Overall sentiment across the reviews is mixed and strongly polarized: a substantial number of reviewers praise Chestnut Grove for its caring staff, good food, clean and spacious apartments, and an engaging activities program, while another substantial group raises serious operational, safety, and management concerns. The dominant positive threads describe warm, personal care from specific caregivers and activity staff, frequent activities and outings, and meals that many residents enjoy. Several reviewers emphasize that certain long-term employees and the activities director provide continuity and creativity that make the community feel homey and comfortable. Multiple families report notable improvements in their loved ones and credit staff for easing transitions and delivering personalized attention.
At the same time, a recurring and serious cluster of negative reports centers on staffing and clinical reliability. Many reviewers mention chronic staffing shortages, high turnover, and a "revolving door" of directors and clinical staff. These staffing problems are linked to more concrete safety and quality concerns: multiple accounts allege medication administration failures (medications not given, lost prescriptions, or lapses in reordering), and there are even accusations of nurses or aides sleeping while on duty. Some families attribute decline or hospitalizations to lapses in promised testing or monitoring. These issues indicate inconsistent clinical oversight and raise legitimate safety concerns that prospective families should investigate directly.
Management and leadership are frequently criticized. Several reviewers describe the facility director or administrator as insincere or unresponsive, and many note frequent changes in leadership. Complaints include lack of follow-through on promised tests or actions, opaque communication with families, and the perception that management prioritizes finances over care. Conversely, some reviewers explicitly call out professional management and good communication; this polarization suggests inconsistency in leadership performance over time or uneven experiences between different shifts or units.
Housekeeping and maintenance reports are mixed. Many reviewers describe Chestnut Grove as very clean and pleasant-smelling, and some point to exemplary infection-control measures (notably during COVID-19). Others report lapses: bathrooms not being cleaned weekly, occasional odors (a "weird kitchen smell"), heating problems in apartments, and dated or worn amenities that need upgrades. Outdoor spaces draw mixed reactions as well — some praise a lovely courtyard and sunny rooms, while others find the outdoor area concrete-heavy with little green space.
Dining and activities are among the facility's stronger areas for many reviewers. Multiple comments praise the food as delicious and staff as attentive in the dining room. The activities director receives consistent positive attention for creativity and engagement; many residents reportedly enjoy frequent activities and outings. However, reviewers also cite cancellations (e.g., bingo) and times when activity options are insufficient or a particular resident is not interested in the offered programming. This again points to variability: the activities team can be excellent, but consistency and personalization may vary by day or staff availability.
Staff professionalism and culture produce a bifurcated picture. A number of reviewers describe staff as warm, compassionate, and committed — caregivers who know residents by name and go above and beyond. At the same time, other accounts report rude or unprofessional behavior, including profanity around residents and privacy/confidentiality breaches. Some families explicitly say only a few staff can be relied on, while others highlight continuity of care from long-term employees. Night and evening coverage is a specific pain point: complaints about slow responses after hours and difficulty locating nursing staff for medications or urgent needs appear repeatedly.
Taken together, the reviews suggest Chestnut Grove can offer a high-quality, homelike environment with strong meals and an active social program when staffing and leadership are stable and when specific caregivers are present. However, the facility also has systemic warning signs — repeated medication mishandling, staffing instability, leadership turnover, and instances of neglect or unprofessional conduct — that create meaningful risk and uncertainty. Prospective residents and families would be wise to tour during multiple times of day (including evenings), ask direct questions about night-shift staffing, medication management protocols, director tenure and turnover, housekeeping schedules, recent health department inspections, and how the facility handles staff performance and incident follow-up. Reviewing concrete evidence of staff training, recent staffing ratios, and medication reconciliation practices would help clarify how consistently Chestnut Grove delivers the positive experiences described by many reviewers versus the significant problems reported by others.
