Overall sentiment is deeply mixed: many reviewers praise the facility’s physical environment, cleanliness, and individual staff members, while an equally large set of reviewers report systemic problems with staffing, safety, clinical oversight, and management. The pattern that emerges is one of a modern, attractive community with strong potential that is inconsistently realized because of operational and leadership instabilities.
Facilities and amenities: Multiple reviewers consistently describe the building as modern, clean and well-kept — with a pleasant entrance, cozy common areas (fireplace, TV), patios, and large private or semi-private rooms with en-suite bathrooms. Accessibility features and comfortable furnishings are noted positively. Activities are a visible strength for many residents: a dedicated activities director, themed events (bingo, Milkshake Mondays, Manicure Mondays, Hellboy Days, Circus Day), outings and concerts are frequently cited as enriching and appreciated. Some families report excellent social connection tools (video chat, Facebook) and feel the environment supports dignity and quality of life.
Care quality and staff: Reviews diverge sharply here. A substantial number of families rave about attentive, compassionate caregivers who provide individualized attention and above-and-beyond service — including sensitive end-of-life care and good communication. At the same time, many other reviewers describe inconsistent or inadequate care: aides missing basic tasks (teeth brushing, showers), diapers/pads not changed or supplied even when billed, lost hearing aids, and situations where families felt forced to hire private help. Medication errors and mislabeling have been reported. These contrasting reports suggest the presence of committed, excellent frontline staff in some shifts or units, but gaps in consistency across the facility and across time.
Safety and clinical oversight concerns: Several serious complaints point to safety risks — multiple reports of residents falling with delayed assistance, wandering at night, and lack of nighttime supervision. A striking cluster of comments describes infection-control failures, specifically a reported C. diff transmission and nonuse of gowns/gloves by nursing staff, which indicates lapses in clinical protocol adherence. Some reviewers state there is no nurse on payroll or inadequate nursing coverage, and others document long periods without a social director or months with no consistent programming leadership. These clinical and safety comments are among the most consequential themes in the reviews and should be explored directly by prospective families.
Management, staffing and turnover: A recurring, high-priority theme is leadership and staff turnover. Multiple reviewers cite very high executive director and director-of-nursing turnover (examples included in reviews: 9 administrators and 8 directors of nursing since 2017; another cited 10 EDs in 20 months). Reliance on agency staff, frequent use of temporary personnel, and reports of months without key positions filled (social director, consistent nursing leadership) feed perceptions of poor institutional stability. Several reviews explicitly attribute inconsistencies in care and communication to corporate or management failures, and a number of families describe adversarial interactions with administration or office staff.
Dining and amenities: Opinions about dining are mixed. Some families praise meals and weight gain/adequate portioning; others call the food “a joke,” describe limited menu selection, prepackaged snacks, or say they had to bring food in the evenings. Dietary accommodations for progressive decline are described as insufficient by some reviewers. Outdoor space is described variably: some note a garden patio and cookouts, while others note a concrete patio with no shade, restricted outdoor access and a lack of gardens.
Notable operational complaints: Several families reported billing and supply problems (being charged for pads/diapers that were not provided), poor intake or care-planning processes (no intake interview noted by one reviewer), miscommunication around COVID symptoms and contact tracing, and occasional punitive interactions with visiting family members (accusations of kidnapping). Such administrative issues compound clinical and staffing concerns and contribute to the polarized experiences described.
Overall assessment and guidance: Carrington Cottage Memory Care presents as a well-appointed, contemporary community with a number of highly dedicated staff and an engaging activities culture — when the facility is fully staffed and leadership is stable. However, recurring and serious red flags appear repeatedly: chronic understaffing, high leadership turnover, reliance on agency staff, safety incidents (falls, wandering), medication and infection-control lapses, and inconsistent delivery of promised services. Experiences appear highly shift- and time-dependent: some families report exceptional care and peace of mind, while others report neglect and systemic failures.
For prospective families: if you are considering this community, visit multiple times across different days and shifts, ask for current staffing ratios (including RN/LPN coverage and whether nurses are on payroll), inquire about recent leadership tenure and staff turnover, request written infection-control policies and proof of compliance, get documentation on medication handling and incident history, clarify exactly what supplies/services are included in fees, and talk to several families whose loved ones are currently residents. Given the polarity in reviews, on-site verification of staffing, clinical protocols and administrative responsiveness is essential before committing.
