Complete Care at Berkshire

    5501 Perkiomen Ave, Reading, PA, 19606
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    1.0

    Inconsistent care, poor management, avoid

    I had a very mixed experience: several nurses, CNAs and rehab therapists were kind, attentive and made admission smooth, but too many staff were inconsistent. The facility itself felt poorly managed and often understaffed - cramped rooms, lost belongings (glasses, clothes, Kindle), cold/poor meals, hygiene lapses (soiled clothing, urine, vomit), ignored pain and infections that led to a hospital transfer, and bad communication. Billing/reimbursement was a headache though eventually resolved. I would not recommend this for short-term rehab unless you can closely advocate for your loved one and are lucky to get the few excellent caregivers.

    Pricing

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    Amenities

    Healthcare services

    • Activities of daily living assistance
    • Assistance with bathing
    • Assistance with dressing
    • Assistance with transfers
    • Coordination with health care providers
    • Medication management
    • Mental wellness program

    Healthcare staffing

    • 24-hour call system
    • 24-hour supervision

    Meals and dining

    • Diabetes diet
    • Meal preparation and service
    • Special dietary restrictions

    Room

    • Cable
    • Fully furnished
    • Housekeeping and linen services
    • Kitchenettes
    • Telephone
    • Wifi

    Memory care community services

    • Mild cognitive impairment
    • Specialized memory care programming

    Transportation

    • Transportation arrangement (medical)
    • Transportation to doctors appointments

    Common areas

    • Beauty salon
    • Dining room
    • Garden
    • Outdoor space

    Community services

    • Move-in coordination

    Activities

    • Community-sponsored activities
    • Scheduled daily activities

    4.57 · 161 reviews

    Overall rating

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

      3.8
    • Staff

      4.3
    • Meals

      1.7
    • Amenities

      2.3
    • Value

      4.6

    Pros

    • Several friendly, caring, and attentive nurses and CNAs
    • Some outstanding individual caregivers (e.g., Nurse Linda, Keirsten)
    • Helpful, kind, and reassuring reception/admissions staff
    • Positive and effective physical therapy and rehab services reported by some
    • Supportive social services and knowledgeable therapy teams
    • Smooth admission experience for some residents
    • Good long-term resident experiences in multiple accounts
    • Outdoor dining deck and access to fresh-air areas
    • On-site activities and games available
    • Clean rooms and facilities reported by many reviewers
    • Compassionate and emotionally supportive staff
    • Responsive administration in some instances
    • Good nurse practitioners and medical staff noted by some families
    • Quick bed availability in some cases
    • Positive rehab outcomes and successful discharges home reported
    • Professional and courteous interactions mentioned repeatedly
    • Helpful coordination of care and communication by select staff
    • Some reviewers reported five-star level service
    • Attentive infusion and specialty care in some cases
    • Overall welcoming and friendly atmosphere cited by many

    Cons

    • Significant variability in staff quality and consistency
    • Understaffing and high staff turnover
    • Neglectful care reports including sitting in urine and prolonged soiling
    • Feeding and hygiene concerns (wet/soiled, not assisted timely)
    • Slow or unresponsive call response times
    • Missed or limited showers and hygiene assistance (e.g., only one shower in two weeks)
    • Rough or hasty dressing and unexplained bruising
    • Poor short-term rehab experiences for some (ignored pain, inadequate PT)
    • Medical oversight failures and untreated infections
    • Facility cleanliness issues (vomit left, mold, bleach odor, uncleaned areas)
    • Cold and poor-quality meals frequently reported
    • Lost or mishandled personal belongings and laundry
    • Billing disputes and reimbursement problems
    • Cramped, small rooms and limited furniture
    • Shared bathrooms and overcrowding concerns
    • Unprofessional or dismissive supervisory and administrative behavior
    • Communication breakdowns with families and canceled conferences
    • Safety and discharge concerns leading to rehospitalization for some
    • Phones/communication systems not reliably working
    • COVID entry restrictions limiting family contact
    • Yelling or rude staff behavior in some instances
    • Facility interior maintenance problems (old TVs, minor repairs needed)
    • Inconsistent adherence to dietary menus
    • Reports of resident decline associated with stay
    • Admissions/room setup issues (e.g., locked doors ignored)

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment across reviews for Complete Care at Berkshire is highly mixed, with clear clusters of very positive experiences tied to specific staff and more concerning reports of neglect, inconsistent care, and operational issues. Many families and residents praise individual caregivers, nurses, therapists, and reception staff for being compassionate, attentive, and professional. Specific staff members were named for positive care, and multiple reviewers described smooth admissions, helpful social services, good therapy outcomes, and comfortable long-term residencies. The facility has amenities that reviewers appreciate, such as an outdoor dining deck, on-site activities, and a welcoming exterior. For a significant number of residents, rooms and common areas were described as clean, staff were responsive, and rehabilitation and medical care met expectations or exceeded them.

