The Gardens at Easton

    498 Washington St, Easton, PA, 18042
    3.4 · 86 reviews
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    2.0

    Caring staff but unsafe, inconsistent

    I have mixed feelings. I found many warm, caring aides, nurses and PTs who went above and beyond and a director who listens, but the facility is clearly understaffed and inconsistent. I saw slow responses, missed meds/basic care, wandering dementia, falls/bruises, missing belongings/theft, and persistent urine/cleanliness problems in an overcrowded, run-down building. Food and rehab were poor and service uneven - I'm grateful for kind staff but worried about safety and hygiene, so I can't recommend it without serious reservations.

    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

    3.40 · 86 reviews

    Overall rating

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

      3.1
    • Staff

      3.4
    • Meals

      2.4
    • Amenities

      2.5
    • Value

      1.0

    Pros

    • Many staff described as caring, compassionate, and attentive
    • Several individual employees singled out positively (e.g., Ruby, Abhijeet, Jeff, Lisa, Diane, Kawon, Dr. Fred)
    • 24-hour staffing present / staff available on-site
    • Some CNAs and nurses praised as excellent and kind
    • Successful short-term rehab or transitions back home reported by multiple families
    • Social services assistance and coordination of appointments/transportation sometimes effective
    • Family-like atmosphere and warm interpersonal interactions noted by some reviewers
    • Some rooms reported clean and comfortable with private bathrooms and couches
    • Pleasant outdoor gardens and grounds mentioned as a positive amenity
    • Security system and staff attentiveness appreciated by some families
    • Activities and group dining available and enjoyed by some residents
    • Hospice involvement handled compassionately in at least one account
    • Organized floors by severity of illness reportedly in place
    • Some reviewers reported never hungry and adequate food quantity during stays
    • Volunteers and visitors found the experience emotionally impactful and meaningful

    Cons

    • Chronic understaffing and short-staffed nursing shifts
    • Delays or failures in basic care (catheter changes, enemas, toileting assistance)
    • Medication errors and failure to correct dosing promptly
    • Infection outbreaks not communicated to families and masks not enforced
    • Allegations of belongings stolen or missing, with suspicion of staff theft
    • Reports of staff brutality, rough handling, or abusive behavior
    • Rehab/physical therapy criticized as unfocused or inadequate (arms vs. legs)
    • Poor personal hygiene care (dry/scaly feet, soiled clothing, human waste incidents)
    • Dirty, unclean, or poorly maintained facility areas (filthy floors, mold, bugs, urine smell)
    • Laundry missing, clothes lost, or returned dirty/late
    • Call bells often unanswered or slow response to requests for help
    • Insufficient in-room amenities (no phones or TVs in some rooms, one cordless shared)
    • Inadequate or rationed basic supplies (ice, drinks) and restricted outdoor access
    • Poor food quality: bland, overcooked, cold, little variety
    • Poor housekeeping and odor problems reported repeatedly
    • Allegations of misdiagnosis/denial of delirium and improper infection management
    • Serious medical neglect claims (uncared trach tubes, catheter neglect, bedsore, tongue/teeth injuries)
    • Reports of refusal to transport residents to appointments
    • Weight loss and nutritional decline reported (example: 45 lbs in one month)
    • Concerns about corporate cost-cutting, profiteering, and improper billing/guardianship
    • Run-down facility appearance, website photos not matching reality
    • Overcrowding and hospital-like or multi-bed rooms with disruptive behavior
    • Loud TVs and unmanaged dementia-related wandering/nudity among residents
    • Staff unprofessionalism, rude administration, and poor communication with families
    • Nurses inattentive (phone use, lack of hand sanitizer observed)
    • Possible risk of sepsis from neglected catheter care
    • Claims of stolen medical supplies
    • Inconsistent quality of care between shifts and floors
    • Allegations of denial of care when moving between facilities
    • Some reviewers label it the 'worst nursing home'—very negative overall sentiment

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment across the reviews is highly polarized, with strong praise for individual caregivers and instances of compassionate, effective care contrasted sharply with numerous and repeated reports of neglect, poor sanitation, and systemic failures. A substantial portion of reviewers describe staff as warm, family-like, and attentive; multiple named employees receive explicit praise for kindness and competence (for example, Ruby, Abhijeet, Jeff, Lisa, Diane, Kawon, and Dr. Fred). Several families credit the facility with successful short-term rehab and safe transitions back home, effective social-services assistance, 24/7 staffing presence, and pleasant outdoor spaces. These positive reports emphasize individualized attention, comforting interactions, and situations where medical issues improved after appropriate treatment.

    Counterbalancing the positive notes are many significant and recurring complaints that point to systemic problems. Understaffing is a dominant theme: short nursing rosters, slow or unanswered call bells, and delays in basic personal-care tasks (catheter changes, enemas, assistance with toileting) are reported repeatedly. Multiple reviewers describe medication management problems and allegations that medications were not corrected or that infections/outbreaks were not properly communicated to families. There are numerous and troubling allegations of physical neglect and harm — including unattended tracheostomy or catheter care, bedsores, tongue and teeth injuries, and weight loss — which reviewers link to risk of sepsis or other serious complications. Several accounts describe improvement after appropriate medical treatment elsewhere, implying delayed recognition or management while at the facility.

