Overall impression: Reviews of Dellwood Gardens are mixed, with strong positive reports about the building’s cleanliness, apartment layout, dining, and the memory care unit contrasted by multiple, recurring concerns about staffing, management responsiveness, and pest/maintenance issues. Many families and residents praise the physical environment and several specific services, but an equally strong set of comments raises red flags that prospective residents and families should investigate before deciding.
Staff and care quality: Staff-related feedback is highly polarized. Multiple reviews describe individual aides and caregivers as caring, patient, and going out of their way — these staff members are credited with providing comfort, good daily care, medication management, and valuable communication with families. At the same time, a substantial portion of reviews report high turnover, inexperienced aides, understaffing, and many employees who are rude, distracted, or frequently on their phones. This inconsistency appears systemic rather than isolated: reviewers describe both outstanding staff and plenty of staff who do not pay attention to residents or treat them respectfully. Memory care receives specific praise from several reviewers — the memory care unit is described as loved, engaging, and distinct from a nursing home environment — but other reviewers report delays or failures in getting memory care started for their loved ones.
Facilities and maintenance: Many reviewers applaud the facility’s cleanliness, renovations, and well-maintained common areas. Apartments with small kitchenettes and ample living space are noted positively, and on-site amenities such as a beauty salon and proximity to grocery and library services are conveniences residents appreciate. However, maintenance issues are also reported: a broken spa/Jacuzzi that was not repaired, door buzzing systems needing work, and an overall sense that some repairs or upkeep are not handled promptly. The building is described both as “top-notch” and as “older/antiquated” by different reviewers, indicating some areas have been updated while others feel dated.
Dining and activities: Dining is repeatedly called a strength — meals are described as tasty, well-balanced, and offering choice. Several reviewers emphasize that food is a positive aspect of living there. Activities receive mixed-but-often-positive feedback: some residents find the programming fun and stimulating, while others say activities are optional or that nights and weekends can feel like a “ghost town” with limited programming and lower staff presence. Amenities like a gym exist but may be underused.
Management, communication, and safety: Management and administration are common sources of complaint. Reviewers cite an inefficient or unresponsive office, limited phone access, and unreturned calls. More serious administrative concerns appear in multiple summaries: forced moves, alleged unfair evictions, and an unresolved six-month situation were specifically mentioned, suggesting cases where families felt management handled difficult situations poorly. Safety is another mixed area: some reviewers say the community is safe and residents are well cared for, while at least one review mentions a resident-on-resident assault, which is a significant safety concern that warrants follow-up and clarification by facility leadership.
Pest reports and overall risk signals: A small but notable set of reviews report pest problems — roaches and bed bugs. These reports are serious and should be treated as immediate red flags; prospective residents and their families should request current pest-control records, inspection results, and remediation plans during a tour.
Final synthesis and guidance: Dellwood Gardens shows clear strengths — cleanliness, good dining, comfortable apartment layouts, a well-regarded memory care unit for some residents, and individual staff members who provide outstanding care. However, repeated and specific complaints about staff shortages, inconsistent caregiver quality, management responsiveness (including allegations of mishandled moves/evictions), unresolved maintenance items, and pest sightings create significant concerns. The mixed nature of the reviews suggests experience can vary widely depending on unit, staff on site, and administrative responsiveness at the time of move-in.
If considering Dellwood Gardens, arrange an in-person visit including a weekday evening and a weekend slot to observe night/weekend staffing and atmosphere. Ask management for documentation on staffing ratios, turnover rates, incident reports (including details and follow-up on any assaults), pest-control records, recent maintenance logs (spa/Jacuzzi, door systems), and any records related to resident moves or evictions. Speak with current residents and families about memory care procedures and timelines. These steps will help determine whether the positive aspects described in many reviews will be the prevailing reality for your situation or whether the documented concerns are likely to affect your loved one’s care and quality of life.
