Overall impression
The reviews for Colonial Manor Nursing Center are highly mixed, with strong polarization between accounts praising compassionate, effective staff and accounts alleging serious neglect, safety issues, and poor management. Many families and visitors describe warm, caring interactions, successful rehabilitation outcomes, and a welcoming atmosphere, while others recount incidents of neglect, inadequate staffing, and troubling safety/quality concerns. The result is a facility where experiences appear to vary dramatically depending on unit, shift, or individual caregiver, with notable strengths in rehabilitation and hospice/respite coordination but recurring operational weaknesses that directly affect resident safety and dignity.
Care quality and staff behavior
A dominant positive theme is the presence of genuinely compassionate and dedicated caregivers. Multiple reviews highlight CNAs and nurses who provide attentive, individualized care, go above and beyond, and form meaningful relationships with residents. The rehab team receives repeated praise for helping residents regain mobility and independence. Several reviewers specifically commended named caregivers and an effective social worker, and families reported good coordination when Hospice was involved. Conversely, a substantial number of reviews describe lapses in basic care: missed showers and bathing, residents left in urine-soaked diapers, development of skin/yeast issues, delayed bell response, and allegations of pressure ulcers and weight loss. There are also serious reports of medication misuse (quetiapine cited as chemical restraint), unapproved medication changes, and disturbing allegations of elder abuse. These negative reports frequently tie back to staffing shortages and workload pressure.
Staffing, management, and communication
Understaffing is a persistent and central complaint and appears to be a root cause of many care failures. Specific comments reference extremely low staffing levels (for example, a description of only three CNAs for the building and two nurses covering multiple halls), nurses told they cannot exercise independent judgment, and a director of nursing who reportedly does not round on halls. Reviewers also report uneven or hostile managerial behavior, with some administrators described as rude or unhelpful and at least one named administrator called out negatively. Communication is inconsistent: some families praise transparent, proactive communication and good documentation, while others report lack of notification about major issues (lost teeth, weight loss), confrontational staff interactions, phone-transfer problems, and waiting in the rain to speak to someone. Pandemic-era policies and transitions in administration are mentioned as factors that intensified operational strain and limited family access in some periods.
Facilities, cleanliness, and infection control
Reports about cleanliness and the physical plant are mixed. Many visitors note the facility smells clean and that parts of the building are tidy, while others describe aged infrastructure, outdated rooms that feel 1960s-era, pest sightings (roaches in nightstands and under beds), and areas that appear neglected. Infection control practices and COVID protocols are reported as inconsistent; some visitors appreciated secure check-in and screening, whereas others reported risky exposures (COVID-positive residents on units) and uneven enforcement of entry requirements. Remodeling was noted in isolated rooms, but the overall sense is that the facility is functionally clean in many areas yet hampered by an older building and intermittent housekeeping lapses.
Dining, activities, and resident life
Dining and nourishment receive regular critique, with multiple reviewers calling the food poor and unappealing. Conversely, reviewers also mention robust activity programming and a variety of social opportunities, especially in memory-care units. Staff who keep residents engaged and entertained receive positive mentions, and many families reported that residents appeared happy and occupied. Pandemic lockdowns reduced interaction for some residents and contributed to declines in mood or condition in those accounts.
Safety incidents and serious concerns
Several reviews describe severe and alarming incidents that warrant attention: allegations of elder abuse reported by a home health nurse, documentation of patients left in soiled garments, reports of theft, a described bedsore, and at least two accounts alleging catastrophic clinical outcomes (a resuscitation event with family concerns and a choking episode resulting in death as per a reviewer). These are not isolated minor complaints but serious safety and quality failures if accurate. They appear in tandem with reports of understaffing and poor management and are the main drivers of strongly negative recommendations to avoid the facility.
Patterns, variability, and final assessment
The overall pattern is one of notable variability: some shifts and teams appear to provide excellent, loving care and strong communication, while other shifts suffer from severe understaffing, poor leadership, and inconsistent clinical practices resulting in neglect and safety risks. Rehabilitation, hospice coordination, and respite services are consistently highlighted as strengths. Major recurring weaknesses are staffing levels, management practices, communication breakdowns, food quality, and building age. The most serious red flags are the reported hygiene neglect, alleged misuse of psychotropic medication, pest sightings, reported theft, and accounts of severe adverse outcomes.
For prospective families and decision-makers
If you are considering Colonial Manor, expect to encounter highly disparate experiences. Prospective residents and families should seek concrete, current information: ask for staffing ratios by shift, inquire about recent incidents and their resolutions, request copies of therapy and medication policies (including chemical restraint protocols), tour multiple halls at different times of day, and speak with families of current residents and the charge nurses. If possible, verify how management addresses complaints and what steps have been taken recently to remedy understaffing, infection control lapses, and any reported abuse or safety incidents. The facility demonstrates clear strengths in compassionate caregiving and rehabilitation when systems and staffing align, but recurring operational and safety concerns mean due diligence is essential before placing a vulnerable loved one there.
