Riverside Lifelong Health & Rehabilitation Warwick Forest

    1000 Old Denbigh Boulevard, Newport News, VA, 23602
    1.9 · 16 reviews
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    1.0

    Neglect theft poor care unresponsive

    I had a terrible experience at this facility - I watched my loved one neglected, left in urine/excrement for hours, with a head injury treated as a non-emergency and a delayed hospital transfer while management was unresponsive. Rooms were dirty, decor depressing, belongings (dentures, shoes) went missing, medications were changed without consulting the POA, and staff ignored call buttons, skipped showers and meals, and showed bad attitudes. Staffing was clearly inadequate and undertrained; a few RNs, rehab therapists and cleaning staff were competent, but that didn't make up for systemic neglect and poor communication. I eventually got a refund after a long fight, but I would not recommend this place and want to speak with the CEO/Director.

    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

    1.88 · 16 reviews

    Overall rating

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

      1.5
    • Staff

      1.6
    • Meals

      1.0
    • Amenities

      1.7
    • Value

      1.0

    Pros

    • Skilled physical therapy and occupational therapy (PT/OT)
    • Some registered nurses (RNs) and rehab staff provide good, professional care
    • Certain CNAs and caregiving staff described as caring and dignified
    • Effective rehab support that led to positive outcomes for some residents
    • Activities program (bingo, church, bistro) and available activities
    • Some rooms reported as nice, clean, odor-free, and quiet
    • Cleaning staff in some areas described as professional
    • Supervisor in customer service provided helpful assistance in at least one case
    • Some families allowed to stay with residents (family presence supported)
    • Refunds/claims eventually processed in some instances after follow-up

    Cons

    • Chronic understaffing and high staff turnover
    • Frequent reports of neglectful care (residents left in hallways or soiled)
    • Inconsistent and slow responses to call lights/paging
    • Poor personal hygiene and grooming of residents (dry skin, dirty nails, unclean hair)
    • Unclean rooms: trash piles, laundry undone, beds unmade, bugs reported
    • Medication management problems (haphazard administration, meds out, changes without POA discussion)
    • Missing personal belongings (dentures, shoes) and alleged misuse of residents' phones
    • Poor communication between staff, across shifts, and with families
    • Unprofessional or unresponsive front office/administration and management (including named unresponsiveness)
    • Limited weekend care and reduced staffing on off-hours
    • Weak security and entrance unprofessionalism
    • Delays or failures in responding to medical emergencies (delayed hospital transfer, head injury mishandled)
    • Dining problems: late meals, missed meals, complaints of poor/unhealthy food, improper dining practices
    • Attempts by staff to hide care issues (e.g., hiding soiling during inspections)
    • Inadequate bathing and basic care (showers missed, urine-soaked bedding not changed)
    • Inconsistent room cleanliness and maintenance; dated decor and poorly maintained rooms
    • Employees using personal phones while working and unprofessional behavior
    • Office staff distrust and delayed resolution of complaints/refunds
    • Some staff described as mean, lazy, or inattentive
    • Not recommended for pets by reviewers

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment across the reviews is mixed but leans strongly negative, with clear patterns of inconsistent care and operational problems juxtaposed against pockets of competent rehabilitation and professional nursing. The most consistent positive theme is the quality of rehabilitative services: multiple reviewers identified physical and occupational therapists and some rehab staff as skilled, responsive, and instrumental in positive clinical outcomes. Several families and residents praised specific RNs, therapists, and a few CNAs for compassionate or dignified treatment. Activities such as bingo, church gatherings, and a bistro were noted as beneficial, and some parts of the facility were described as clean, quiet, and odor-free.

    However, negatives dominate the reviews and point to systemic issues. Understaffing and high staff turnover are recurring complaints and appear to drive many of the operational failures: slow or non-existent responses to call buttons and pagers, skipped showers and repositioning, delays in changing urine-soaked bedding, and long waits for assistance. Multiple reviewers described neglectful incidents—residents left in hallways in pain, left in their own excrement, or unattended for extended periods. There are serious allegations about mishandling of personal property (missing dentures and shoes) and even alleged misuse of a resident's cellphone. Medication management is another frequent concern, with reports of medications being haphazardly administered, often out of stock, or changed without consultation with the power of attorney.

