Overall sentiment in the reviews for Eastern Star Masonic Retirement Campus is highly polarized. A substantial number of reviewers praise the campus for warm, genuinely caring staff, immaculate grounds and facilities (particularly the newer wing), a robust activities program, and a range of housing and care options including on-site memory care and independent cottages. Many families specifically cite staff members (e.g., Rose, Nola, Rick) and frontline aides for their compassion, personal attention, and ability to create dignity and respect for residents. The campus is credited with providing peace of mind for many families, with frequent positive references to family-friendly dining, memorable meals, kitchen staff who remember preferences, easy move-in processes, and attractive outdoor spaces like gardens, walking trails and private yards. The variety of living choices (cottages, patio homes, duplexes, single-floor memory community) and amenities (big kitchens, washers/dryers, garages, accessible showers) are repeatedly highlighted as strengths that make it feel homey rather than institutional.
However, the reviews also contain multiple, very serious negative reports that cannot be overlooked. Several accounts describe critical lapses in care — medication errors or mismanagement, failure to notify families when medical issues occurred, hospitalizations, compression fractures, and at least one allegation of a resident being found in distress in a hallway and subsequently dying related to a hip injury. There are reports of an unlicensed nurse on duty, an executive allegedly sleeping in an office, jokes by management about staff/patients, and claims that leadership (named in some reviews as Larry and Kelley/Kelly) was unprofessional or dismissive. Some reviewers describe a deteriorated or abandoned atmosphere in older parts of the campus and say staff turnover and inconsistent personnel have led to unreliable care. These reports create strong safety and management concerns that contrast sharply with the glowing testimonials.
Patterns in the reviews suggest a real divide between the experiences of families who interact mainly with the newer wing, the activities/kitchen teams, and certain dedicated caregivers, versus those whose experiences were centered in older facilities, memory care units with reported problems, or during periods of managerial instability. Multiple reviewers note excellent cleanliness, helpful floor staff, and prompt problem resolution in many instances, while others report poor communication, ignored doctor communications, and a lack of follow-up. Dining is generally praised by many, but some found the food institutional or inconsistent. Transportation is offered (bus to appointments/shopping) but a few reviewers suggested transportation options could be expanded or were variable in practice. Waitlists for all unit types were mentioned repeatedly, indicating demand but also posing an access barrier.
Given the mixture of strong positives and serious negatives, prospective residents and families should do targeted due diligence. Recommended steps include: touring both the new and older wings in person and observing staffing levels and interactions; asking directly about medication administration procedures, nurse licensing, emergency protocols, and how the facility notifies families of incidents; requesting recent staffing turnover rates and background on administrator and nursing leadership; checking state inspection reports and complaint history; speaking with current resident families (especially those in the memory care unit if that is a need); confirming specifics about transportation schedules, pet policies, waitlist expectations, costs and subsidy availability; and asking how the facility manages transitions between levels of care. The presence of numerous heartfelt endorsements and examples of excellent care implies that many residents thrive at Eastern Star, but the repeated serious allegations around clinical oversight and management warrant careful inquiry before committing.
In summary, Eastern Star Masonic Retirement Campus shows many attributes of a high-quality senior living community — caring direct-care staff, excellent cleanliness, attractive grounds and housing options, and an active, social environment. At the same time, several reviews raise major concerns about medication safety, neglect, managerial competence, and inconsistent care quality in certain units or time periods. Those positives and negatives are both prominent themes; families should weigh the glowing testimonials and the red-flag reports equally and verify current conditions and leadership practices through thorough, specific questions and inspections prior to making a decision.
