Eastern Star Masonic Home in Boone, IA

Pros

• The staff are described as caring, professional, and attentive.
• The home has a warm, genuine, homely atmosphere.
• Residents enjoy a variety of activities and events on site, including outings and social programs.
• The dining options are varied, with well-rounded meals and a casual, pleasant dining experience.
• Families appreciate being kept informed and the opportunity to visit and participate.
• The memory care unit and 24/7 nursing staff provide safe, high-quality care.
• The grounds are beautiful, featuring flowers, birds, and inviting outdoor spaces.
• The facility offers multiple living options within one campus, making transitions smooth.
• Specific staff members, such as Janice Leonard, are praised for going above and beyond.

Cons

• The staff allegedly made the mother worse, left her sitting in a wheelchair, lied about everything, and served moldy buns.
• The current menu is spicy and not geared for older residents, causing digestive issues.
• The meals are bland with little variation due to a tighter budget.
• The room quality leaves something to be desired and is quite expensive for the level of quality offered.
• Residents were moved to memory care too soon to free up private rooms.
• The reviewer would not recommend the facility to anyone.

Review

Eastern Star Masonic Home in Boone is best suited for families seeking a warm, community-focused campus that nests independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing within a single setting. This is a place where residents can age in place, choosing from several living options while staying connected to the same campus, staff, and social routines. The atmosphere leans toward homelike familiarity: friendly residents, an active calendar, and a layout designed to feel intimate rather than clinical. Families appreciate the flexibility - visits are easy, events invite participation, and even pets can be part of the resident experience - creating a sense that independence and connection don't have to be sacrificed for care.

But not every family will find Eastern Star the right fit. For those with high medical complexity or acute risk-management needs, the campus may feel undersized for sustained, highly regimented oversight, given anecdotal reports of variable responsiveness and care gaps. A handful of reviews described troubling experiences - perceived neglect, miscommunication, and concerns about food quality on certain menus. For families seeking pristine, ultra-modern amenities or a strictly regimented medical routine, alternative communities with larger staffs, more clinical resources, or newer facilities may be preferable. Those with stringent expectations around dining quality or immediate crisis response should vet alternatives to avoid mismatches.

On the plus side, the care culture at Eastern Star shines through in its staff and resident interactions. Repeated praise falls to the CNAs who form meaningful, dependable relationships, with Janice Leonard highlighted as especially devoted. The campus supports a strong sense of belonging: a memory care unit managed with focused attention, well-kept grounds, and an extensive activity slate that includes outings, crafts, games, and even resident-run amenities like a thrift shop and a Wii game system. Meals are generally described as balanced and wide-ranging, and the dining environment remains approachable and social rather than austere. The ability to customize living spaces - allowing personal furnishings and even some private rooms - further reinforces the homey feel.

Those strengths partially offset the concerns voiced by some families. The homey atmosphere and robust social calendar can mitigate some dining and consistency questions because residents stay engaged and connected. The on-site, multi-level campus model reduces disruptive moves as health needs evolve, a meaningful benefit for families prioritizing continuity and minimizing transitions. The most meaningful offset to criticism centers on staffing consistency and the quality of care when teams build trust with residents. Where care oversight seems episodic, however, the advantage of one-campus continuity begins to erode. This gap underscores the necessity of candid conversations with leadership and care teams before committing, to confirm current staffing stability and communication practices.

Location and campus design also shape the decision. Boone's quiet, small-town setting offers a walkable, predictable environment with pleasant grounds and accessible facilities - an appealing backdrop for daily routines and social time. The campus supports a spectrum of living arrangements, from compact apartments to larger residential options, with 24/7 nursing available where needed. For families weighing value, the dynamics matter: some perceive private rooms as pricey relative to the quality of accommodation, while others feel the overall care, staff dedication, and sense of community justify the expense. In sum, the financial equation hinges on expectations for privacy, dining consistency, and the degree of medical oversight desired.

Bottom line: Eastern Star Masonic Home is a strong, practical choice for seniors who want to age in place with a caring staff, a welcoming culture, and a full spectrum of on-site services. It rewards families who prioritize relationships, stability, and an active community over plush amenities. For those needing intensive, highly standardized medical management, or who insist on cutting-edge dining programs and architectural modernity, consider alternatives. Prospective families should verify memory-care capabilities, probe staffing ratios and response times, review current menu cycles, and request opportunities to observe routines at different times of day. When those elements align with personal expectations, Eastern Star becomes not just a place to live, but a trusted home with tangible peace of mind.

Boone, Iowa offers a peaceful and convenient location for senior living, with a variety of amenities within close proximity. There are several parks nearby for leisurely walks and outdoor activities, as well as places of worship for spiritual fulfillment. The town also boasts numerous pharmacies and healthcare facilities, ensuring easy access to medical services. Additionally, there is a selection of restaurants and cafes for dining out or enjoying a cup of coffee with friends. With transportation options available and hospitals within a reasonable distance, Boone provides a comfortable and supportive environment for seniors looking to settle down in a welcoming community.

Parks

• Cummings Park (0.2 miles)
• Goeppinger Field (0.3 miles)
• Herman Park (1 miles)
• Heritage Park (1 miles)
• Opal Dubois Anderson Park (1.1 miles)
• McHose Park (1.4 miles)
• Memorial Park (1.4 miles)

Places of Worship

• First Presbyterian Church (0.8 miles)
• First United Methodist Church (0.9 miles)
• Grace Community Church (0.9 miles)
• Church of the Nazarene (1.2 miles)
• Open Bible Church (1.6 miles)
• First Evangelical Free Church Boone (1.6 miles)
• Ogden Church Of Christ (7.2 miles)

Pharmacies

• Medicap Pharmacy (0.9 miles)
• Walgreens (1 miles)
• Good Neighbor Pharmacy (1 miles)
• Ampc (2.7 miles)
• Swanson Drug (6.9 miles)
• Somerset Pharmacy (13 miles)
• NuCara Pharmacy (13 miles)

Restaurants

• Dutch Oven Bakery (1 miles)
• Asian Star Buffet (1 miles)
• Roosters Bar & Grill (1.1 miles)
• La Carreta (1.5 miles)
• McDonald's (1.6 miles)
• Toby K's Hideaway (1.7 miles)
• Colorado Grill (1.8 miles)

Physicians

• Boone Family Practice (1 miles)
• Boone County Family Medicine North (1 miles)
• Comprehensive Specialty Care (1.2 miles)
• McFarland Clinic PC (12 miles)
• Mcfarland dermatology (12.1 miles)
• Family Medicine North (12.9 miles)
• Woodward Academy (13 miles)

Transportation

• Union Pacific Railroad Boone Office (1.1 miles)

Hospitals

• Boone Rehabilitation Services (1.1 miles)
• Boone County Hospital (6.9 miles)
• Mc Farland Clinic PC Ogden Office (7 miles)
• Madrid Nursing Home For Aging (13 miles)

Cafes

• Lockwood Cafe (11.3 miles)
• Starbucks (12 miles)
• Design Café (12.8 miles)
• Cafe Beaudelaire (13 miles)
• Stomping Grounds (13 miles)
• The Hub Grill & Café (13 miles)
• Madrid Bakery (13.2 miles)