Overall sentiment across the reviews is predominantly positive about Fairlawn Retirement Community, with repeated praise for the facility’s appearance, community atmosphere, therapeutic services, and many aspects of staff performance. Multiple reviewers described the property as beautiful, very clean, and well kept. Many comments highlight a family-like, faith-based culture with engaged, smiling residents and staff who treat residents with warmth and compassion. The community offers a variety of housing options (duplexes, independent living apartments, leased units, assisted living, and skilled nursing), which reviewers note as a strength for people seeking different levels of care within one campus.
Care quality is a prominent theme with mostly favorable impressions: several reviewers singled out outstanding physical, occupational, and speech therapy and strongly recommended the rehabilitation services. Others praised nursing staff for being skilled, kind, communicative, and attentive, including positive experiences with hospice coordination and clear communication about resident conditions. Many accounts emphasize safety, comfort, and a sense that residents’ well-being is prioritized. That said, there is a notable and serious minority of reviews that report poor nursing-home level care. These negative accounts allege neglect, staff sleeping on the job, infections, and even fatal outcomes attributed by a reviewer to facility care. Because these are significant claims, they stand out amid otherwise positive feedback and create a mixed overall picture of nursing/skilled care consistency.
Staff performance is one of the most frequently mentioned positives: reviewers commonly describe staff as friendly, caring, affectionate, attentive, and professional. Several reviewers reported meaningful time spent with loved ones by staff and effective use of communication tools such as Skype. Entry and reception processes received positive notes as well—guests felt welcomed and assisted with check-in procedures. Conversely, some visitors reported rude staff behavior and noted staffing shortages, particularly connected to the pandemic. A few reviews explicitly raised concerns about agency staff and management decisions regarding personnel, which suggests variability in staffing quality across units or shifts.
Facilities, amenities, dining, and activities are generally praised. Multiple reviewers reported large, bright, hotel-like rooms in some units, good food, a wide array of activities, and regular chapel services (three times per week) that support the faith-based atmosphere. Other reviewers, however, described small, crowded rooms with limited closet space—indicating that room size and layout can vary between units. The campus atmosphere, programming, and resident engagement were commonly described as lively and supportive, and some reviewers highlighted a special care unit and an “amazing atmosphere.”
Management, operations, and safety measures receive mixed commentary. Positive notes include a helpful, calming, and professional approach from staff and good entry processes like COVID screening. Several reviewers described staff as responsive and courteous with a calming demeanor described as “gold standard” by at least one reviewer. On the other hand, a few reviews allege serious management issues tied to staff retention and response to neglect. There are also reported pandemic-era staffing challenges that have impacted perceptions of responsiveness in some cases. These conflicting observations suggest that administrative oversight and staffing levels may vary over time or by unit.
Patterns and recommendations based on these reviews: the dominant pattern is a well-maintained, community-centered campus with many caring staff members and strong rehabilitative services. However, the presence of several serious negative accounts—particularly about nursing-home level care and alleged neglect—means prospective residents and families should do targeted due diligence. Recommended steps include touring the specific unit(s) of interest to confirm room sizes and condition, asking about recent staffing levels and turnover (including use of agency staff), inquiring about infection-control history and outcomes, confirming therapy and hospice capabilities, and seeking references from current families in the same care level. Given the mixed reports, firsthand observation and direct questions to management will best clarify whether Fairlawn’s strengths (therapies, cleanliness, activities, compassionate staff) align with a particular family’s priorities and whether any concerns raised in the negative reviews have been addressed.
