Borderview Rehabilitation & Living Center

    208 State St, Van Buren, ME, 04785
    3.0 · 8 reviews
    • Assisted living
    • Skilled nursing
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    1.0

    Understaffed filthy facility neglected residents

    I placed my loved one here and regret it. The facility is chronically understaffed-residents are often unattended, meals are inconsistent and diabetes care ignored. Staff were rude, lazy and poorly trained (some acting like they just want to go home); administration was threatening, police were involved and a restraining order followed. The place was filthy and smelled bad, communication and empathy were non-existent, and I felt my family member was neglected and abused.

    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

    3.00 · 8 reviews

    Overall rating

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

      2.0
    • Staff

      1.8
    • Meals

      2.0
    • Amenities

      3.0
    • Value

      3.0

    Pros

    • Clean facility/environment (reported by some reviewers)
    • Good staff (positive experiences reported)
    • Trustworthy care (reported by some reviewers)

    Cons

    • Rude staff behavior
    • Staff not properly trained
    • Neglect of residents
    • Residents left unattended
    • Poor communication with families
    • Lack of empathy from staff
    • Understaffed facility
    • Negative attitude of CNAs
    • Administration threats toward families or residents
    • Police involvement in incidents
    • Restraining order mentioned
    • Poor treatment of patients and families
    • Inconsistent meal service
    • Inadequate diabetes care
    • Residents expressing desire to go home
    • Dirty conditions reported
    • Foul/gross smells
    • Lazy staff
    • Abuse allegations
    • Starvation or inadequate feeding
    • Filth reported

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment across the provided reviews is predominantly negative, with multiple serious care and safety concerns reported alongside a small number of positive comments about cleanliness and individual staff members. While a few reviewers explicitly described the facility as clean and praised staff as trustworthy or good, the bulk of comments point to systemic problems affecting resident well-being and family trust. The reviews present a mixed but largely troubling picture that includes allegations of neglect, poor clinical care, inconsistent operations, and troubling interactions with administration and law enforcement.

    Care quality and clinical concerns are a major recurring theme. Several reviews mention neglect, residents being left unattended, and explicit allegations of abuse and starvation. Clinical management issues are also raised—most notably inadequate diabetes care and inconsistent meal service—both of which are critical to vulnerable residents. These clinical failures, combined with reports that residents repeatedly express a desire to go home, suggest that some residents are not receiving reliable, person-centered care. Poor communication with families and lack of empathy from staff compound these concerns, leaving families feeling uninformed and alienated.

    Staffing, training, and behavior are central problems in the reviews. Understaffing is repeatedly cited and appears to be linked to many of the other negative outcomes (unattended residents, inconsistent meals, and rushed or inadequate care). Reviewers also allege that staff are not properly trained and describe CNAs and other staff as rude, lazy, or exhibiting a poor attitude. There are severe allegations about administration’s conduct as well: threats from management, escalation to police involvement, and mention of a restraining order indicate highly fraught interactions between families, residents, and leadership. Such incidents raise concerns not only about staff behavior but also about the facility’s conflict resolution and complaint-handling procedures.

    Facility conditions and daily living aspects are reported inconsistently. A subset of reviewers praises the facility as clean and notes trustworthy care, but an equal or greater number of comments refer to dirt, filth, gross smells, and an overall “dirty” environment. These contradictory accounts suggest variability in cleanliness and maintenance—some areas or shifts may be well-managed while others are not. Dining and nutrition also appear inconsistent: reviewers report erratic meal service and claims of starvation, which in the context of other reports (inadequate diabetes care, unattended residents) points to serious lapses in basic daily care.

    Management, communication, and family relations emerge as another cluster of concerns. Poor communication and a perceived lack of empathy make families feel excluded and unheard. Reports of administration issuing threats, involving police, and having a restraining order filed indicate adversarial relationships that can further erode trust and make constructive resolution of problems difficult. At the same time, the presence of some comments praising individual staff members or aspects of the facility indicates variability in staff performance and possibly localized strengths that are not consistent across the facility.

    In summary, the reviews reflect a facility with uneven performance: pockets of clean environment and helpful, trustworthy staff exist, but they are overshadowed by numerous and serious allegations including neglect, abuse, inadequate clinical care (notably diabetes care), understaffing, inconsistent meals, poor communication, and troubling administrative conduct. The repeated mentions of police involvement and restraining orders elevate concerns from quality-of-care issues to potential safety and legal issues that warrant prompt investigation. Families considering this facility should weigh the reported inconsistencies carefully and seek specific, verifiable information about staffing levels, staff training, clinical oversight (especially for chronic conditions like diabetes), meal plans, and how complaints are handled before making decisions.

    Location

    Map showing location of Borderview Rehabilitation & Living Center

    About Borderview Rehabilitation & Living Center

    Borderview Rehabilitation & Living Center sits on State Street in Van Buren, Maine, and has been a part of the community for over 30 years, so it's well-established and manages to serve both short-term and long-term residents who need skilled nursing care or help with daily living. The facility is managed by Mary Richards, who's been in charge since 2000, and while they've had some recent renovations to modernize their spaces, some issues do come up, like inspection reports showing 17 deficiencies including one about infection control, and some concerns about nurse availability and resident rights, such as having a full-time director of nursing or letting residents organize groups, but folks living there get 4.49 nurse hours per day, which is a bit more than the average in Maine, though the nurse turnover rate sits higher than the state average. The center has 55 certified beds and hosts an average of about 26 residents each day, but some sources mention the facility as having up to 108 beds and 53 beds in its assisted living side, so numbers may vary depending on the care area. Staff speak English, and you'll find private phone lines, internet access, and cable TV for residents, plus studio room layouts. The community provides a full range of care options, from residential and sub-nursing care to skilled nursing rehabilitation and hospice, with a dedicated therapy department offering physical, occupational, and speech therapy up to six days a week, which helps many folks regain independence or maintain their abilities. Residents receive care tailored to their needs, whether it's IV therapy, wound care, pain management, or daily activities, and everything's provided in a home-like setting that tries to give people as much independence as possible. Borderview runs as a for-profit, North Country Associates-affiliated location, and though some say the focus is on serving the community with compassion, reports show it's currently not accepting new patients. The Center encourages regular family meetings and open communication, supports social interaction with engaging programs, and offers outdoor spaces for residents who want fresh air. Amenities support daily activities, and supervision is available around the clock, but families and future residents should look at both the strengths and the recent federal inspection results, as the community, which is listed as having both a high user-review score and a 2-star CMS nursing home rating, has its own mix of positives and areas needing more attention.

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