Overall sentiment in these reviews is strongly mixed, with a clear pattern of devoted, compassionate front-line caregivers and an active, appropriately tailored memory-care program contrasted against recurring operational and safety concerns. On the positive side, many reviewers consistently highlight the caring nature of caregivers, individualized attention for dementia patients, and a warm, home-like atmosphere. Families frequently praise the activities team for creating engaging programs and adapting activities to residents’ needs, and many residents reportedly thrive with the food, social programming, and staff relationships. Several reviews emphasize long-term stability in caregiving, low turnover in some wings, helpful leadership, and ongoing facility improvements. Practical conveniences such as on-site hair and nail services, reasonable pricing relative to other Spokane options, and staff who welcome family involvement are recurring strengths.
However, multiple reviews also raise very serious and recurring concerns. Understaffing and a staffing crisis are common themes: reviewers cite overworked, underpaid caregivers and nurses, inconsistent staffing when family members are not present, and visible clustering of staff at the nurse station rather than engaging residents. These staffing issues are linked in several accounts to neglectful outcomes including falls, fractures, pressure ulcers, open wounds, poor oral or personal hygiene, and clothing and laundry problems (dirty clothing or clothes not changed for days). Several families report missing or misplaced personal aids (glasses, uncharged or lost hearing aids). There are multiple claims of poor follow-up and poor communication from management after incidents, including unresponsiveness following falls and delayed or missing reporting of new wounds or weight loss. In a few cases these lapses led families to remove residents from the facility.
Facility cleanliness and environmental safety appear uneven. Many reviewers describe the home as clean, well-kept, and pleasant, while others report a decline in cleanliness with strong negative issues: persistent odors (including fecal smells), dirty carpets, hygiene lapses, and most alarmingly, reports of bedbugs and infestation that prompted room closures and remediation efforts. These environmental concerns, combined with reports of residents left in wet beds and poor in-room hygiene, heighten the safety and infection-control risk profile for some family members. Additional environmental grievances include difficulty adjusting room temperature and reports of staff smoking and alleged favoritism or hostile work environment claims.
Management and administrative practices provoke mixed reactions. Several reviewers felt welcomed at admission and praised administrators and intake staff, while others reported rude behavior from the director, canned or defensive management responses, unresponsiveness to contact attempts, and frustrating refund or billing disputes (including delayed or unissued pro-rata refunds). Price increases and perceptions of corporate cost-cutting contribute to concerns that business practices may be prioritized over frontline staffing and resident care. Admission mismatch complaints (residents admitted despite not being appropriate Alzheimer’s/dementia candidates) were noted in at least one instance and amplified family distrust.
Dining and activities are often cited as bright spots: the meals are described as excellent and enjoyed even by previously picky eaters, and activities generally receive praise for keeping residents active and engaged. Nonetheless, there are a minority of reports indicating insufficient socialization or lack of engagement for some residents. Personalized attention and staff familiarity with residents are frequently lauded, but inconsistencies in these areas — particularly when family members are absent — are a recurring concern.
Patterns to note if you are considering Pine Ridge Alzheimer’s Special Care: the facility demonstrates clear strengths in dementia programming, compassionate individual caregivers, and a homelike environment favored by many families. At the same time, several serious operational issues appear repeatedly across reviews: understaffing, inconsistent care, hygiene and wound-care lapses, problematic communication from administration, and episodic environmental/infestation problems. These patterns suggest that resident experience may vary substantially depending on staffing levels, specific wings or shifts, and how actively families engage with staff and leadership.
If evaluating this facility, prospective families should: (1) directly inquire about current staffing ratios by shift and turnover rates; (2) ask for documented infection-control practices and the history/response plan related to pests/bedbugs; (3) request protocols for fall response, wound care, skin checks, and oral hygiene; (4) clarify laundry and personal-aid management processes (hearing aids, glasses); (5) verify administrative policies for refunds and dispute resolution in writing; and (6) meet key caregiving, nursing, and leadership staff at the times the resident would be most present to gauge consistency. In summary, Pine Ridge appears capable of providing excellent, loving dementia care in many cases, but repeated complaints about staffing, neglect, communication, and cleanliness mean families should perform careful, specific due diligence before moving a loved one in.
