Overall sentiment in the reviews of Avalon Square is mixed but leans positive for most aspects of independent and assisted living services, while revealing serious and recurring concerns specific to the memory care population and frontline caregiver performance. A large portion of reviewers praise the staff as kind, compassionate, and responsive; they highlight an immaculately kept, recently remodeled building with sunny apartments and attractive common spaces. Amenities and on-site services are frequently lauded — including a fitness center, on-site physical therapy and medical services (flu shots and visiting podiatrists), multiple dining venues (cafeteria, cafe, specialty 50's cafe), and a wide variety of activities from exercise classes to trivia, movies, guest speakers, and Sunday church services. Many families report smooth transitions between levels of care, active family involvement, and accessible leadership (executive director availability), and several reviewers note that the community provided peace of mind during the pandemic by maintaining precautions and pivoting to virtual family connections.
Dining, social programming, and community atmosphere are consistently positive themes. Numerous reviews emphasize good to excellent food, flexible meal options, and welcoming dining areas that encourage socialization. Daily programming is robust for many residents — frequent activities, weekly outings, entertainment events, and specialty classes (basket weaving, chair Olympics) are commonly mentioned. Reviewers also remark on a strong sense of community, long-standing resident relationships, pastoral support, and attentive hospice or spiritual care when needed. The building’s downtown Waukesha location, secure access (key fobs, underground parking), and overall cleanliness are repeated strengths that draw many residents and families to recommend Avalon Square.
However, a notable cluster of reviews raises severe concerns about the memory care unit and some CNAs. These reports include specific allegations of neglect: failure to manage incontinence (missed diaper changes, urine leakage, lack of change logs), dehydration, skin rashes, falls, and incidents allegedly ignored by nursing leadership and the director. There are multiple mentions of slow or nonexistent responses to call lights on the memory care floor, lack of bathroom assistance, and staff conduct issues including backtalk and poor teamwork. A few reviews go as far as reporting residents being locked in rooms overnight and staff asleep on duty. These are serious safety and quality-of-care concerns and represent a pattern that contrasts sharply with the many other reports of compassionate caregiving. Several reviewers explicitly say memory care needs improvement or would not recommend the community for that level of care.
Staff performance appears inconsistent across the community: many reviewers single out CNAs, nurses, and specific employees (regina, Sue, executive director) for above-and-beyond care and responsiveness, while others report poor CNA training, low work ethic, and unprofessional behavior. Leadership is praised in several accounts for accessibility and communication; yet some reviews indicate perceived lack of accountability when families reported problems, particularly concerning memory care incidents. Security and entry logistics are a minor but recurring issue (long waits at buzzer, limited parking), and a few reviewers mentioned smaller-than-expected apartment layouts or higher costs.
In summary, Avalon Square presents many strengths typical of a high-quality senior living community: clean, updated facilities; rich programming and social opportunities; good dining; on-site medical and therapy services; and many devoted, compassionate staff members who cultivate a sense of community and provide responsive family communication. At the same time, there are important, recurring red flags centered on the memory care unit and some aspects of direct caregiving and responsiveness. Prospective residents and families should weigh the generally positive experience reported by many against the specific, serious allegations about memory care quality. When considering Avalon Square, it would be prudent to ask targeted questions about memory care staffing ratios, CNA training and turnover, incident reporting procedures (including logs for incontinence and falls), call-light response metrics, security/entry protocols, and how leadership addresses and documents complaints. A careful, in-person tour that includes the memory care area, meetings with nursing leadership, and conversations with current memory care family members would help clarify whether the community’s strengths are present for the prospective resident and whether the cited concerns have been addressed.
