The reviews for Highland Nursing Center are strongly polarized, with distinct clusters of positive and negative experiences. On the positive side, numerous reviewers describe the facility as homey and small-group in character — a family-run bungalow with nostalgic charm. Several reviewers praise specific amenities and programming: lively on-site activities (social dances, church services, Bible bingo, organ music, disco), an on-site beauty salon, and even a resident cat and visiting wildlife that contribute to a comforting atmosphere. Multiple accounts highlight compassionate, courteous caregivers and responsive customer service; some families say the facility is well-staffed, that residents are treated with respect, and that dietary staff and the dining appear to do their best. A few reviewers explicitly state they would recommend the facility or even choose to live there themselves, and note owners or the founder being on premises and available as positives.
Contrasting sharply with those reports are serious and recurring criticisms about care quality, management, and safety. Several reviewers report unempathetic or impatient nursing staff and administrative personnel who are dismissive or intimidating. There are alarming allegations including use of sedatives to ease staff workload, loss or misuse of resident belongings (clothes and blankets), staff taking smoking breaks during shifts, and at least one report suggesting a preventable death due to insufficient rounds. Multiple reviewers describe poor communication about care plans, unanswered questions, staff blaming each other, and a pattern of needing to visit daily to ensure adequate care. These are not isolated complaints; they form a consistent theme of unreliable and sometimes negligent care from the perspective of several families.
Facility conditions and cleanliness receive mixed but crucial attention. While several reviewers explicitly call the facility clean and praise housekeeping, other accounts raise severe hygiene concerns: reports of strong urine and fecal odor, a "smell of death," and overall poor cleanliness for certain residents or shifts. This contradiction suggests significant inconsistency in housekeeping or infection-control practices — some residents experience well-maintained rooms and common areas, while others encounter unacceptable odors and hygiene lapses. Night-time supervision and wandering management are another specific area of concern: a few reviewers note inadequate night monitoring, with one family reporting that their mother wanders at night and that the facility’s system is incompatible with her needs.
Management, transparency, and administrative behavior are central themes in the negative reviews. Complaints include poor management, bait-and-switch tactics, lack of marketing materials or clear documentation, and an apparent inability or unwillingness to maintain consistent standards of care. There are reports of administrator intimidation, a doorway blockade, and even police involvement in disputes, which raise red flags about dispute resolution and resident/family relations. Several reviewers explicitly advise avoiding the facility, arguing that relatives must "visit daily" and actively manage care to prevent neglect.
Activities and dining are another mixed area: some residents and families praise lively, regular programs and decent food, while others say activities are limited and there are no off-site outings. Similarly, staff competency is inconsistent in reviewers’ accounts: some describe compassionate, mindful caregivers and well-treated residents, while others describe incompetent staff and upper management, eroding trust. Structural or logistic issues are noted too — the facility reportedly lacks private rooms and is located on the outskirts, and at least one reviewer called it expensive despite mixed experiences.
In summary, Highland Nursing Center elicits strongly divergent experiences. For some families and residents it provides a warm, small-community environment with engaged staff, good food, and active programming; for others it demonstrates troubling lapses in empathy, communication, hygiene, supervision, and management that have led to significant safety and trust concerns. The most important patterns are the inconsistency: positive reports of cleanliness, staff compassion, and programming coexist with serious allegations of neglect, poor hygiene, sedative misuse, and administrative hostility. Prospective families should weigh these polarized reports carefully, tour the facility in person, ask detailed questions about night-time supervision, wandering protocols, medication practices, personal-item handling, staff smoking policies, and complaint-resolution procedures, and consider repeated visits and direct references from current resident families before making a placement decision.
