Overall sentiment in the reviews for Carriage Hill Retirement is sharply mixed and highly polarized. A substantial number of reviewers describe the facility as attractive, well-maintained, and staff-oriented, praising individualized attention, good food, spacious rooms, and a scenic, quiet location. At the same time, a significant portion of reviewers report systemic problems: high staff turnover, inconsistent care, administrative failures, cleanliness/odor issues in some areas, and even serious regulatory concerns. The pattern suggests that resident experiences vary considerably depending on timing, specific caregivers, and management status.
Care and staff: Many reviews highlight caring, competent staff and single out individuals (Cheri, Pat, Sandy, Katilin Coles, the director of dining, and others) for going above and beyond. Several families describe attentive nursing leadership (DON) and proactive medication updates. Conversely, other reviews recount understaffing, poor hygiene, staff distracted by phones/TV or smoking, inadequate bathing frequency (reports of only two showers per week), falls, and feelings of abandonment. High turnover is a recurring theme; reviewers explicitly link frequent staffing changes to inconsistent care quality and unknown caregivers showing up day-to-day. Memory care accounts are also mixed: some describe calm, compassionate memory-care staff and individualized attention in a smaller unit; others report limited activities, poor dementia care, and inadequate stimulation for residents with cognitive impairment.
Management, administration and safety concerns: A major divide in the reviews centers on management. Some families praise a welcoming administrator and report recent improvements under new management. Other comments allege mismanagement, retaliation, lack of accountability, questionable contract terms, threats toward residents, and mishandling of resident spending accounts. Reports of lost clothing and personal items with no reimbursement, poor handling of finances, and billing-focused behavior add to distrust for some families. Most seriously, a subset of reviews alleges regulatory issues such as an expired license and a denied license renewal, with statements that the facility may be shutting down. These claims, if accurate, are red flags that families should verify immediately with state licensing authorities.
Facility, cleanliness and environment: Many reviewers emphasize the facility’s strong physical attributes: scenic Blue Ridge Mountain views, attractive and freshly painted rooms, large common areas with open ceilings and windows, private baths, and a well-kept campus that encourages wandering and socializing. Holiday meals and communal events are noted as positive community touches. However, conflicting accounts report urine or other odors in certain areas, strong weed smell, and concerns about overall cleanliness in some resident rooms (unwashed clothing, hair not combed). This inconsistency again points to variable day-to-day operations and to the effects of staffing levels on housekeeping and personal care.
Dining and activities: Food quality is frequently praised—well-presented, generous portions, flexible dining options, and accommodating kitchen staff. Several reviews mention special holiday meals and variety in menus. At the same time, some reviewers find meal choices limited, the same meal offered to everyone, or not high quality. Activities receive many positive remarks: music, dancing, bingo, preaching services, and lively common-room programming are cited as strengths. Conversely, memory care residents reportedly receive fewer activities in multiple reviews, and the departure of a popular activities director was lamented by families who felt the community lost significant engagement when that staff member left.
Medical care and oversight: There are mixed reports on medical oversight. Some reviewers praise proactive care, medication updates, and attentive nursing. Others express concerns over medical coverage, noting unease with the contracted physician arrangement and that routine monitoring (for example, only monthly blood pressure checks) is insufficient. These discrepancies emphasize the importance of asking specific clinical questions during tours—about weekend/after-hours medical coverage, frequency of vitals and assessments, fall prevention measures, and the process for managing acute changes.
Costs, contracts and recommendations: Financially, some families find Carriage Hill to be reasonable and accept Medicare/insurance; others report unexpected billing increases and question contract terms and accountability around resident spending accounts. There are explicit mentions of a significant monthly fee increase ($1,500 in one report) and concerns over billing focus in the administration. Given the mixed feedback, prospective residents and families should carefully review contracts, ask about fee increase history, get policies about lost items in writing, and verify what services are included.
Patterns and next steps for families: The reviews suggest a facility with real strengths—location, physical plant, several committed and compassionate staff members, good dining, and active programming—but also with recurring operational weaknesses tied to staffing instability and management inconsistencies. Because experiences appear to depend heavily on timing (shifts in management, staffing changes, and who is on duty), families should: tour multiple times at different times of day and on weekends; ask about staff turnover rates, staff-to-resident ratios, and training; request written policies on personal belongings, resident accounts, showers/toileting/bathing schedules, and medical coverage; confirm the facility’s current licensing status with the state; and ask for references from current families, particularly those with memory care residents. If memory care is required, inquire specifically about daily activity schedules, staffing consistency in that unit, and examples of individualized engagement.
In summary, Carriage Hill receives both strong endorsements and serious criticisms. The most reliable conclusion from these reviews is that the resident experience is uneven: when staffing and management align well, families report excellent care, compassion, and a vibrant community; when staffing is unstable or management is perceived as ineffective, families report neglect, cleanliness and safety issues, and administrative failures. Prospective residents and families should do thorough due diligence focused on licensing, staffing stability, and written policies before deciding.