    Facility cleanliness and maintenance were inconsistent: some rooms were reported as nice and well-maintained while others had trash piles, undone laundry, unmade beds, and even bug sightings. Reviewers also highlighted an unprofessional or unresponsive reception/administration experience—entrance staff behaving poorly, weak security, and office managers who were unhelpful or distrusted. Communication failures occur at many levels: between shifts, between clinical staff and families, and between families and management. Several reviewers reported trying to escalate concerns (including a request to speak with the CEO or Director) with limited success; in at least one case a refund was ultimately issued but only after a long delay and persistent follow-up. A named individual, Mark Woodard, was cited by a reviewer as unresponsive to concerns.

    Clinical incidents of potential harm were specifically raised: delayed recognition or escalation of a head injury, delayed transport to hospital, and inadequate response to catheter issues. These reports suggest lapses in clinical judgment or escalation protocols in some cases. Dining service received many complaints as well — late or missed meals, poor-quality food, and even allegations of food being diverted to employees or private sitters. Reviewers also noted a depressing atmosphere in certain wards (especially for dementia patients) and questionable placement decisions (a dementia patient in a mental ward), contributing to family distress.

    Despite these negatives, there is clear evidence that care quality is highly variable and often dependent on which staff are on duty. Several reviewers explicitly contrasted the positive experiences with therapy teams, some RNs, and particular CNAs against the broader culture of neglect and poor management. This suggests that the facility has capable personnel and programs but suffers from uneven oversight, scheduling, and leadership. For prospective residents or family members, these reviews indicate potential benefits from the facility’s rehab programs and some professional staff, but significant risks related to day-to-day nursing care, cleanliness, communication, and management responsiveness. Families considering this facility should visit multiple days/shifts, ask specifically about staffing levels and escalation procedures, document concerns promptly, and confirm how the facility handles complaints and property security.

    Location

    Map showing location of Riverside Lifelong Health & Rehabilitation Warwick Forest

    About Riverside Lifelong Health & Rehabilitation Warwick Forest

    Riverside Lifelong Health & Rehabilitation Warwick Forest, located at 1000 Old Denbigh Boulevard in Newport News, VA, sits inside a warm and supportive community that includes people from many walks of life and gives them choices in daily living, with spaces that feel safe and welcoming, and you'll see folks enjoying nearby parks, walking paths, gardens, and the regular goings-on around the area and inside its own walls, which hold a fitness and wellness center where residents can keep active or gather for group classes, and the place has a real on-the-ground connection to the Riverside Health System, so residents have ready access to medical care for both everyday needs and more complicated stays whether short-term or long-term, and with memory care services supported by dedicated staff, you'll find they help people with memory challenges, while around-the-clock supervision, a 24-hour call system, and medication management all work toward safety and peace of mind for everyone, and those needing help with bathing, dressing, or moving about have support any time of day.

    Warwick Forest acts as a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) and allows residents to move between independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, or memory care as needs change, offering options like Life Care and Life Plan, and The Gardens at Warwick Forest stands as its own special area, while beds add up to 209 total, including 13 certified beds opening in June 2025, and there are both private and semi-private rooms with private bathrooms, cable TV, Wi-Fi, kitchenettes, air conditioning, telephones, and all rooms furnished for comfort, and there's always help for doing laundry or housekeeping or getting little tasks done, with concierge service and even move-in help, so settling in goes a bit smoother for everybody, and the community supports residents and families too, with support services if situations get tough.

    The meal program runs under a professional chef and offers everything from restaurant-style dining to special diets for those who need options like allergy-friendly or diabetic meals, and you'll see organized daily activities, movie nights, walks outdoors, arts and music, a library, an activity room, game room, and a movie theater, plus events run by residents themselves, and with transportation and parking help, getting around stays simple, plus outdoor programs and gardens are part of a healthy routine for many folks living there.

    Health care services include skilled nursing, outpatient therapy, rehabilitation, hospice, home health care, respite care, adult day services through The Martha W Goodson Center, in-home private care, palliative care, and an option to age in place through ChooseHome, with on-site medical staff available, so each person's needs-whether for rehab after an illness or for more continuous daily support-can be met, and efficiency shows as this community logged 68,707 patient days in 2023 and is operated by Riverside Health System, which keeps things steady, and the administrator, Ms. Christine Morillo, helps oversee how things run.

    Residents can use an emergency alert system, enjoy Wi-Fi, and take part in many scheduled activities during their time here, and for financial needs, the facility accepts Medicaid and Medicare, allowing a broader range of people to consider making it their home, so overall there's a focus on comfort, safety, health, and a sense of belonging, with both long-term and short-term stays possible, and always with different care levels offered together to make transitions easier as people age and their needs shift.

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