    Facility hygiene and maintenance emerge as another major area of concern. Many reviews describe filthy floors, mold in window areas, bugs, urine odor, and human waste left on bathroom floors or seats. Conversely, some reviewers note clean rooms and ongoing remodeling; this variability suggests uneven standards across floors or shifts. Laundry problems are often cited: clothes returned dirty, lost, or suspected stolen. Reports of belongings being searched, locked away, or disappearing (and suspicions of staff theft) contribute to families’ distrust. Overcrowding and multi-resident rooms, loud TVs, wandering residents with unmanaged dementia, and reports of residents left naked or disruptive behavior being unchecked add to safety and dignity concerns.

    Care delivery, rehabilitation, and ancillary services show inconsistent quality. Physical therapy is criticized in multiple reviews for being minimal or misdirected (focus on arms instead of essential mobility/leg work), while other reviewers praise excellent therapy staff and successful outcomes. Dining is a frequent complaint: food described as bland, overcooked, cold, low-variety, and sometimes served in disposable containers; a minority of reviewers report never being hungry and adequate food portions. Transportation and appointment coordination receive mixed marks — some families report refused transports or missed appointments, whereas others note well-managed scheduling and supportive transition services.

    Leadership, communication, and corporate oversight are also mixed. Some families commend directors who listen and rectify issues, and staff and administration trying to improve. Other reviews report rude or unprofessional administrators, poor phone communication (calls not returned), and a sense that corporate cost-cutting or profiteering undermines care quality. A small number of reviewers allege more serious improprieties such as unethical guardianship practices, improper billing, and denial of care when transferring between facilities; these are serious allegations that would require investigation beyond the review content.

    Safety, theft, and infection-control concerns appear frequently and are among the most serious red flags. Reports of stolen clothing, missing pills and medical supplies, outbreaks not communicated, and staff not wearing masks during outbreaks collectively raise concerns about resident safety and trustworthiness of operations. Several reviewers mention staff inattentiveness — e.g., scrolling on phones, lack of hand-sanitizer use, and slow response to emergencies — which compounds the perceived risk to frail residents.

    In summary, the reviews paint a facility with pockets of very good, compassionate caregiving alongside systemic problems that range from poor housekeeping and substandard dining to potentially dangerous clinical neglect and administrative failures. The variability in experiences — from glowing gratitude and successful rehab to alarming neglect and theft allegations — suggests uneven leadership, staffing, and enforcement of standards across shifts or floors. For prospective residents or families, the reviews recommend close oversight: visit repeatedly at varied times, ask specific questions about staffing ratios and infection control, document incidents and follow up with management, and consider background checks or references for individual caregivers. The frequency and severity of negative reports (medical neglect, hygiene failures, missing belongings, and alleged improper billing/guardianship) also support escalating concerns to state inspection authorities or ombudsman services if problems are observed or suspected.

    Location

    Map showing location of The Gardens at Easton

    About The Gardens at Easton

    The Gardens at Easton sits at 498 Washington Street in Easton, Pennsylvania, near Easton Hospital and Lehigh Valley Hospital Muhlenberg, and in this place you'll find both skilled nursing and a physical medicine and rehabilitation clinic, and you know, they really cover a wide range of care, with 181 beds where folks get support for short-term rehab or long-term stays, and there's care for wounds, dementia, and Alzheimer's, plus they do hospice, respite, and specialized therapy, so if someone's ever needed physical, occupational, or speech therapy, they can get all of that on-site, and they've even got a full ADL-suite gym with ACP therapy equipment, along with things like certified wound care specialists and nurses who handle advanced wound needs and things like trach care, PEGs, and special tubes. People who stay here will find staff who can help you in English and maybe other languages, and they've got a social services department helping with emotional support and daily needs, not to mention on-site psychiatry for mental health, so it's not just about the physical side of things. Nurses and physicians handle care, and there's a whole set of extra services including dental, podiatry, dietary support, and housekeeping, and there's even a housekeeper for hire if someone needs extra help for a small charge. Residents living here have the benefit of alarm and locking systems that make safety a focus, and for those with dementia or Alzheimer's, there's a separate, secure memory care unit alongside a special Alzheimer's disease unit, which means folks get the right support for their condition. For activities, the place offers recreation and therapy programs, music and spiritual rooms, an arcade, outdoor gardens, and you might even step out to the private patio by the pond or stop by the resident store, and some quiet time can be found in the serene room or chapel. Staying connected to community matters, so they work with the Easton Senior bus so people can do their grocery shopping, and the site is also home to Easton Senior Citizens Housing with its own lounges and community spaces. Services go on to include things like apartment locating help and a social services coordinator, and medical equipment for things like oxygen therapy, IV fluids, and oximetry are available. For now, The Gardens at Easton isn't taking new patients, and there's no fax number listed, but anyone interested could share, print, or download their profile as a vCard if needed. Hours for the office aren't posted, and some details about services and amenities aren't available, but you can see there's a lot that happens at this place and a real effort to meet the residents' day-to-day and health needs with care.

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