    However, a substantial portion of reviews report serious negative experiences that cannot be ignored. Many accounts describe inconsistent staff quality and high turnover, resulting in unpredictability in daily care. Reports of neglect are prominent: residents left in soiled clothing or urine for hours, inadequate feeding assistance, missed showers, rough or hasty dressing that caused bruises, and delayed responses to call lights. There are several alarming medical oversight claims, including untreated infections, ignored pain complaints, and situations that resulted in rehospitalization or transfer to other facilities. These issues indicate gaps in nursing oversight, escalation processes, and coordination between medical staff and treating physicians.

    Operational and environmental concerns recur in the reviews. Cleanliness problems were reported in multiple forms: vomit left on wheelchairs or porches for extended periods, mold and strong bleach odors, faded food trays, and other maintenance deficits (old TVs, minor interior repairs). Dining is a frequent complaint—meals described as cold, unappetizing, or inconsistent with posted menus—and some reviewers reported dietary staff ignoring menu selections. Several families experienced lost personal items (glasses, Kindles, clothing) or laundry mishandling, and at least one reviewer cited a billing dispute (later resolved for some). Small room sizes, shared bathrooms in some areas, and limited furniture (only one chair) were noted as detracting from resident comfort.

    Staffing and management themes are mixed but notable. While many individuals are praised as compassionate and professional, others are described as rude, dismissive, or unorganized. Communication lapses were common: canceled family conferences, phone systems not working, and staff who did not return calls or ignored visitors. Several reviewers urged the need for better training and stronger management accountability to address inconsistency, improve clinical vigilance, and standardize care practices. COVID-era restrictions and quarantine policies also limited family access in some cases, exacerbating concerns around monitoring and advocacy for residents.

    Activity and therapy programs receive generally positive mentions when staffed and executed well: helpful PT/OT teams, beneficial rehab sessions, and social programming were credited with good outcomes for some residents returning home. Yet other reviewers found the rehab experience poor, citing ignored pain, lack of walking/ambulation, and inadequate therapy intensity. This contrast reinforces the pattern that outcomes hinge largely on which specific teams and shifts are involved.

    In summary, Complete Care at Berkshire presents a polarized picture. The facility employs many dedicated, compassionate staff who deliver excellent, even five-star care in numerous cases; these strengths have produced positive long-term residencies and successful rehab discharges. Simultaneously, recurring issues—neglectful care incidents, inconsistent nursing and medical oversight, cleanliness lapses, meal quality problems, lost belongings, and managerial communication failures—pose real risks and notable distress for other residents and families. Prospective residents and their families should weigh both sets of patterns, ask pointed questions about staffing levels, supervision, infection control, laundry processes, incident reporting, and family communication practices, and seek references from recent families to better predict the likely experience for their loved one.

    Location

    Map showing location of Complete Care at Berkshire

    About Complete Care at Berkshire

    Complete Care at Berkshire is a for-profit skilled nursing facility located at 5501 Perkiomen Ave in Reading, PA, and it's part of the Complete Care network, though it operates independently and is licensed to use the Complete Care name. The facility has 130 certified beds and usually has about 116 residents each day, with staff providing 3.60 nurse hours per resident daily, but staff turnover is fairly high, with about half of the nurses leaving each year. English is commonly spoken among staff, and clinic staff may know other languages. Folks there get a clean environment with healthy air, modern rooms, and plenty of space around the building, plus food that's known to be good.

    Long-term care, assisted living, and memory care services are available, including round-the-clock nursing, and the team's known for being accommodating and respectful, especially in the memory care unit which provides support for people living with Alzheimer's or other dementia types, using personalized plans and secure areas for care. There's a state-of-the-art therapy gym and specialized programs for orthopedic rehabilitation, cardiac care, stroke recovery, and wound care, plus in-house dialysis, subacute rehab, and innovative therapies tailored to each resident. The staff work together to meet individual needs and help residents work toward their health and recovery goals, and the nursing and therapy teams include staff nurses and a doctor on call when needed.

    Residents can take advantage of daily living support, shared spaces, full-time staff assistance, and an on-site beauty salon and barbershop. There's support for both male-only and female-only living options as well as pet allowances, and folks gather for activities, both onsite and offsite, with programs for recreation, mental stimulation, and education. Specialty care in respiratory therapy and pulmonary care is available for people with breathing challenges like COPD. Hospice care and respite care can be arranged, and people get support with discharge planning and case management when it's time to move on.

    The setting aims to feel home-like and friendly, with a receptionist who's helpful at the front desk, staff who pay attention to cleanliness and detail, and frequent leadership visits to build trust. People living at Complete Care at Berkshire get personalized treatment plans and the support they need to feel as independent as possible, but the facility isn't currently accepting new patients, so you'd need to check in about when spots might open up.

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