AnonymousLoved one of resident
    3.0

    Clean facility but management issues

    I had a mostly positive experience: clean, modern facility with roomy units, outdoor sitting areas and a walking path, good food, affordable pricing, and many helpful, friendly staff - my dad is happy. However, management is inconsistent: an absentee/rigid administrator, poor staff oversight, schedule manipulation and unprofessional incidents (including a dog left in a bathroom for 10+ hours) raised serious safety concerns. I appreciate the genuinely caring staff but can't fully recommend the caregiving/management until leadership improves.

    Pricing

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    Amenities

    4.00 · 8 reviews

    Overall rating

    1. 5
    2. 4
    3. 3
    4. 2
    5. 1
    • Care

      4.7
    • Staff

      4.0
    • Meals

      4.0
    • Amenities

      4.0
    • Value

      5.0

    Pros

    • Spacious rooms and varied floor plans
    • Outdoor sitting areas and walking path
    • Private in-unit living space
    • Friendly, social residents
    • Modern, up-to-date facility
    • Good food and well-managed diets
    • Clean and well-run
    • Affordable
    • Helpful, caring and courteous staff
    • Positive family recommendations and satisfied residents

    Cons

    • Poor staff management and absentee administration
    • Schedule manipulation and unprofessional behavior by some staff
    • Serious safety/animal-welfare incident (dog left unattended 10+ hours)
    • Conflicting reports about administration (rigid vs. amazing)
    • At least one reviewer does not recommend the facility

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment in the reviews is mixed but leans positive on the direct resident experience and the physical environment while raising notable concerns about management consistency and at least one serious safety incident. Multiple reviewers emphasize that the facility is clean, modern, and affordable, with good-sized units and a variety of floor plans that allow privacy and personal space. Outdoor features such as sitting areas and a walking path around the building are consistently praised and contribute to a social atmosphere among residents.

    Facilities and amenities are among the most positively described aspects. Reviewers highlight roomy units, different floor plan options, and a generally modern, up-to-date appearance. Cleanliness and being "well-run" are repeated phrases. The presence of outdoor sitting areas and a walkable path around the building is noted as a benefit for both exercise and socialization. Affordability is explicitly mentioned by at least one reviewer, which, combined with the positive remarks about cleanliness and maintenance, makes the facility attractive from a value perspective.

    Dining and social life receive strong marks. Several reviewers single out good food and well-managed dietary needs, and multiple comments point to a friendly, social resident community. This suggests the facility supports communal activities or at least an environment that encourages interaction, which is important for many prospective residents. The existence of friendly residents and a social atmosphere is a recurring positive theme and complements the physical amenities like outdoor spaces.

    Staff quality and direct care are predominantly praised: reviewers describe staff as helpful, caring, courteous, and genuinely concerned for residents. Several families report that their relatives are happy and would highly recommend the facility. Positive, personal impressions include phrases such as "wonderful staff," "great experience," and being "very impressed," even naming the administrator positively in at least one review.

    However, a clear and significant countervailing theme is concern about management and administrative behavior. Multiple reviews allege poor staff management, an absentee administrator, schedule manipulation, and unprofessional conduct. One review explicitly recounts a disturbing incident in which a dog was left in a bathroom for more than ten hours—a specific and serious safety and welfare concern. These complaints stand in marked contrast to other reviewers who praise the administrator and management, indicating inconsistency in leadership or variability in experiences over time or between different units/shifts.

    The pattern suggests two simultaneous realities: day-to-day caregiving and the physical environment are often strong and appreciated by residents and families, while organizational and managerial issues occasionally undermine trust. The conflicting descriptions of administration—some calling the administrator "amazing" and others describing absentee or rigid behavior—point to uneven management performance or differing expectations among reviewers.

    For prospective residents and families, the reviews indicate it would be prudent to verify current management stability, ask about incident reporting and staff oversight, and request recent references from current families. At the same time, visitors can reasonably expect a clean, modern facility with pleasant outdoor spaces, good dining options, and many staff who are caring and courteous. The single serious safety incident reported in these summaries is significant and should be specifically explored with facility leadership during a tour or meeting to understand what happened and what corrective actions were taken.

    Location

    Map showing location of Essex

    About Essex

    Essex offers a family-like setting for up to 12 seniors, with studio, one-bedroom, and shared rooms, each with a private bathroom and individual climate control, so folks are comfortable no matter the season, and with the resident age requirement at 55, you can expect a quieter environment, and the live-in administrator handles tough issues as they come up, while certified staff stay awake and on duty 24 hours a day to help with medication reminders, transfers, emergencies, and personal care needs. Meals are a big priority here, as the culinary team prepares three nutritious meals daily, with menus tailored to different tastes and dietary needs, and snacks are available too, and you'll find a dining room where folks gather, plus guest meals are on offer, making it easy for visitors to join. When it comes to health, Essex provides a whole range of care, including assisted living, Alzheimer's and memory care, home care, adult day care with Day Watch programs, skilled nursing care, hospice for end-of-life support, and respite care for short-term stays, so there's flexibility to match changing health needs, and visiting nurses, podiatrists, therapists, and a doctor on call help keep health care close at hand. For day-to-day living, Essex handles laundry, housekeeping, and medication management, and there are emergency call systems in each room, with accessible bathrooms for safety, and staff offer advice and planning to help families find the right care level, from light assistance to heavy support, with diabetic, incontinence, and non-ambulatory care available too. The community's got both indoor and outdoor common areas, so seniors can socialize, play games, or relax, and there are scheduled activities like birthday parties, movies, field trips, and spiritual services onsite and offsite, helping folks stay connected, while a full-time activities director keeps things moving, and transportation is available for a fee or you can use the nearby busline and parking lot if you drive. Pets, including cats and dogs, are allowed, so there's a bit of life and comfort in the halls, and with amenities like a beauty salon, guest services, and easy access to groceries, banks, and restaurants, daily errands are manageable. Independent living options let more active seniors keep their routines, while personal care homes across the Essex network mean some folks live in smaller houses with fewer than ten people, giving things a more intimate, homey feel, and Essex accepts a range of payment options including private pay, social security, VA benefits, and insurance, and the average monthly rate for a one-bedroom assisted living room runs about $1,915, plus fees for community, respite, or buy-in as needed. With community features like a colonial-style building, green spaces, and plenty of parking, Essex aims to make life easier for seniors looking for comfort, care, and a bit of peace as they age, so folks can see for themselves during scheduled tours that show what goes on day to day in this small, closely-knit community.

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