Overall sentiment across the reviews is mixed but leans positive for the assisted living and general community areas, while showing significant, repeated concerns specific to the Memory Care unit. The strongest, most consistent praise centers on the staff: many reviewers describe caregivers, nurses, activities personnel and administrative team members as compassionate, attentive, and willing to go above and beyond. Residents and families frequently single out specific staff for exceptional service, name the Community Relations/Admissions team and on-site nurses positively, and describe a family-like, respectful environment. The property itself — a bayfront/lakefront location with impressive views — receives frequent praise. Reviewers describe bright, clean common areas, well-maintained grounds, a secure outdoor area, and pleasant visitor spaces. Many families highlight the chef-prepared meals, varied menus, family dining options, and the overall quality of food. Activities programming is repeatedly noted as robust and creative in assisted living, with live entertainment, many daily activity choices, and good socialization opportunities.
Care quality is described as high in numerous reviews: nursing care, medication management, and therapy services (PT/OT) are praised. Several reviewers emphasize the reassurance they feel from safety measures such as wrist-watch alert systems and portable GPS units for residents with wandering risk. Maintenance response times are often described as fast and effective. Multiple accounts describe successful transitions and move-ins, helpful admissions staff, and proactive leadership that communicates well with families. Where issues are raised, reviewers sometimes also note subsequent improvements — housekeeping and meal service were called out as having improved in follow-up comments, and renovations were planned or underway in some areas.
However, there is a pronounced, recurring cluster of negative themes focused almost exclusively on the Memory Care unit. Numerous reviewers call Memory Care “terrible” or “the worst,” citing lack of empathy, minimal cognitive stimulation, little to no interaction outside meal times, missing basic supplies in rooms (toilet paper), a lack of games/TV/common-room engagement, and dated or less attractive decor compared with the rest of the facility. Cleanliness and maintenance problems in Memory Care are highlighted in multiple reports: shower overflow with visible grime, beds not changed until family arrival, missing belongings, and more severe allegations such as pests or infections in isolated accounts. Safety and supervision concerns appear several times (examples: a resident eating from the garbage), and some families describe the Memory Care environment as understaffed, with too few caregivers to engage residents.
Staffing, training and management variability emerge as another prominent theme. While many reviews praise excellent staffing and retention, others mention high turnover (activities director left, lead nurse left), understaffing (occasionally reduced to two aides per many residents), and inconsistent coverage (reports of no nurse after 5pm in at least one instance). There are starkly negative anecdotal claims — caregivers smelling of weed, personnel making jokes about residents, and broken promises from admissions — that contrast with the many reports of respectful, dignified treatment. This polarity suggests inconsistency in staff performance and culture between shifts or over time. Several reviewers report prompt, satisfactory responses when they raise concerns; others report unresponsive administration or delayed follow-up, indicating uneven communication practices.
Dining and amenities are a generally positive area but not without criticism. Many reviewers praise the quality of meals, variety, and chef-prepared options; some describe wholesome menus and multiple entree choices. A minority of reviews complain of prepackaged items, slow cereal service, or occasional poor dishes (e.g., burnt meatloaf, too much pasta). Access to services such as on-site therapists, family dining, and activity sign-up boards are appreciated. Transportation for outings is a mixed area: some reviews note no van for events or limited shuttle services, which impacts residents’ access to external activities.
Cost, room size and value considerations appear frequently. Multiple reviewers call the community expensive or note rising costs; some say it still represents value compared to competitors, while others view the price as high given Memory Care shortfalls. Room size complaints (small studio rooms, limited storage, no separate storage for downsizing) recur, even as the rooms are often described as clean and nicely furnished. Billing and scheduling issues are reported several times (billing disputes resolved in some cases, reimbursement delays after death reported in another), suggesting administrative processes are mostly effective but not flawless.
Safety incidents and isolated serious concerns are present in a small subset of reviews. A few families recounted clinical issues (infections, hospitalizations, falls) and alleged neglect or poor feeding/organized care in isolated cases; one or two reviewers used very strong language (e.g., bedbugs, scabies, “dog kennels”), which contrasts sharply with the many positive clinical assessments. These outlier reports should be considered seriously but in the context of widespread positive reports about nursing responsiveness, quick injury assessment, and effective safety alert systems.
In summary, The Residence at Presque Isle Bay (Sunrise/Residence references in the reviews) appears to offer a high-quality assisted living experience for many residents: strong, compassionate staff, beautiful waterfront grounds, good dining, varied activities, and solid safety measures are commonly reported. At the same time, there is a clear and repeated pattern of dissatisfaction specifically tied to the Memory Care unit — problems with staffing, engagement, cleanliness and supervision — and a set of inconsistent administrative experiences (communication, billing, broken admissions promises). Families considering this community should weigh the consistently positive comments about assisted living, dining, activities and location against the repeated warnings about Memory Care. Prospective residents and families would be advised to tour the specific Memory Care unit, ask about recent staffing levels and turnover, inspect cleanliness and programming firsthand, verify transport and evening nursing coverage, and get written commitments from admissions about services and follow-up procedures before moving in. Where families have raised issues, some reviews indicate management addressed concerns and made improvements, so ongoing communication and follow-up appear to influence outcomes significantly.
