Helms-Gordon Residential Care

    714 State Rd 665, Fort Lawn, SC, 29714
    5.0 · 7 reviews
    • Assisted living
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    5.0

    Wonderful caring small women-only home

    I placed my mother here and couldn't be happier - the owner Kay G. goes out of her way, the staff are excellent and treat residents like family, and my mom feels cared for, has made friends, and gets along with her roommate. It's a small, women-only, quiet, warm place with wonderful food (three meals a day), daily laundry, meds as needed, midweek doctors/NPs, a rec room, light exercise and caring hairdressers. It's affordable for a fixed income and far more cost-effective than pricier facilities; the only minor gripe was confusing dementia door signage.

    Pricing

    Schedule a Tour

    Amenities

    5.00 · 7 reviews

    Overall rating

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

      4.8
    • Staff

      5.0
    • Meals

      4.5
    • Amenities

      4.0
    • Value

      5.0

    Pros

    • Attentive, caring staff
    • Owner/management actively involved and supportive
    • Residents treated like family
    • Three meals daily with well-liked food
    • Daily laundry/clothes washing
    • On-site rec room with games, books, and puzzles
    • Caring hairdressers available
    • Midweek doctor/NP visits
    • Medications administered as needed
    • Long-term, consistent care
    • Affordable and cost-effective for fixed incomes
    • Small, quiet, warm environment
    • No unpleasant odors reported
    • Residents form friendships and socialize
    • Specific staff member (Kay G.) highly praised

    Cons

    • Doesn't feel like a home for some residents
    • Women-only facility (excludes male residents)
    • Wayfinding/dementia signage issues
    • Limited activity programming beyond basic offerings

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment across the reviews is strongly positive. Multiple reviewers emphasize consistently excellent care, a warm atmosphere, and a hands-on owner/management presence. Staff are repeatedly described as caring, friendly, and attentive; one staff member (Kay G.) receives specific high praise for her oversight and resident-focused approach. The tone of the feedback portrays a small, close-knit setting where residents are treated like family and staff go out of their way to be informative and responsive to family members.

    Care quality and medical support are highlighted as clear strengths. Reviewers report medications are administered as needed and that midweek visits from a doctor or nurse practitioner are available, which supports ongoing medical needs. Several accounts mention long-term excellent care and family members noting that their loved ones seem well cared for and comfortable. Communication from management is described as informative, and the owner is cited as actively supportive and involved in daily operations, which contributes to continuity and trust.

    Staff and management receive particularly strong praise. The owner is described as going out of her way to help, being very involved, and keeping families informed. Staff behavior is characterized as warm and friendly; reviewers note the environment is calm and that staff treat residents like family. While one comment notes that a manager (Kay G.) can be demanding of staff, it is also framed as fair and focused on resident well-being rather than being punitive.

    Facilities and daily life are presented positively. The home is small, women-only, and described as quiet, warm, and free of unpleasant odors. Practical services such as three meals a day, daily clothes washing, and caring hairdressers are specifically called out. The dining is praised — "food is wonderful" appears more than once — and there is an on-site rec room stocked with games, books, and puzzles. These elements reinforce a comfortable, domestic-feeling routine for residents.

    Social life and activities are modest but meaningful. Residents reportedly make friends and have compatible roommates; reviewers note that people seem happy and engaged. The rec room and occasional exercise opportunities are mentioned as activity outlets. However, the activity program appears limited in scope — reviewers say there are "some exercises" and list the rec room amenities, suggesting programming is present but not extensive.

    Value and affordability are notable advantages. Several reviewers emphasize that the facility is affordable for people on fixed incomes and is cost-effective compared to higher-cost alternatives. For families weighing budget and quality, the facility is presented as offering strong basic care and a supportive environment without the higher prices of larger or more specialized facilities.

    Notable concerns and patterns: although the overall tone is positive, a few consistent caveats appear. One reviewer explicitly says the place "is not home feeling" for their mother, indicating that despite caring staff and good routines, some residents or families may find the environment less homelike than expected. The facility is women-only, which is a clear limitation for prospective male residents. Wayfinding for residents with dementia is another specific concern: signage or dementia-door labeling has been noted as a problem, implying a potential need to improve environmental cues and safety for cognitively impaired residents. Finally, activity offerings beyond basic social spaces and occasional exercise are limited in the reviewers' descriptions; families seeking a robust, diverse activity schedule or more structured programming may find the options minimal.

