Overall sentiment in the reviews is strongly positive: reviewers repeatedly praise St. Mary's Woods for its caring staff, strong clinical support, attractive living spaces, robust social programming, and high-quality dining. Many reviewers emphasize that residents are happy, families are satisfied, and the community fosters a warm, family-like atmosphere. The facility is frequently described as well-maintained, peaceful, and comfortable, with ample amenities and a sense of community that reviewers recommend to others.
Care quality and staff: A dominant theme is the attentive, friendly, and professional staff. Reviews highlight on-site nursing and 24/7 care availability, personalized care plans, a favorable staff-to-resident ratio, and good communication with families. Caregivers and nurses are often characterized as generous, kind, and thorough; several testimonials call out positive interactions and suggest the level of care is superior to other local options. At the same time, a few reviews raise a noteworthy operational concern: when a resident's needs increase substantially (for example, becoming wheelchair-bound), St. Mary's Woods has a policy that can require a move to a higher-acuity sister facility. A small number of reviewers reported that a loved one was asked to leave as their care needs changed. There are also very positive notes about reciprocal priority rehab at Our Lady of Hope and connections to a sister facility for memory and nursing care, which mitigate but do not eliminate the transition concern.
Facilities and living accommodations: Reviewers consistently describe apartments as spacious and well-appointed, with sizes referenced from roughly 450 sq ft to around 1,000 sq ft, and options for one- or two-bedroom units with kitchenettes or full kitchens. Common areas — including a dining room, courtyard, lounge, TV room, library, and chapel — are frequently praised. The setting is described as wooded and peaceful, with good natural light and attractive seasonal decorations. Maintenance is highlighted as prompt and effective, and safety features such as assistance cords are appreciated. A minority of comments note that parts of the building or some rooms are not as new and could benefit from updates; a few reviewers also observed that cleanliness was not uniformly perfect in isolated instances, though overall impressions remain favorable.
Dining and amenities: Food quality is a strong selling point. Reviews repeatedly call the meals varied, substantial, and tasty, often served in a restaurant-style dining room that many residents and families enjoy. Dietary accommodations are available, and reviewers mention highlights such as special Thanksgiving dinners. Residents appreciate the option to dine in the communal dining room or in their apartments, and on-site services like salon/barber, housekeeping/maid service, and ample parking add to convenience and quality of life.
Programs, activities and transportation: Social engagement is a major strength. St. Mary's Woods employs a full-time recreation director and offers a robust calendar with activities such as bridge, movies, bingo, prayer groups, field trips, and weekly outings on a community shuttle. Reviewers frequently attribute residents' improved moods and happiness to the active social program and highlight a strong sense of community among residents.
Management and community character: Management is generally described as professional, responsive, and accommodating — administration is cited as attentive to problems and helpful with transitions. The community is noted as non-profit, smaller in scale, and often preferred by reviewers seeking a more personal, family-like environment. The Catholic identity and on-site spiritual support (chapel, prayer groups, church partnerships) are important positive attributes for residents who value faith-based services.
Notable patterns and concerns: Two recurring limitations are the long waiting list (commonly reported at 6–8 months) and higher-than-average cost; reviewers explicitly describe the community as expensive and note availability constraints tied to its smaller size. Another pattern is the facility's policy on residents whose care needs escalate — while clinical support is strong, some families reported being asked to move when needs became more intensive, which can be disruptive despite the presence of sister facilities and rehab partnerships. A smaller set of reviewers mentioned that some areas could use updates and that, in a few cases, cleanliness fell short of expectations; these comments are infrequent relative to the many positive notes about maintenance and cleanliness.
Bottom line: St. Mary's Woods earns consistently high marks for staff quality, resident satisfaction, apartment size and amenities, dining, and an active social program within a peaceful, faith-based, non-profit setting. Prospective residents and families should weigh the trade-offs: a warm, well-supported community with limited availability and relatively high cost, and a policy that may require relocation if a resident's medical needs increase substantially. For families seeking personalized care, strong social engagement, and a comfortable, well-maintained community with Catholic spiritual services, reviewers overwhelmingly recommend St. Mary's Woods, while advising advance planning for placement due to the waitlist and consideration of long-term care trajectories.
