Mallard Bay Ctr

Pros

• The staff were extremely attentive and kind.
• The rehab staff were top notch.
• The staff is incredibly helpful and the facility is very nice and welcoming.
• Greatest care from the management.
• The facility is very clean.
• The nursing staff is caring, compassionate, and competent.
• The DON is very knowledgeable and the staff are super helpful.
• The staff are wonderful and doing their best.
• There is a great team there.

Cons

• The patient contracted COVID-19 and pneumonia while in care.
• The staff lost his belongings, including shoes and clothes.
• He was found wearing clothing that did not belong to him, suggesting shared garments among residents.
• He sat in soiled underwear for hours, leading to infection and ongoing soreness.
• The facility is described as prioritizing revenue over residents' well-being.
• Chronic understaffing led to poor care, including nights with no nurse and delayed medications.
• Residents were left in feces for up to five hours.
• The administrator was accused of pressuring staff and retaliating against reviews.

Review

Mallard Bay Rehabilitation Center has become a place where expectations collide with harsh realities, according to a wide range of family and patient accounts. On one hand, several reviewers praise the facility for attentive staff, clean surroundings, and strong rehabilitation and therapy programs. On the other hand, a substantial number of accounts describe serious lapses in basic care, concerns about hygiene and safety, and frustrations with management and staffing. The resulting portrait is a mixed bag: some people leave with gratitude for the care they received, while others leave frustrated or outraged by what they regard as preventable problems.

Infectious disease and medical management emerge as a recurring concern in the accounts. At least one patient faced infection during a rehab stay, with reports of Covid and pneumonia developing while in the facility. The comments acknowledge that completely eliminating germ spread in a rehab setting is difficult, but the frequency and consequences of infections worry families. Beyond infections, there are broader remarks about timely medical attention and access to physicians, including a case where a relative could not see doctors promptly, which some reviewers interpreted as a sign of insufficient medical oversight. These stories contribute to a broader unease about whether the facility's medical responsiveness matches the level of risk that patients face during rehab.

Problems with lost belongings and clothing add another layer of distress for families. Reviewers recount such items as shoes or clothes going missing, sometimes with the troubling detail that patients were later seen wearing items that did not belong to them. The implication is not just inconvenience but a systemic weakness in tracking and securing personal belongings and clothing. The sense among families is that belongings may be mishandled or misallocated, and the frustration is aggravated by inadequate follow-up when items cannot be located or returned.

Perhaps the most alarming narratives focus on hygiene and patient dignity. One account describes a patient who had to sit in soiled underwear for an extended period, with the resulting infection and ongoing soreness after discharge. Another reviewer notes chronic issues with showers and basic hygiene on patient wards, and there are frequent references to patients not receiving timely or adequate personal care. These stories paint a picture of a facility struggling to maintain routine cleanliness and to respect residents' fundamental needs, especially on weekends or during high-demand shifts.

Staffing levels and responsiveness are a central fault line in the reviews. Several families point to under-staffing as the root cause of many problems - delayed administration of medications, difficulty answering the main phone, and limited care during nights and weekends. Yet within the same set of observations, there are also strong acknowledgments of individual staff members who went above and beyond. Nurses, CNAs, and therapy personnel receive praise for their compassion, competence, and patient-centered care, and some reviewers highlight specific aides by name as keeping residents engaged and safe. The tension between grateful praise for frontline workers and frustration with systemic staffing woes runs through many comments.

Management and administrative practices provoke equally divided responses. Some reviewers fault the administration for being unresponsive or misaligned with residents' needs, with complaints about limited visibility on weekends, policy decisions that seem to deprioritize urgent care, and perceptions of a focus on revenue over residents' well-being. There are pointed criticisms about how management handles incidents, including accusations of poor communication and lack of accountability. Conversely, other accounts contain positive notes about the administration's knowledge, leadership, and willingness to support families, describing the DON (director of nursing) as knowledgeable and helpful in some contexts, while in other reviews the same person is described as unwelcoming or unhelpful to new agency staff. This mix underscores a facility whose leadership impact appears uneven across experiences.