    In summary, these reviews paint a picture of a small, well-run residential care home with strong, hands-on management and compassionate staff who create a warm, quiet environment. The facility excels at basic, day-to-day care — meals, laundry, medication management, and routine medical visits — and provides good social opportunities within a small community. Its affordability is another clear strength. Areas for improvement based on reviewer feedback include enhancing homelike elements for some residents, expanding activity programming, and addressing dementia-specific wayfinding/signage. The women-only policy is an explicit limitation to be aware of for prospective residents. Overall, for families prioritizing attentive staff, active management involvement, and cost-effective, consistent care in a small setting, the facility receives high marks from multiple reviewers.

    Location

    Map showing location of Helms-Gordon Residential Care

    About Helms-Gordon Residential Care

    Helms-Gordon Residential Care sits at 714 State Road 665 in Fort Lawn, South Carolina, and is a small board and care home licensed by the state, with space for up to six residents at a time, so everyone gets a lot of attention and the place doesn't feel crowded, and folks live together in a neighborhood house that looks and feels like home, not an institution, which helps people relax and get to know one another over shared meals or movies in the common areas. People of all stages of serious illness, and of any age or diagnosis, can find services here, like help with setting care goals, making next-step decisions, and handling symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, shortness of breath, nausea, or depression, because a team of specialists works with your own doctor to support your body, emotions, and spirit, aiming to improve your quality of life. The staff provides help with bathing, dressing, grooming, medication reminders, getting in and out of the shower, and other daily needs, along with homemade meals three times a day and special diets for conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure when required, and there's even a visiting barber and an on-site beauty salon to help folks feel comfortable and look their best. Regular activities on-site and off keep people busy-exercise, crafts, music, tabletop games, movie nights, or outings-and there's room for faith activities and travel to doctor visits or errands, plus indoor and outdoor spaces, a dining room for socializing during meals, and private or shared suites with kitchenettes, cable TV, telephone, and Wi-Fi, so each person has what they need for comfort and staying connected. The community welcomes pets for therapy and tries to create gentle routines that build connections between residents and caregivers, and it can accommodate people who need memory care, nursing help, and different levels of assisted living, including support for things like insulin doses, transfers, and special clinical needs subject to confirmation, and folks can arrange respite or hospice care as well. The main focus is a balanced, nurturing environment where people can spend their time safely, socialize, and get the medical and personal help they need, all while feeling like they're living in a real home, not just a facility.

    People often ask...

    Nearby Communities

    • Front exterior view of Julian Woods Retirement Community, a large three-story building with a covered entrance, multiple windows, and a parking lot with several parked cars in front. The sky is clear and blue.
      $5,112 – $6,645+4.7 (38)
      Semi-private • 1 Bedroom • Studio
      independent living, assisted living

      Julian Woods Retirement Community

      421 Overlook Rd Ext, Arden, NC, 28704
    • Exterior view of Renaissance on Peachtree, a multi-story building with large windows and a covered entrance. The building is surrounded by trees and greenery under a partly cloudy blue sky.
      $5,300+4.3 (118)
      2 Bedroom
      independent living, assisted living

      Renaissance on Peachtree

      3755 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA, 30319
    • Aerial view of a three-story senior living facility with a front entrance, parking lot, and surrounding trees.
      $4,000+3.9 (15)
      1 Bedroom
      independent, assisted living, memory care

      The Barclay at Midlothian

      11210 Robious Road, Richmond, VA, 23235
    • Exterior view of a senior living facility named The Ashton on Dorsey, featuring a large covered entrance with stone pillars, multiple windows, and three flagpoles with flags in front of the building under a clear blue sky.
      $4,100 – $6,900+4.7 (76)
      Studio • 1 Bedroom • 2 Bedroom
      independent, assisted living, memory care

      The Ashton on Dorsey

      1105 Dorsey Ln, Louisville, KY, 40223
    • Aerial view of a senior living facility named Montage Mason surrounded by green lawns, trees, parking lots, and nearby buildings under a clear sky.
      $4,395 – $5,274+4.5 (75)
      Semi-private
      assisted living, memory care

      Montage Mason

      5373 Merten Dr, Mason, OH, 45040
    • Front entrance of a brick multi-story building with a covered porte-cochère and a 'Brookdale' sign above the doors.
      $3,448 – $4,482+4.7 (112)
      Semi-private • Studio
      independent living, assisted living

      Brookdale Mt. Lebanon

      1050 McNeilly Rd, Pittsburgh, PA, 15226
    © 2025 Mirador Living