The reviews for Carriage House of Sumter present a highly mixed picture, with a sharp divide between positive experiences focused on direct caregiving and amenities and negative reports centered on safety, cleanliness, and management failures. On the positive side, multiple reviewers praise individual caregivers as caring, reassuring, and attentive — staff who knew residents’ names, helped with daily living tasks including bathroom assistance, and provided maintenance/setup support. The community offers a range of on-site amenities that reviewers liked: a rehabilitation program, in-building dining/cafeteria, exercise room, organized games and outings, and occasional remodeling. Some reviewers described the facility as affordable and said their family members looked well cared for; hospice nursing support was also noted as an asset.
However, significant and serious negative themes recur across several summaries. Several accounts allege major cleanliness and safety issues, including reports of bedbugs, housekeeping problems, and at least one instance where a resident required hospitalization with infection/sepsis risk. Reviewers also describe a perceived decline in standards since the pandemic. Security and supervision concerns are prominent: unlocked doors, unsecured entry points, no front desk staffing, and instances where visitors had to search the building for employees. These issues were explicitly called out as making the community unsafe for residents.
Staffing and management are key areas of divergence and concern. While some staff members receive high praise, other reviewers describe widespread staffing shortages, rude or hostile employees, and only a single “nice” staff member among many. Several reviewers stated the administrator was unresponsive, belongings were lost or mishandled, and the phone number was out of service — all pointing to lapses in management, communication, and accountability. The contrast between reports of caring staff and reports of neglect or abusive behavior suggests inconsistency in training, supervision, or staff turnover.
Facility condition and living accommodations also draw mixed comments. Some reviewers report a clean environment and residents who appear well kept, while others find the building dated and in need of TLC. Amenities such as dining, rehab, and activities are positives, but a studio apartment was noted as lacking a kitchen, which may matter to prospective residents. The cumulative pattern — positive programmatic offerings and some compassionate caregivers, offset by security lapses, infection and cleanliness incidents, and managerial shortcomings — suggests variability in resident experience depending on staffing and oversight at particular times.
Overall sentiment is polarized: a subset of reviewers would recommend Carriage House of Sumter and highlight helpful, friendly staff and useful amenities, whereas another subset strongly discourages placement there, citing safety, hygiene, neglect, and disrespectful staff. The recurring themes indicate systemic issues rather than isolated incidents: reported decline since the pandemic, inconsistent staff behavior, multiple safety/security lapses, and management unresponsiveness. Anyone considering this community should weigh the documented positives (rehab services, dining, activities, some compassionate staff) against the documented risks (infection reports, bedbugs, security and management problems) and seek up-to-date, direct verification of cleanliness, staffing levels, security procedures, and regulatory inspection records before making a decision.
