Overall sentiment about Friendly Village Nursing & Rehab is mixed but consistent in certain themes: many reviewers praise the front-line staff—nurses, CNAs, and caregivers—for being caring, considerate, and hardworking, and multiple accounts describe an environment that promotes social engagement, rehabilitation progress, and a warm, home-like feel. Several reviewers specifically note proactive coordination of physical and occupational therapy, good initial preparation for admission, and activities such as church services, choirs, and social lunches that contribute to residents’ quality of life. The facility also has supporters who emphasize cleanliness, friendly staff, and the long-standing role of the facility in the Rhinelander community.
Despite those positive points, a significant and recurring concern is understaffing and its direct consequences. Multiple reviewers report short staffing, rushed staff, and long waits for nurse assistance or response to call lights. These staffing shortages are linked in reviews to lapses in care—residents left waiting or unattended, slow or insufficient responses to urgent needs, and at least one report of a resident screaming for help and being ignored. The contrast between reviewers who experienced attentive, first-class care and those who experienced neglect suggests variability in staffing levels or shift-to-shift performance, rather than a uniformly high level of care.
Medical safety and clinical competence are another area of concern. While some reviewers praise the nursing team, others report staff unfamiliarity with essential equipment (a breathing machine), placing responsibility on the patient, and situations where a timely hospital transfer did not occur. There are also reports of poor or absent physician contact for extended periods (no doctor seen in three weeks), which raises questions about medical oversight for higher-acuity residents. For families with medically complex needs, these accounts indicate the importance of verifying staff competency with specific devices and the facility’s protocols for escalation and hospital transfer.
Dining, laundry, and property management show wide variation in experience. Several reviewers enjoyed appetizing food and social meal times, while others describe unacceptable meals (cold hot dogs, pizzas missing toppings) and inappropriate diabetic meals. There are also troubling reports of clothing or belonging theft. Maintenance issues such as a dresser drawer that would not close and inoperative TVs were mentioned, as were odor and bathroom cleanliness complaints in some accounts, although other reviewers explicitly noted no unpleasant aroma and a very clean facility.
Management and administration receive mixed feedback. The Director of Nursing is mentioned positively by some reviewers, and some families say the facility was well-prepared and communication was prompt. Conversely, other reviewers describe poor administration, declining service over time, and incidents of perceived discrimination based on finances. These conflicting reports suggest that experiences can vary depending on timing, staff on duty, or which administrative personnel are involved. Cost is raised once explicitly ($9,000/month), which, combined with the variable reports on quality, suggests that prospective residents and families should carefully weigh cost against documented service levels.
In summary, Friendly Village Nursing & Rehab appears to offer several strengths: a compassionate core of caregivers, active rehabilitation services, meaningful social programming, and a homelike setting that many families appreciate. However, serious and recurring concerns—most notably short staffing, inconsistent clinical competence, lapses in communication or medical oversight, dining and property-management problems, and occasional hygiene/odor issues—are raised by multiple reviewers. These mixed reports point to significant variability in resident experience. Prospective residents and families should consider visiting multiple times (including evenings/weekends), asking specific questions about staffing ratios, clinical competencies (especially for specialized equipment), physician coverage, incident and theft policies, meal and dietary management, and historical staffing or service-level trends before making decisions.
