Overall sentiment across the reviews is strongly positive about staff and the social life at Eastern Star Masonic Home, with many reviewers emphasizing compassionate, attentive caregivers, helpful CNAs, and nursing staff who are responsive and engaged. Multiple comments single out specific employees by name and describe 24/7 nursing coverage and good rehabilitation services. Families repeatedly note that staff go above and beyond, keep them informed, and provide meaningful support during the decision-making and transition process. This consistent praise for personnel and individualized attention is the clearest strength running through the reviews.
The facility offers a broad set of services and amenities that reviewers appreciate. Eastern Star is an all-in-one campus with independent living, assisted living, long-term care, and a memory care unit, which many families find convenient. Residents and visitors frequently mention attractive grounds and indoor features such as a courtyard, pond, fountain, atrium, flowers, and bird life. On-site amenities and programming are robust: reviewers report an active activities program with bingo, cards, singing, birthdays, school performances, Wii and computer access, a resident-run thrift shop, outings (shopping, fishing), and family-oriented events like potlucks and trick-or-treat. These offerings contribute to an engaged, family-friendly atmosphere and a sense of community.
Dining receives mixed but informative feedback. Several reviewers praise the dining setup for offering multiple choices per meal and a casual dining atmosphere; others indicate meals can be inconsistent—some are very good while others are only average or bland. A number of reviewers specifically note that menus sometimes seem too spicy or not well-suited to older residents' digestive needs, and there are comments about limited variation. One reviewer raised a food-safety concern (moldy buns). Overall, food appears to be acceptable to many residents with room for improvement in consistency and senior-specific menu planning.
Room quality and physical accommodations show variation in experiences. Many reviewers state rooms are clean and neat, but others describe lower-quality rooms, a hodge-podge building layout, and situations where some residents do not have private bathrooms. A few families felt room quality did not match cost. There are also several reports about administrative or placement issues: one reviewer said a resident was moved into memory care too soon and had a private room reassigned to someone else. These operational concerns appear less common than the positive reports but are notable because they affect trust and satisfaction.
A small number of reviews contain serious negative claims, including alleged neglect, leaving a resident unattended in a wheelchair, and accusations of dishonesty by staff. These reports are not the majority but are significant and should be weighed by prospective families. Other logistical complaints include that the facility can feel busy or full, which some interpret as limited direct staff interaction at times. Taken together, these criticisms point toward occasional lapses in consistency of care or communication rather than a pervasive pattern across all reviewers.
In summary, the dominant themes are strong, compassionate staff, active programming, attractive grounds, and the convenience of a comprehensive campus offering multiple levels of care. Dining and room quality are mixed and are the areas most frequently mentioned for improvement—menu consistency, senior-appropriate meal planning, private bathroom availability, and uniform room standards. A few reviewers report serious concerns about care and administrative practices; these appear isolated but important. Prospective residents and families should consider visiting, ask specific questions about private bathrooms and room assignments, review meal plans and sample menus, discuss staffing ratios and incident reporting practices, and inquire about policies for transitions into memory care to get a clear, current sense of how the facility matches their needs.
