Unique Rehabilitation & Health Center

    901 1st St NW, Washington, DC, 20001
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    3.0

    Welcoming staff, maintenance and safety

    I felt welcomed - staff were overwhelmingly friendly, helpful and attentive, the common areas were very clean, therapy/rehab and faith-based activities stood out, and admissions/visitor processes were efficient. That said, there are inconsistent experiences: severe parking shortages, elevator downtime and maintenance issues (peeling walls, TVs/plumbing, occasional odors), plus troubling reports of medication delays, poor communication and safety lapses. Overall I'd recommend it for short-term rehab because of the caring staff and services, but I'd be cautious about long-term placement until staffing, maintenance and safety concerns are reliably addressed.

    Pricing

    Schedule a Tour

    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

    4.26 · 160 reviews

    Overall rating

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

      3.3
    • Staff

      4.0
    • Meals

      4.3
    • Amenities

      2.9
    • Value

      1.0

    Pros

    • Compassionate, attentive nursing and support staff reported by many reviewers
    • Strong, personalized physical therapy and rehabilitation services
    • Engaged administration and visible leadership praised by several families (administrator named Eric Hugh / Mr. Hugh)
    • Helpful, friendly front desk and admissions staff
    • Organized dietary services with meals tailored to individual needs
    • Active activities program (bingo, music, field trips, church services, community outreach)
    • Clean common areas, lobby, hallways and courtyard frequently noted
    • Safe and secure environment with visible security presence reported by some
    • Family-like atmosphere and good community engagement
    • Pleasant amenities (gift shop, dining area, outdoor courtyard, therapy areas, theater room)
    • Some consistent staff members identified as excellent (named caregivers and therapists)
    • Smooth visitor registration and digital sign-in praised
    • Many long-term residents well cared for (examples of multi-year stays without major issues)
    • Positive experiences with case/admin staff who were responsive and informative
    • Overall strong rehab outcomes and recovery stories reported

    Cons

    • Frequent staff turnover and staffing shortages across nursing and support roles
    • Reports of lazy, rude or unprofessional nursing assistants and nurses
    • Serious safety incidents: falls, infections, delayed or missing care, and alleged near-death events
    • Medication delays and failures to administer meds on time
    • Poor or inconsistent communication from nursing, social services, and administration
    • Claims of neglect: ignored patients, not reading charts, refusal to assist, and residents unaccounted for
    • Maintenance and facility issues: stale urine odor, mold/mildew, peeling walls, broken TVs, plumbing problems
    • Equipment failures: broken oxygen machines and other therapy/medical equipment problems
    • Allegations of abusive or sabotaging behavior among staff and mistreatment of residents
    • Presence of untreated psychiatric or homeless residents creating safety/comfort concerns
    • Residents with dementia reportedly not always taken seriously
    • Rooms doubled up; concerns about privacy and crowding
    • Reports of belongings misplaced or not returned to residents
    • Slow or unhelpful emergency response (reported delays in calling 911 or delayed responses by leadership)
    • Anonymous Dept of Health complaints and some reviewers indicating intent to pursue legal action
    • Unwelcoming/rude billing and front-office attitudes in negative reports
    • Broken/unresponsive phones and poor call bell response
    • Inconsistent leadership visibility — some reviewers praise admin presence while others report administrators often unavailable or in meetings
    • Shortages of PPE/gloves reported during pandemic
    • Limited parking and elevator downtime creating visitor inconvenience

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment across the reviews is highly mixed and polarized: a substantial number of reviewers report excellent, compassionate, and professional care (especially in rehabilitation and therapy), while a substantial minority report serious safety, staffing, communication, and facility problems. Positive reviews emphasize strong rehab outcomes, visible and accountable leadership, attentive therapists and aides, clean common areas, engaging activities, and personalized dietary services. Negative reviews describe neglectful behavior, unsafe incidents, maintenance and odor problems, and pervasive staff turnover that undermines continuity and trust.

    Care quality and clinical reliability present a bifurcated picture. Many families and residents describe outstanding rehabilitation and physical therapy, noting personalized plans and rapid recovery. Multiple reviewers singled out therapists and therapy teams as among the facility’s best assets. Conversely, others characterize nursing care as inconsistent to dangerously poor — citing medication delays, failure to administer treatments, oxygen equipment failures, ignored call bells, missed chart review, refusal to assist patients, and safety incidents such as falls and infections that resulted in hospital transfer. There are specific and severe allegations (including near-death experiences and plans to pursue legal/regulatory action) that indicate serious lapses of care for some residents.

    Staffing, culture, and leadership are recurring themes with conflicting impressions. Positive accounts praise an engaged administrator (several reviewers named Eric or Mr. Hugh) and describe an environment of accountability, leadership presence on the floor, and responsive administration. These families reported peace of mind and regular check-ins that improved outcomes. At the same time, many reviews detail high staff turnover, inexperienced or young unit managers trying to cope, rotating staff, and reports of some employees being lazy, rude, or even sabotaging colleagues. Several reviewers allege unprofessional behavior, withheld duties by specific assistants, and poor bedside manner. The contrast suggests that care quality may depend heavily on which staff and shifts a resident encounters. Additionally, some reviewers said administrative personnel were often in meetings or difficult to reach, creating gaps in oversight.

