Masonic Village at Elizabethtown

    1 Masonic Dr, Elizabethtown, PA, 17022
    • Independent living
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousCurrent/former resident
    4.0

    Beautiful campus, caring staff, pricey

    I moved here and am very pleased overall. The 1,400-acre campus is stunning and impeccably kept with walking trails, pools, a fitness center, gardens and multiple dining venues - the food is consistently very good. Staff are friendly, caring and responsive; on-site doctors, rehab and hospice care give me real peace of mind. There are endless activities, classes and trips so I'm never bored. The community blends historic charm with new construction and spacious common areas, though some apartments feel small and dark. It's excellent but pricey, with occasional scheduling/billing hiccups and renovation disruptions; still, for me the amenities, staff and sense of security make it worth it.

    Pricing

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    Amenities

    4.67 · 204 reviews

    Overall rating

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

      4.8
    • Staff

      4.8
    • Meals

      4.5
    • Amenities

      4.8
    • Value

      3.5

    Pros

    • Excellent, varied dining with multiple venues
    • High-quality, cruise-ship-like meals and generous portions
    • On-site medical center, doctors, dental clinic, lab and rehab services
    • Comprehensive continuum of care from independent living to skilled nursing
    • Extensive on-campus amenities (bank, post office, pharmacy, salon, market)
    • Resort-style facilities: pools, spa, fitness center and wellness center
    • Beautiful, meticulously maintained 1,400-acre campus and landscaping
    • Wide range of activities, clubs, concerts, lectures and organized trips
    • Responsive, caring and professional staff (admissions, caregivers, therapists)
    • Maintenance-free living with prompt maintenance and snow removal
    • Periodic apartment/cottage cleaning service (bi-weekly/bi-monthly)
    • Shuttle and transportation services for errands, labs and outings
    • Variety of housing options: cottages, townhouses, apartments, garages/patios
    • Pet-friendly policies and animal-therapy/resident-animal interactions
    • 24/7 security, safety procedures and guaranteed lifetime/continuing care
    • Strong move-in assistance and resident mentoring programs
    • On-campus retail and conveniences (gift shop, mini-market, farmers market)
    • Active social life and many opportunities to meet neighbors
    • Highly regarded transitional care and physical therapy/rehab
    • Robust spiritual and arts programming (chapel services, music programs, art studio)

    Cons

    • High entry fees and expensive monthly costs for many residents
    • Long wait lists for cottages, care units and certain services
    • Occasional billing errors and administrative inconveniences
    • Reports of short staffing and times with limited nursing coverage
    • Isolated but serious allegations of neglect, abuse and forced transfers
    • Admissions/placement process described as challenging or restrictive
    • Some older apartments described as small, dark or cramped
    • Periodic disruptions and logistical issues during renovations
    • COVID-era restrictions reduced participation in activities for some
    • Perceived limited ethnic/racial diversity among residents
    • Mixed food reports in a few cases despite overall praise
    • Distance from some families or communities (facility perceived as far by some)

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment: Reviews portray Masonic Village at Elizabethtown as a highly resourced and well-regarded continuing care retirement community (CCRC) with overwhelmingly positive feedback about the campus, services and staff. The dominant themes are excellent dining options, an extraordinary breadth of on-site amenities, beautiful and meticulously maintained grounds, a strong continuum of medical and rehabilitative care, and a lively activity and social calendar. Many residents and family members report a sense of security, peace of mind and satisfaction with day-to-day life; move-in experiences are often described as smooth with strong assistance from admissions and mentoring from resident volunteers.

    Care quality and medical services: The reviews consistently commend the on-site medical center, access to primary care, dental clinic and rehab/PCU services. Transitional care and physical therapy receive repeated praise for facilitating returns to independent living and for delivering high-quality rehabilitation. Many reviewers note that being able to access prompt medical attention on-campus is a major selling point and provides important peace of mind. At the same time, there are several divergent accounts: while many families describe compassionate, family-like care in the final months of life, a small number of reviews report deeply concerning, isolated incidents alleging neglect, mistreatment, forced transfers and visitation restrictions that required legal involvement. These serious negative reports are rare relative to the volume of positive comments but are significant and merit attention from prospective residents and families.

    Staff, admissions and operations: Across the reviews, staff—from admissions and marketing to dining staff, therapists and security—are most frequently described as kind, patient, helpful and responsive. Residents mention specific supportive touches such as assigned mentors to ease transitions, detailed move-in support, quick maintenance response (including snow removal), and attentive dining/service staff. Admissions staff get numerous compliments for being informative and thorough. Operationally, the community provides maintenance-free living, periodic apartment cleaning, shuttle services, and many in-building conveniences. However, some reviews note administrative drawbacks such as occasional billing errors, a challenging or slow admissions/placement process, and periodic staffing shortages (e.g., no nurse on a given floor) that have affected some resident experiences.

    Facilities, dining and amenities: The campus is repeatedly described as resort-like—large (1,400 acres), beautifully landscaped, and immaculately maintained—with walking trails, gardens, ponds and abundant outdoor space. Housing options are diverse: cottages with garages and patios, townhouses, apartments and newly remodeled units. Recreational amenities are robust: multiple dining rooms (often cited as six or seven venues), pools, spa, fitness center, art studio, music and worship spaces, libraries, gift shops, farmers market, and specialized shops. Dining is a standout feature for many reviewers: frequent praise for variety, quality, portion sizes and the social nature of shared meals. On the other hand, a few residents report average or poor experiences with food or comment that some older apartment units are small or dark.

