Overall sentiment: Reviews of Friendship Haven are strongly positive across many independent sources, with frequent praise for the staff, care continuum, campus amenities and the attractiveness of living units. Most reviewers describe the community as clean, well maintained and professionally run, with a breadth of services that allow residents to "age in place" from independent townhomes through assisted living and skilled nursing, including end-of-life care. Many families call Friendship Haven a first-class or best-in-class facility, citing warm social environments and repeated celebrations (for example a 50-year celebration) as evidence of an active, engaged community.
Care quality and staff: The most consistent praise goes to the caregiving staff: descriptors such as "caring," "compassionate," "helpful," "well-trained" and "attentive" appear repeatedly. Reviewers report knowledgeable nursing and therapy staff, helpful answers to questions, and families expressing gratitude for end-of-life care and peace of mind. That said, several reviews describe a change over time — staff who were initially described as inviting and warm later felt rushed, and there are multiple notes about higher turnover and management pressure affecting culture. COVID-era staffing challenges were explicitly mentioned as a stressor. Other recurring concerns include isolated reports that family requests were sometimes not followed and some complaints about communication delays or ignored inquiries.
Facilities, accessibility and campus amenities: Friendship Haven receives high marks for its physical plant. Many reviews cite large private rooms or apartments (some with kitchenettes and large closets), wide hallways and doorways, bathrooms with handrails, and generally roomy and accessible design. The campus is described as beautiful, well-kept, nicely decorated and newly constructed in parts. On-site amenities are extensive: an indoor pool with frequent water aerobics, whirlpool/hot tub, gym and exercise rooms, physical therapy and spa, library, beauty salon, store/coffee shop/gift shop, church, conference/party rooms, seating areas (including an area with birds), and outdoor spaces (gazebo, fire pit, benches). The breadth of activities and physical amenities is a major selling point and is frequently cited by residents and families as a key benefit.
Dining and activities: Dining receives generally favorable comments — many reviewers call the food "excellent" with variety and options, and note accommodations for diet preferences and in-unit dining. However, this is not unanimous: some family members specifically complained about meals (one summary said "mom complains about meals"), and a few reviews mention meal charges or uncertainty about what is included. Activities and programming are highlighted as robust: exercise classes, pool activities, line dancing, balance and brain classes, writing groups, bingo, pool table and many social events. Residents’ descriptions of being socially engaged, happy and forming friendships are repeated frequently.
Costs, policies and transparency: A clear pattern in the reviews is tension around cost and transparency. Multiple reviewers call Friendship Haven "expensive" or "pricey," cite high monthly costs (one review summarized a monthly cost of $3,300), and describe buy-in requirements or decisions to move to less expensive rooms. Several reviewers also raised concerns about unclear pricing, extra charges for meals and charges for nurse check-ins, and general uncertainty about what fees cover. These financial and contractual aspects appear to be an important factor for prospective residents and families to clarify directly with the facility.
Management, communication and isolated concerns: While many reviews praise overall organization and management, a meaningful subset of reviews raise issues about administration and policies. Reported problems include high staff turnover, management demands that allegedly changed staff culture, poor or slow communication with families, and certain flagged concerns described as policy violations or workplace environment issues. A few reviews raise serious but isolated allegations such as staff theft risk and urine odor in areas of the building. These issues are not uniformly reported but recur enough to merit attention and follow-up during tours or intake conversations. COVID-related staffing and restriction changes were also mentioned as disruptive in some reviews, though other notes indicate COVID restrictions have been lifted.
Net assessment and recommendations: Friendship Haven presents itself as a comprehensive, amenity-rich, and largely well-run senior living campus with strong clinical and social offerings and many satisfied residents and families. Its strengths are most pronounced in caregiving staff quality (overall), facility amenities, accessibility, and the ability to serve residents across all phases of aging. Prospective residents should plan to clarify the cost structure (monthly fees versus buy-in, what services are included, meal/nurse check-in charges), ask about turnover and staff continuity in the specific care neighborhood they are considering, and inspect for cleanliness and any construction impacts on views or access. During a visit, ask for written fee schedules, observe mealtime and activity periods, and speak directly with current residents and families about recent staff consistency and response to resident requests. These steps will help balance the overwhelmingly positive reports with the documented concerns about cost transparency, communication and occasional operational issues.
