Overall sentiment across the reviews for Brookdale Lewiston is mixed but leans positive on interpersonal care and community features while showing clear and recurring concerns around clinical consistency, dining quality, staffing levels, and management/administrative issues. The single strongest and most consistent positive theme is the quality of direct care and social engagement: numerous reviewers praise friendly, compassionate, and helpful frontline staff and aides who provide attentive, personalized care. Many families and residents report that nurses and caregivers are caring, patient, and thorough; several reviews explicitly say the caregiving is "unsurpassed" or "incredible," and many note regular communication from staff and administration that contributes to peace of mind. Additionally, the community programming is frequently lauded — there are extensive activity options (daily, weekly, seasonal and holiday events), musical and religious programming, social groups like knitting/crocheting and veterans gatherings, and regular transportation for shopping and outings. These aspects create an active, home-like environment that many reviewers recommend and say eased transitions for residents.
Facility attributes are another commonly cited strength. Multiple reviewers describe Brookdale Lewiston as clean, well-maintained, and not “hospital-like.” The grounds, courtyard, and common spaces are regularly noted as attractive and well-kept. Many apartments and rooms are described as spacious or nicely arranged, with some units featuring kitchenettes, in-room appliances (refrigerators, microwaves), and private dining options. On-site amenities such as a salon/beauty parlor, laundry service, and a pleasant dining area bolster the sense of convenience and quality for many residents. Admissions, tours, and admissions staff frequently receive praise for being informative, supportive, and helpful — which helps prospective residents feel comfortable choosing the community.
However, there are significant and repeated negative themes that prospective residents and families should weigh carefully. The most frequent areas of concern are dining and staffing reliability. Reviews report inconsistent meal quality — with multiple accounts of meals arriving cold, meat being tough, vegetables overcooked or bland, desserts burnt or dry, and sometimes the kitchen running out of entrees leading to substitutions like peanut butter and jelly. Some reviewers, however, report excellent food and chefs they enjoy; this signals variability rather than uniformly poor dining. Staffing shortages and understaffing are another persistent issue: reviewers mention short-staffed dining rooms, overworked caregivers, and variability across shifts. This staffing instability ties into more serious clinical concerns raised by a minority of reviewers: missed or delayed responses to emergencies, medication administration problems (including a report of medications being given despite a request to stop), delayed discovery of falls, and frequent EMS transports for some residents. Such incidents have generated deep distrust among affected families and constitute major safety red flags.
Management and administrative consistency are also mixed. Some reviewers praise accessible, responsive directors and supportive administration that stays in touch and helps with transitions and paperwork (including VA paperwork), while others describe disappointing management, poor responsiveness, and a money-focused or uncaring administration. Reports of ownership change and remodeling have been noted and in some cases affected cleanliness or continuity of care. Pricing is another divided area: many reviewers appreciate the value and recommend the community, but several others cite high costs, extra charges for services not perceived as provided, and overcharging complaints. Memory-care suitability is explicitly flagged: multiple reviewers state that Brookdale Lewiston is not specialized for Alzheimer’s or advanced memory-care needs and was a poor fit for residents requiring that level of specialization.
Finally, there are experiential extremes in the reviews. Many residents and families describe Brookdale Lewiston as a "wonderful place" with staff who made loved ones feel safe and at home, praising individualized attention and robust activities. Others describe traumatic events such as poorly handled transfers, distrust after safety incidents, and administrative failures that led them to advise against the community. These polarized accounts suggest that quality at Brookdale Lewiston can be highly dependent on unit, shift, staffing levels, and individual clinical needs. Prospective residents should strongly consider in-person tours, detailed questions about staffing levels and clinical protocols (especially for memory care and medication management), recent inspection or incident histories, dining samples, and clear contract clauses about fees and services. For those whose primary priorities are active programming, compassionate frontline caregivers, clean and home-like spaces, and convenient amenities, Brookdale Lewiston earns many strong endorsements. For families with high memory-care needs or strong concerns about clinical reliability and cost transparency, the reviews indicate caution and recommend thorough vetting.