    Safety, environment, and maintenance are another area of concern with mixed reports. Numerous reviewers praised cleanliness of common areas, sanitized lobbies, masks at entry, and a generally pleasant environment with amenities such as a gift shop, dining room, courtyard, and theater. Several long-term residents and families reported stable, clean conditions and respectful treatment over years. However, other reports describe strong and recurring negative environmental issues: stale urine odor on entry, mold or mildew, peeling walls, broken TVs and plumbing, doubled rooms, limited parking, and elevator downtime. There are also troubling safety observations: presence of psychiatric or homeless residents on some units (causing distress to families), residents reportedly eating from trash, and missing or delayed belongings. A number of reviewers explicitly mentioned emergency and monitoring shortcomings, including no cameras on floors and staff refusing or delaying calls to 911.

    Communication, administration, billing, and responsiveness produce a wide range of experiences. Positive reviewers note helpful admissions tours, smooth digital sign-in, friendly front desk staff, proactive finance teams, and administrators who personally address concerns. Negative reviews, however, describe unreachable staff, poor phone systems, unreturned calls, rude billing or front-office attitudes, ineffective case managers, and delayed notifications in critical situations (even delayed notification of death). Medication miscommunication and poor handoffs to hospitals were also reported. These inconsistent communication patterns intensify family anxiety when clinical care is already uneven.

    Activities, community engagement, and dietary services are strengths frequently highlighted. Reviewers commonly praise engaging activities (bingo, music, field trips), faith-based programs, volunteer and school outreach (handmade cards), and a warm visitor culture. Dietary services receive positive mentions for thoughtful accommodations and tailored meals. These social and rehabilitative offerings appear to contribute significantly to positive experiences for many residents and families.

    Patterns and notable concerns: the reviews indicate a facility with strong programmatic elements (rehab, activities, some dedicated staff and administrators) but with variable operational execution — particularly around nursing continuity, safety protocols, maintenance, and communication. High staff turnover and mixed leadership visibility correlate with many negative reports. Equipment reliability (oxygen machines, call systems, room TVs) and infection control or sanitation lapses were cited repeatedly. There are multiple reports severe enough to trigger regulatory complaints and talk of legal action, alongside many glowing testimonials describing compassionate, excellent care.

    Implications for prospective residents and families: reviews suggest that individual experiences are highly dependent on staffing stability, the particular unit and shift, and administrative responsiveness at the time of care. For families considering this facility, the data recommend in-person tours focused on current staffing levels, therapy plans, emergency protocols, equipment maintenance, infection-control practices, and the administrative chain of command. Ask specifically about staff turnover rates, med-administration protocols, escalation procedures for urgent events, and whether recent Dept of Health complaints have been addressed. Finally, recognize the polarized nature of feedback: this facility can deliver excellent rehabilitation and compassionate care for many residents, but there are documented, serious negative experiences that warrant careful, ongoing oversight by families and advocates.

    Location

    Map showing location of Unique Rehabilitation & Health Center

    About Unique Rehabilitation & Health Center

    Unique Rehabilitation and Health Center offers a thoughtfully tailored approach to nursing care, emphasizing a strong sense of community and the belief that their residents’ comfort and well-being come first. Rather than seeing themselves simply as staff working in a facility, the team considers their workplace a home for the residents, and this philosophy guides their care every day. The center prides itself on individualized and personalized care, with a mission to foster routine, timely communication for residents and their families. This personal approach is evident in round-the-clock skilled nursing and therapy services, ensuring that every individual receives the support and treatment they need on their path to recovery.

    Therapy and rehabilitation at Unique Rehabilitation and Health Center are both comprehensive and innovative, making the facility a leader in clinically complex and intensive, integrated care. Every aspect of the resident experience is designed to promote healing—not only through medical expertise and diligence but also through a dynamic activities program. Recognizing the crucial role that engagement and stimulation play in recovery, the center’s lively activities have a powerful, positive impact on the emotional and physical healing of its residents. The Center's commitment goes beyond clinical care to address the whole person, embracing the importance of community, personal interests, and family connections.

    Dining at Unique Rehabilitation and Health Center stands out for its culinary excellence. The organization is proud to lead the industry by delivering a homelike dining experience, prioritizing nutritious, delicious meals that contribute to both well-being and the pleasure of everyday life. Staff in the dining program strive to accommodate individual preferences, dietary needs, and cultural backgrounds, reflecting the Center’s dedication to treating every resident as unique. This holistic approach to care, combining medical, emotional, and lifestyle factors, is at the heart of the Center’s mission.

    At Unique Rehabilitation and Health Center, the guiding vision is to be the facility of choice not only for patients, but also for employees and physicians, reflecting a deep commitment to high-quality care for individuals of all backgrounds. Staff work to create a safe, patient-centered environment where families are encouraged to communicate and participate in the care process. The culture of the Center values input from residents, their loved ones, and team members alike, all working together to enhance the experience and achieve meaningful outcomes. The environment created at Unique Rehabilitation and Health Center is warm, inclusive, and supportive, with the ultimate goal of helping every resident to thrive.

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