Overall sentiment: Reviews for Five Star Premier Residences of Teaneck are overwhelmingly positive about the community’s atmosphere, staffing, leadership and amenities, but contain a meaningful number of serious and specific concerns that prospective residents and families should investigate. The dominant impression across the summaries is of a warm, welcoming, and active independent/senior-living community where many residents form strong friendships, participate in a wide variety of social programs, and enjoy attentive day-to-day service. Numerous reviewers explicitly praised the sales and move-in experience, citing smooth transitions and helpful coordination from staff. The facility’s appearance, cleanliness and grounds are repeatedly described as elegant, well maintained and pleasant, with standout common spaces such as a Wintergarden with a piano, library, and event rooms. Many families reported peace of mind from long-tenured staff and visible leadership presence.
Staffing and care quality: The single strongest recurring pro is staff — many reviews describe staff as compassionate, professional, individualized in their attention, and willing to go above and beyond. Leadership (Executive Director, Activities Director, Nursing Director in some reports) is often singled out for excellence, with reviewers saying staff know residents’ preferences and provide genuinely personalized care. At the same time, there are repeated and sometimes serious allegations of inconsistent or negligent nursing care. While several reviewers praise an “exemplary Nursing Director” and high-quality clinical oversight, others reported medication changes they believed led to decline, an early-morning wheelchair incident, alleged unauthorized psychiatric involvement, and in one summary a death tied to care concerns. There are also multiple reports of aide theft or unprofessional outside agency staff; some families attribute problems to contract/agency employees rather than in-house staff. Bottom line: overall caregiving is seen as a major strength by many, but there is a non-trivial pattern of serious clinical and safety concerns reported by other families that should be clarified directly with management.
Dining and nutrition: Dining reviewer opinions vary widely and are an important area of inconsistency. Many reviewers celebrated the food — calling it “excellent,” “unbelievable menus,” and saying it was the best they had experienced. At the same time, numerous summaries complained of poorly prepared meals (undercooked or overcooked), universal complaints about food quality from some families, and concerns about meal planning for special diets such as diabetics. Several reviewers explicitly described conflicting experiences in the same community: some households report wonderful, personalized meals while others describe persistent issues. Prospective residents should request current menus, sample meals, and clarification about accommodating medical dietary restrictions.
Activities and social life: Activity programming is a clear strength. Reviews repeatedly mention an active calendar — games, puzzles, bridge, crochet, fashion shows, piano performances, special holiday parties, exercise classes, talks, movie nights, trips and group excursions. Residents often report robust social networks and numerous friends, and families praise the positive effect this has on morale and independence. A few families did note that some residents felt awkward or left out and wished for better structured introductions for new residents; a couple mentioned staff occasionally pushing participation. Overall, programming is a well-regarded part of the community’s value proposition.
Facilities, apartments and amenities: The building and grounds receive consistent praise for being elegant, clean and well-kept, with many reviewers appreciating sunny apartments, good layouts, and proximity to local restaurants, stores and parks. Some negative notes include small apartment sizes for certain units, exterior views of parking lots or traffic from some apartments, and the lack of a swimming pool for those who want it. Maintenance responsiveness appears mixed: while many say issues are resolved quickly, there are specific reports of unresolved hot-water problems for elderly residents and instances where management was unresponsive.
Operations, communication and management: Sales, move-in and concierge services are frequently lauded, with many reviewers naming specific staff members and describing a smooth transition process. Leadership is also often credited with compassionate handling of end-of-life and family communications. However, communication gaps between nursing staff and families are a recurring complaint, and a few reviewers called out particular HR/management staff as disrespectful. There are also notes about renovation notices being insufficient and about lack of proactive checking on residents. Overall, administrative responsiveness is generally positive but inconsistent in areas that concern medical families or those with maintenance needs.
Safety, infection response and pandemic handling: The community’s handling of COVID-era precautions and other infection-control responses generally drew praise. One Norovirus quarantine was noted, but reviewers said the facility implemented precautionary plans and ran them smoothly, with meals delivered and operations managed well. This indicates reasonably strong operational protocols for outbreaks, though families should still confirm current infection-control practices.
Cost, access and limitations: Cost and pricing are a frequent downside: many reviewers flagged the community as expensive and noted price increases. Some found value for the amenities and service while others raised affordability concerns. A small number of reviewers mentioned Medicaid restrictions and access limitations, which could be important for families relying on long-term public coverage. Transportation is available but reviewers reported limitations and occasional poor transport service to medical appointments.
Notable patterns and recommendations: In synthesis, Five Star Premier Residences of Teaneck consistently scores high for ambiance, social programming, many aspects of staffing, leadership presence, and facility upkeep. The primary negative patterns to investigate further are (1) variability in clinical/nursing quality and several serious allegations; (2) inconsistent dining quality and dietary accommodations; (3) occasional maintenance and communications lapses; (4) affordability and pricing concerns; and (5) problems attributed to outside agency staff. Prospective residents and families should: (a) ask to meet nursing leadership and clarify clinical staffing ratios and oversight, (b) request recent sample menus and procedures for special diets, (c) inquire about turnover and the use of agency aides and what vetting is done, (d) confirm responsiveness for maintenance requests and examples of recent resolutions, (e) tour multiple apartment types to compare sizes, views and distances to elevators, and (f) get a written summary of all fees and recent rate history.
Overall recommendation: Many reviewers highly recommend the community, praising it as a comfortable, active and compassionate home where residents thrive socially and receive loving daily attention. However, because of recurring reports of serious care lapses and inconsistent service in vital areas like nursing and food, families should perform targeted due diligence on clinical oversight, agency staffing, and specific service guarantees before committing. If leadership and in-house clinical staff remain as highly praised as many reviewers report, the community offers a strong, well-rounded senior-living option; if the concerning reports reflect ongoing issues in areas you prioritize, those should be resolved to your satisfaction in writing prior to move-in.