Overall sentiment across the reviews is mixed but leans toward concern due to repeated reports of management failures, understaffing, medication issues, and safety/cleanliness problems, even while many reviewers praise the direct care staff and the affordability of the facility. A clear pattern emerges: families and residents frequently describe warm, caring employees who form strong relationships with residents and often provide compassionate, attentive care. Multiple reviewers explicitly state that staff treated residents like family, went above and beyond, and that the facility can offer a home-like environment with friendly peers and an affordable price point compared with larger, more expensive competitors.
Care quality and staffing present a complicated picture. On the positive side, reviewers note a licensed RN on staff and numerous anecdotes of caregivers providing high-quality, attentive care that improved residents’ quality of life. However, these positives are frequently undermined by chronic understaffing and management instability. Understaffing is repeatedly cited as the root cause of missed medication doses, delayed assistance, and general lapses in consistent care. Several reviewers report medication shortages, missing prescriptions, and missed doses; other comments allege overmedication or questionable medication practices. Families also report that while direct care staff try to compensate, their efforts are hampered by systemic problems and frequent administrator turnover.
Management, communication, and billing are major recurring themes of concern. Many reviews describe poor responsiveness from management, frequent changes in administrators, and breakdowns in communication — for example, not returning calls, failing to answer questions, and not responding to refund or reimbursement requests. Billing and invoicing errors are repeatedly mentioned, including incorrect invoices, misbilling, and rent refunds or reimbursements that were delayed or not issued. Several reviewers cited involvement of regulatory authorities (DHEC) and delays in Medicaid paperwork, which add to worries about administrative competency and regulatory compliance.
Facility condition, safety, and cleanliness reports are inconsistent but alarming in several accounts. Some reviewers describe the Carriage House as clean and well-maintained, but an equally strong set of reports note urine odor, roach sightings, worn carpeting, and overcrowded accommodations (examples include two residents per room and up to four residents sharing a bathroom). Safety concerns include unlocked exits, theft incidents (including wheelchairs and opened mail/packages), staff yelling, and general perceptions of risk for more vulnerable residents (for example, those who are mentally disabled or require higher supervision). Photos apparently not matching the actual facility and reports of a less-than-hospitable environment for residents with higher care needs are additional red flags.
Dining, activities, and services show variability over time and between reviewers. Several families praise a strong activities program and previously available transportation/outing buses, but others report that these services have diminished or disappeared (activity bus removed, doctor transportation no longer provided). Dining receives mixed reviews: some days and meals are described as good with many options, while other reports describe meals as “nasty,” carb-heavy, lacking fresh fruits and vegetables, and missing basic items. This inconsistency aligns with other themes of fluctuating quality depending on staffing and management conditions.
Cost and value are clear positives: the facility is repeatedly described as affordable and offering good value, especially for residents on Medicaid. Many reviewers emphasize that despite shortcomings, the cost is substantially lower than competitor options, and some families would highly recommend the facility for that reason. However, affordability does not erase the operational issues noted — prospective residents and families should weigh cost against the risks documented in multiple reviews.
In summary, the dominant narrative is one of a facility with strong, caring direct-care staff and a welcoming, family-like atmosphere for many residents, coupled with systemic management and operational problems that negatively affect safety, medication management, billing integrity, cleanliness, and available services. Experiences appear inconsistent: some families report excellent, even exemplary care and recommend the facility, while others report serious concerns that prompted regulatory complaints or relocation. Prospective residents and family members should perform thorough, current due diligence: verify staffing levels and turnover, ask for documentation about medication-management policies and incident reports, inspect rooms and shared bathrooms in person for cleanliness and occupancy levels, review recent DHEC and Medicaid records, and get clear written policies on billing, refunds, and security of personal property before making a placement decision.
