Kensington Care and Rehab Center

    1810 Kensington Dr, Waukesha, WI, 53188
    4.1 · 92 reviews
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    3.0

    Caring staff but safety concerns

    I found caring, friendly staff, strong therapy/rehab, a homey, clean facility and plenty of activities that helped residents regain independence. However, chronic understaffing, long waits or ignored call lights, inconsistent training/management, safety and sanitation lapses (falls, poor admissions) and occasional rude or distracted employees made care unreliable. Some teams truly went above and beyond, but I would visit cautiously and confirm staffing, safety and oversight before entrusting a loved one.

    Pricing

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    Amenities

    Healthcare services

    • Activities of daily living assistance
    • Assistance with bathing
    • Assistance with dressing
    • Assistance with transfers
    • Medication management
    • Mental wellness program

    Healthcare staffing

    • 12-16 hour nursing
    • 24-hour call system
    • 24-hour supervision

    Meals and dining

    • Diabetes diet
    • Meal preparation and service
    • Restaurant-style dining
    • Special dietary restrictions

    Room

    • Air-conditioning
    • Cable
    • Fully furnished
    • Housekeeping and linen services
    • Kitchenettes
    • Private bathrooms
    • Telephone
    • Wifi

    Transportation

    • Community operated transportation
    • Transportation arrangement
    • Transportation arrangement (non-medical)

    Common areas

    • Beauty salon
    • Computer center
    • Dining room
    • Fitness room
    • Gaming room
    • Garden
    • Outdoor space
    • Small library
    • Wellness center

    Community services

    • Concierge services
    • Fitness programs
    • Move-in coordination

    Activities

    • Community-sponsored activities
    • Planned day trips
    • Resident-run activities
    • Scheduled daily activities

    4.09 · 92 reviews

    Overall rating

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

      3.7
    • Staff

      3.9
    • Meals

      2.3
    • Amenities

      3.8
    • Value

      5.0

    Pros

    • Compassionate and skilled nursing staff
    • Effective rehabilitation therapy (PT/OT) with measurable progress
    • Friendly, welcoming reception and staff
    • Family-like atmosphere and personalized care
    • Dedicated individual staff praised by name (e.g., Rachel, Mary Beth, Margaret)
    • Clean, renovated areas (fresh paint, new floors) in parts of the facility
    • Well-maintained outdoor courtyard and community events
    • Varied daily activities (manicures, games, scavenger hunts, cookouts)
    • Helpful social worker and case management support
    • Good wound care and ability to administer daily IV antibiotics
    • Spacious rooms and homey decor reported in some units
    • Lower cost compared with assisted living in some reports
    • Fast admissions and smooth intake in positive accounts
    • Responsive night-time care in several reviews
    • New chef and generally good food reported by some families
    • Team-oriented staff and visible teamwork in positive reviews
    • Long-tenured staff continuity praised by some families
    • Volunteer opportunities and organized volunteer processes
    • Staff who go above and beyond to regain independence
    • Supportive therapy staff adept with post-stroke communication challenges

    Cons

    • Delayed or ignored call-button/beeper response
    • Falls left unattended or with delayed assistance
    • Serious safety incidents reported (head injury, brain bleed, death)
    • Allegations of neglect and abandonment
    • Short-staffing and inconsistent staffing levels
    • Rude, dismissive, or verbally abusive staff behavior
    • Terrible or chaotic admissions process with no orientation
    • Sanitation and infection control concerns in some reports
    • Outdated, shabby rooms and broken fixtures in parts of facility
    • Room temperature control issues; rooms often cold
    • Shared bathroom facilities and limited privacy in some rooms
    • Poor communication and lack of timely follow-up from management
    • Billing disputes and demands for payment during care
    • CNAs distracted, inattentive, or rough handling concerns
    • Inconsistent food temperature/quality (meals served cold)
    • Volunteer/visitor security hoops and tech barriers for access
    • Late or irregular housekeeping and laundry timing
    • Promises of training not evidently implemented
    • High staff burnout, low morale, and management issues
    • Allegations of patients being treated like animals
    • Lack of documentation or incident reports after falls
    • Contradictory reviews creating trust and reliability concerns
    • Owners/management perceived as remote or unresponsive
    • Unreliable receptionist communication and call-backs
    • Uneven quality between shifts, units, or individual staff members

    Summary review

    Overall impression: Reviews for Kensington Care and Rehab Center are highly polarized, ranging from glowing recommendations describing compassionate, skilled care and successful rehab outcomes to severe safety and neglect allegations that some reviewers characterize as life‑threatening. Many reviewers praise individual caregivers, therapists, and administrators who demonstrate teamwork, empathy, and clinical skill; others report delayed responses to patient needs, ignored call lights, and serious adverse events. The aggregate picture is one of significant variability — excellent experiences often sit alongside deeply troubling ones.

    Care quality and safety: One of the clearest and most troubling patterns is a divide on care reliability and safety. Multiple positive accounts describe effective rehabilitation (PT/OT), daily wound care, and the ability to administer daily IV antibiotics with good clinical results and measurable progress toward independence. Conversely, a number of reviews report falls that were not promptly addressed, missing or absent staff at critical times, and, in extreme cases, head injuries, brain bleeds, or deaths followed by allegations of neglect and lack of documentation. Repeated complaints about call-button or beeper systems being ignored, delayed assistance, and CNAs being distracted contribute to these safety concerns. Several reviewers noted they felt compelled to involve ombudsmen or consider reporting the facility to authorities. The coexistence of reports praising excellent clinical care and reports describing dangerous neglect suggests inconsistent processes or staffing-driven variability in safety practices.

