. The facility is described as longstanding and one imbued with "pride and integrity," which supports a perception of institutional stability and established standards. That longevity, combined with prideful staff behavior, contributes to the warm, welcoming atmosphere many reviewers note.

    Dining receives clear positive mention: reviewers describe the food as high quality and specifically note that residents "got what they ordered," pointing to both food quality and reliable meal service. This detail speaks to operational competence in dining service and attention to resident preferences. Activities are another strong positive—reviews repeatedly reference "lots of activities" and specific events like a DJ and a YMCA dance, showing a varied social calendar that keeps residents engaged and fosters community. The warm atmosphere, gratitude toward staff, and memorable events reported by reviewers suggest the activities program is meaningful and well-received.

    Management and culture appear to be strengths. Descriptions of the center as a good workplace and statements about staff pride and integrity imply effective management practices that promote staff satisfaction and accountability. Those cultural elements likely contribute to resident happiness and the frequent reports of staff going "above and beyond." The single recurring negative (nurse aides using cell phones) suggests a localized policy or supervision gap rather than a systemic failure, but it is an area management should address to maintain high standards and resident trust.

    In summary, the reviews present Good Shepherd Home - Raker Center as a long-established facility with comfortable rooms, high-quality dining, a robust activities program, and a warm, grateful resident community. The staff are the standout asset—friendly, dedicated, and supported by a positive workplace culture—resulting in consistently positive experiences. Addressing the isolated concern about some aides being distracted by cell phones would further strengthen an already favorable overall profile.

    Location

    Map showing location of Good Shepherd Home - Raker Center

    About Good Shepherd Home - Raker Center

    Good Shepherd Home - Raker Center has been around since 1908, giving care to people with severe disabilities, and they can take residents as young as 12 years old and serve adults of all ages too, though most residents are over 45. There's room for 99 people and the place feels like a real home, not just an institution, and they even let people bring their pets if they want. Residents get round-the-clock nursing care and a full rehabilitation team that covers pretty much every need: you've got attending physicians, nurses, nursing assistants, dietitians, care managers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech/language therapists, recreation therapists, social workers, and pastoral care staff, so everyone gets a lot of attention. There are specialized programs and services for people who've had strokes, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, MS, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, quadriplegia, traumatic brain injury, spina bifida, and similar conditions that need long-term, skilled nursing. The center has daily occupational therapy activities, speech therapy, and physical therapy that try to help people keep or gain as much independence as possible, plus there's a lot of work done with things like rehabilitation neuropsychology. Residents and their families help make the care plans, so everyone's on board. Social events and recreational therapy give people a chance to connect and stay busy. There's an emphasis on supporting spiritual needs, with pastoral care, weekly ecumenical worship, and religious education, and they welcome outside congregations too. The Hyland Center, Cedar Pointe, and The Fleming Center for Robotics in Rehabilitation are on campus, and there are physical therapy clinics in Blandon, Center Valley, and East Greenville, as well as outpatient and pediatric rehab. Staff try to keep things clean and quiet, paying attention to room cleanliness and patient experience, and the center checks its infection and accident rates to keep track of any problems. Good Shepherd Home - Raker Center is ranked in the top 100% of extended care hospitals and has the Women's Choice Award for quality. The place is part of the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network, so residents benefit from a lot of experience with rehabilitation of all sorts, and the care is shaped for people with big physical and neurological needs, including lots of supportive services for younger residents and those with pediatric needs through the Emily Howatt Pliskatt Pediatric Unit. They keep busy with research, healthcare innovation, and host events like the DISRUPT: Health-Care Innovation Summit, plus run programs like Empower+, Good Shepherd Learns, and Good Shepherd Creates, so there's always something going on, and the care stays up to date with new ideas. Visitors can make appointments by phone, and the facility is recognized for both comfort and attention to detail in daily living and medical care.

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