On balance, the facility atmosphere seems to shift dramatically depending on who you talk to and when you visit. Several reviews celebrate the establishment as a place with clean facilities, meaningful activities, and a rehab staff that is dedicated and effective. The therapy and activities teams are repeatedly cited as the "icing on the cake" for residents who want to stay engaged, and some families appreciate the courtyards, the overall environment, and the sense that good care can be found there when conditions align with staffing and leadership. Yet these positives are frequently countered by sharply negative experiences - claims of neglect, delays, and disrespect - that leave families wary or actively seeking alternatives.

For anyone considering Mallard Bay for a loved one, the compiled experiences suggest a cautious approach. Prospective families should plan to observe the facility carefully, ask pointed questions about staffing levels, weekend coverage, and how hygiene and personal belongings are tracked and secured. It would be prudent to request up-to-date inspection reports and to inquire about the process for escalating concerns to administration or to outside regulators. Open lines of communication with the care team, a clear plan for medication administration, and explicit expectations around timely showers, changing soiled garments, and prompt ER referrals could help mitigate some of the risks described by reviewers. In the end, Mallard Bay seems to offer both high-quality rehabilitation potential and serious hazards that require vigilant oversight from families and staff alike.

The area of Cambridge, Maryland, offers a variety of amenities and services that cater to seniors looking for a comfortable and convenient living environment. With multiple places of worship nearby, such as the Southern Baptist Convention and Christ Episcopal Church, residents can easily access spiritual fulfillment. The proximity of healthcare facilities like Fassett-Magee Health Center and pharmacies like Craig's Drug Store ensures easy access to medical care and prescriptions. In addition, the presence of popular restaurants like Ava's Pizzeria & Wine Bar and cafes like Black Water Bakery provide opportunities for social interaction and dining out. With parks like Long Wharf Park and Great Marsh Park nearby, seniors can enjoy outdoor activities in a peaceful environment. Overall, this part of Cambridge boasts a range of essential services that make it a desirable location for senior living.

Places of Worship

• Southern Baptist Convention (0.2 miles)
• Christ Episcopal Church (0.6 miles)
• New Life Christian Church And Ministries (0.8 miles)
• Wheatley George Pastor & Joyce (1.1 miles)
• Living By Truth Ministries (1.3 miles)
• Faith Baptist Fellowship SBC (3.5 miles)
• Full Gospel Church Of God (12.8 miles)

Transportation

• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (0.2 miles)

Restaurants

• Southern Grill (0.6 miles)
• Ava's Pizzeria & Wine Bar (0.6 miles)
• Jimmie & Sooks (0.6 miles)
• Bombay Social (0.7 miles)
• Don Chuy Taqueria (0.7 miles)
• The Creek Deli (0.7 miles)
• Snappers Waterfront Cafe (0.8 miles)

Physicians

• Fassett-Magee Health Center (0.6 miles)
• Cambridge Family Eye Care, parts of MyEyeDr (0.6 miles)
• Maryland Healthy Weighs (0.7 miles)
• Morris Z Effron (1.2 miles)
• Edmund John Maclaughlin (1.2 miles)
• Michael Patrick Moran (1.2 miles)
• Midshore Surgical Eye Center (1.2 miles)

Pharmacies

• Craig's Drug Store (0.6 miles)
• Clayton's Pharmacy (0.9 miles)
• Epic Pharmacies (1 miles)
• Craig's Institutional Pharmacy (1.3 miles)
• Walgreens (1.5 miles)
• Rite Aid (1.8 miles)
• Walmart Pharmacy (2.1 miles)

Cafes

• Black Water Bakery (0.6 miles)
• Starbucks (1.5 miles)
• Rise Up Coffee (3.6 miles)

Hospitals

• Shore Health System (0.7 miles)
• Dorchester General Hospital (1.1 miles)
• Shore Health System (1.1 miles)
• UM Shore Medical Center at Dorchester (1.1 miles)
• Eastern Shore Hospital Center (2.5 miles)
• The Pines (12.9 miles)
• Shore Regional Cancer Center (13.3 miles)

Parks

• Long Wharf Park (0.8 miles)
• Great Marsh Park (1 miles)
• Christ Rock Park (2.1 miles)
• Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (9 miles)
• Oxford Town Park (9.2 miles)
• Stoney Ridge Park (12.2 miles)
• Idlewild Park (13.2 miles)