    Staff, teamwork, and morale: Staff behavior is another area with wide divergence. Many reviews singled out nursing, therapy, and specific employees for compassionate, competent, and above‑and‑beyond care — reviewers named individuals such as Rachel, Mary Beth, and case manager Margaret as examples of staff who made a meaningful difference. Positive reports emphasize respectful, family-like interactions, good communication about care plans, and staff who help plan next steps and discharge. On the other hand, numerous reviews describe rude or abusive behavior, CNAs yelling, rough handling, staff who are often “not around,” and a receptionist or front office that can be unhelpful. Short-staffing, long hours, low pay, and burnout are raised as probable drivers of poor care in many negative reviews. This suggests that while some staff teams perform admirably, staffing shortages and morale problems may undermine consistent quality across shifts and units.

    Facilities and environment: Reviewers report a mixture of facility conditions. Several reviewers praised recent renovations — fresh paint, new floors, bright open layouts, attractive decor, and a clean, homey environment in parts of the building. Outdoor amenities, courtyards, and community events such as cookouts are highlighted as strengths. In contrast, other reviewers describe old, shabby rooms, broken fixtures, cold rooms with limited temperature control, shared toilets or sinks in rooms, and general concerns about cleanliness and sanitation. This indicates the facility may have variable conditions across different wings or that renovations are partial, leaving some areas still outdated.

    Dining, activities, and daily life: Activities programming and social engagement are consistently mentioned as positive in many reviews — daily activities, outings, manicures, games, and posted activity schedules support resident engagement. Several reviewers appreciated personalized touches (music players for residents, family-friendly events). Dining opinions are mixed: some report good food and a new chef, while others cite cold meals or inconsistent food delivery. Housekeeping timing and laundry services are flagged as late or inconsistent by some families.

    Admissions, communication, and administration: Experiences with admissions and administrative communication vary widely. Positive reviewers note fast, pleasant admissions and a helpful business office and administrative team. Negative reviewers recount terrible admissions, no greeting or orientation, poor receptionist communication, and difficulty reaching staff or getting callbacks. There are also reports of billing pressure and demands for payment that families found inappropriate. Several reviewers felt management was distant or unresponsive, and a few cited promises of staff training that did not appear to be followed through.

    Patterns and likely causes: The most consistent explanatory theme across reviews is variability tied to staffing and management practices. Where reviewers report strong leadership, adequate staffing, and engaged individual caregivers, outcomes and satisfaction are high. Where short staffing, low morale, or inconsistent training are reported, the reviews describe unsafe conditions and neglect. The juxtaposition of excellent rehab results and reports of dangerous neglect suggests the facility can deliver high-quality care under the right conditions but struggles with consistency, especially during understaffed shifts or in certain units.

    What prospective families should note: Given the polarized feedback, prospective residents and families should expect a facility that can provide high-quality therapy and compassionate nursing care in many cases, but which also has documented incidents of neglect and safety failures. When considering Kensington, visitors should: tour multiple wings and resident rooms (to assess variable conditions), observe mealtimes and staff responsiveness to call lights, ask for staffing ratios and turnover data, inquire about fall-prevention protocols and documentation practices, review infection control measures, speak with case management about discharge and billing processes, and request references from recent families with similar clinical needs. Checking state inspection reports and ombudsman records would also help validate safety claims.

    Bottom line: Kensington Care and Rehab Center receives both high praise for individual caregivers, effective rehabilitation, and parts of the physical plant, and serious criticism for safety lapses, inconsistent staffing, and poor communication. The reviews indicate a facility capable of strong clinical outcomes and meaningful resident engagement in some cases, but one that also has critical weaknesses that have led to harm in other cases. Families should conduct detailed, targeted in-person evaluations and inquiry before making placement decisions, focusing on staffing, safety protocols, and the specific unit where care would be provided.

    Location

    Map showing location of Kensington Care and Rehab Center

    About Kensington Care and Rehab Center

    Kensington Care and Rehab Center sits at 1810 Kensington Dr in Waukesha, WI, and offers care twenty-four hours a day, every day of the week, so residents always have someone close by if they need something at any hour, and the center's focus has always been senior care because folks need different kinds of help as they age, and you'll find long-term care options for those who need to stay for a good while, and you'll find skilled nursing services for people who need close medical attention, and memory care for those struggling with forgetfulness or confusion, and there's also rehabilitation services if someone's recovering from surgery, illness, or injury, where therapists and aides help build strength and mobility again with physical activity and careful support, and wound care is available for those with skin ulcers, painful sores, or non-healing wounds, all using up-to-date treatments that doctors and nurses keep an eye on, and outpatient therapy lets some people come in for help but still live at home, if that's best for them, and you'll even see orthopedic rehabilitation offered for people getting their bodies back in shape after a fall or surgery, so they can get the right exercises and encourage healing, and the center's care team has doctors, nurses, therapists, and aides who work together to meet physical, mental, and emotional needs, and it's clear that all this is done in a facility with comfort in mind, with rooms and spaces designed so people feel at ease and supported, and the amenities aren't fancy but they are meant for real daily living, helping people feel safer and more settled both during recovery or in longer stays, and you can see that the services list is broad-Orthopedic Rehab, Long-Term Care, Wound Care, Renal Care, Hospice Care, and Subacute Rehab-so a wide range of health needs can be met under one roof, and it does seem they try to create a space where every resident has a care program shaped for their own needs, and if anyone wants more information, the website at kensingtoncareandrehab.com gives a clear look at how they do things, even though you never feel pressured, since things are kept simple and straightforward for people who need honest answers for their care in Waukesha.

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