    Activities, social life and culture: Social programming is extensive—daily activities, clubs, concerts, lectures, craft classes, bus trips and holiday events are mentioned repeatedly. Residents report forming friendships quickly, benefiting from resident mentors, and enjoying abundant opportunities for engagement. The community's music and spiritual programs (multiple choruses, chapel services) receive particular praise. A few reviewers expressed a desire for greater ethnic and racial diversity among the resident population, indicating room for broader inclusivity efforts.

    Costs, access and risk patterns: Cost is a recurrent concern. Multiple reviews emphasize high upfront entry fees and ongoing monthly charges, with some calling the community expensive or cost-prohibitive despite acknowledging value in services and care continuity. Wait lists for cottages, care units and particular services are also frequently mentioned, which can delay moves or transitions. Administrative issues such as billing errors have been reported by some residents. While most reports of staffing and care are positive, the presence of isolated but severe allegations regarding neglect, abuse or contentious transitions to higher levels of care should be considered by prospective residents; these reports are not the norm in the reviews but are serious enough to warrant inquiry during tours and admissions conversations.

    Summary assessment and guidance for prospective residents: Masonic Village at Elizabethtown is consistently described as a best-in-class, full-service CCRC with an extraordinary campus, top-tier amenities, diverse housing options and an active social environment. It appears particularly strong in dining, campus maintenance, move-in support, on-site health services and recreational programming. Prospective residents should be prepared for significant costs and potential wait lists, ask detailed questions about fees and billing practices, clarify timelines for accessing specific housing or care levels, and inquire about staff-to-resident ratios and safeguards in clinical areas. Given the few but serious negative reports, families should also ask about incident reporting, resident grievance processes, oversight of care transitions and visitation policies. For many reviewers the combination of beautiful grounds, wide-ranging amenities, strong medical services and an engaged staff made Masonic Village a highly recommended choice; for others, cost, access timing and isolated operational/clinical concerns tempered enthusiasm. Overall, the predominant picture across reviews is one of high resident satisfaction, rich resources and a caring community, balanced with practical cautions about price, availability and the importance of verifying clinical safeguards before committing.

    Location

    Map showing location of Masonic Village at Elizabethtown

    About Masonic Village at Elizabethtown

    Masonic Village at Elizabethtown covers 1,400 acres of Lancaster County farmland with walking paths, gardens, and scenic ponds where people like to sit and talk or just enjoy the outdoors. The community offers a wide variety of living options, including apartments, villas, cottages, townhomes, studios, and suites, with one-bedroom, two-bedroom, semi-private, and studio layouts, and all the residences come equipped with kitchens, washers and dryers, dishwashers, and safety features like smoke detectors, so people can stay comfortable and independent as long as possible. The grounds have state-of-the-art facilities such as the Baird Wellness Center, three pools for swimming and aquatic classes, fitness centers where folks take classes or work with personal trainers, and community rooms for social gatherings and activities, which can be anything from clubs and trips to hobby groups and resident organizations.

    Dining options include several restaurants, bistros, cafés, and a tavern, and meals are planned by dietitians and chefs to make sure everyone's eating well and can just relax at mealtime, while laundry and housekeeping help take care of the chores so residents can do more of what they like. There are also services like meal planning and preparation, emergency support, scheduled transportation to appointments or outings, along with beauty and barbershop services right on campus. Folks are supported by helpful and kind staff who are available 24 hours a day and can help with anything from medication to transferring from bed to wheelchair to monitoring insulin, and the entire environment stays clean and friendly, which makes people feel at home.

    For health needs, there's personal care, skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and transitional care, with independent living offerings for people who don't need daily help and memory support services for those living with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia. The Sarah A. Todd Memorial Home, a nonprofit retirement community on campus, provides nursing care and independent living, and Masonic Village also has the Bleiler Caring Cottage for additional support. Medicare and Medicaid approval gives people more flexibility with payment, and besides private pay, the community accepts social security, veteran's benefits, and private insurance, though there are fees for care levels, community use, and second persons, so everything stays clear and organized.

    The staff's focus is always on compassion, quality of life, and helping folks stay engaged, with activities planned to help residents keep moving, socializing, and learning, and if someone wants to attend worship services, Sell Chapel offers non-denominational and spiritual gatherings. Spiritually and emotionally, there's counseling, bereavement support, and advance care planning, while the home also supports caregivers and even has programs for grieving children, plus the We Honor Veterans program for those needing specialized care at the end of life. Hospice and palliative care use a team approach with board-certified doctors, nurse practitioners, social workers, and volunteers who spend time with residents through programs like Special Moments, where they help fulfill simple wishes during difficult times.

    There's a children's home and child care center, and pharmacy services are right on campus, available to both residents and the community, while transitional care and outreach services make it easier for people coming in temporarily. Home care, home health, and companionship services are offered through the wider Masonic Village network, for seniors who want or need to stay in their own homes nearby. The facility promotes wellness through active social and physical lifestyles, and there's a strong sense of community fostered by the many shared spaces, clubs, and resident-led events.

    The facility's approach feels both careful and flexible, adapting to changing needs so residents can age in place and feel secure. Financial options provide stability, and maintenance-free living lets folks focus on spending time with friends, enjoying the grounds, and taking part in the programs they find meaningful. Environmental stewardship and clean energy practices add another layer of care, while being named one of America's Best Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Best Nursing Homes in 2025 shows recognition of the kind of dependable support Masonic Village at Elizabethtown aims to provide each day.

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