Donna Kay Rest Home

Pros

• The residents are amazing people.
• They have so much life and love to give.
• The residents deserve so much more.

Cons

• The facility is the worst place to stay, with mice and bedbugs.
• The treatment is terrible; the staff are racist and management is the worst.
• Staff allegedly do drugs and drink alcohol on shift.
• The morning staff are mean, yell, and neglect residents.
• It is not a place for families.
• Belongings of residents were thrown away or stolen, including dentures, glasses, photos, birth certificates, and clothing.
• The facility takes or withholds residents' Social Security checks and personal money and refuses to turn them over.
• There is mold, a broken bed, and a resident slept on the floor for over a month; overall cleanliness is lacking.

Review

A pattern emerges from a collection of troubling firsthand accounts about a care facility that many describe as dangerous and dehumanizing for its residents. Across almost two years of experience and multiple visits, reviewers repeatedly cite unsafe living conditions, chronic neglect, and a culture that many feel places money and procedures above the dignity and well-being of the people who rely on the staff for their most basic needs. The recurring themes are hard to ignore: pests, mildew or mold, broken beds, and a pervasive sense that the place cannot be trusted to keep its residents safe or clean. The severity of these problems isn't just occasional; several reviewers describe them as persistent, systematic, and devastating for the people who call this place home.

Pest problems and sanitation are among the most consistently described issues. Reviewers say mice and bedbugs are a routine presence, creating a living environment that feels more like a hazard zone than a care facility. The emotional and physical toll of such conditions is compounded by complaints about cleanliness and maintenance - moldy areas, a broken bed, and an overall lack of timely cleaning. One account explicitly mentions a resident who slept on the floor for over a month due to inadequate repairs, highlighting a broader failure to provide safe, habitable accommodations. The combination of pests and dirty conditions reinforces a broader sense of neglect and neglect's toll on vulnerable residents.

The treatment by staff and the management team is another major thread running through these reviews. Several accounts accuse staff of racism, dehumanizing behavior, and dismissive, even cruel, treatment of residents. There are specific allegations about neglectful supervisors, including a claim that a supervisor who dates a staff member creates a conflict of interest and undermines professional boundaries. Complaints include loud, disrespectful outbursts from morning staff, claims that staff regularly use drugs or alcohol on shift, and a general sense that the facility treats residents as sources of revenue rather than people deserving care. One review points to a nurse who allegedly insulted a family member - an accusation that, if true, would be deeply incongruent with the standard of care expected in any elder-care setting. In short, several reviewers describe a management culture that appears more interested in guarding money and power than in protecting residents' health and dignity.

The most heartrending aspects concern neglect, malnutrition, and the outright abuse of residents and their families. Reviewers recount situations where elderly residents are malnourished or underfed, kept away from a working phone to contact families, and left in unsafe conditions with little to no timely assistance after falls or injuries. The accounts describe short-staffing exacerbated by the Covid era as a persistent justification for delays and omissions, making it nearly impossible for families to get timely information about their loved ones. Beyond the living conditions, several stories involve the mishandling of financial matters and personal belongings - money, social security checks, clothing, photos, and irreplaceable items like a mother's glasses and false teeth were allegedly discarded, lost, or withheld. The emotional devastation is palpable in these tales, with one reviewer noting that a mother's dignity was stripped away and that misappropriation of funds and belongings occurred in a way that intensified grief and powerlessness.

The most wrenching personal narrative centers on a family's experience with a dying loved one. One reviewer describes how, after a hospital stay for severe malnutrition, their mother was moved to another home rather than receiving the necessary care. The account emphasizes a lack of compassionate and attentive treatment in those final days - while the family fought to maintain dignity, they felt ignored and disrespected, culminating in the mother's death from sepsis tied to pneumonia. Added to this are repeated claims that the home withheld personal money and social security checks and failed to provide basic communication or updates to families, leaving relatives feeling helpless and betrayed at every step.

Amid the overwhelmingly negative themes, there is a still-one-sided contrast in one of the accounts: this review makes a point to separate the people who live there - the residents - from the staff, noting that the residents themselves are wonderful and carry a lot of life and love. The reviewer concedes that not all staff behave this way, but emphasizes that the majority of staff fail to treat residents as human beings deserving respect and proper care. The sentiment here is that the blame lies not with the residents who have little recourse, but with a system and a staff culture that seems to view care as transactional rather than relational. Even so, the praise for residents' spirit stands in stark contrast to the harsh critique of the facility's operations.

Taken together, these accounts paint a grave warning about what some families and residents describe as a pattern of neglect, theft, and abuse under poor management. The recurring points - pest-infested, unsanitary living spaces; rudimentary or absent protections against neglect; aggressive or inappropriate staff behavior; and the shocking mishandling of residents' belongings and finances - form a persistent, sobering portrait of a place that many believe prioritizes other concerns over patient care. Families who rely on such facilities for the safety of their loved ones are urged to approach with extreme caution, demand rigorous oversight, and push for transparent communication, auditing of finances and belongings, and immediate attention to residents' basic needs. In these stories, the stakes are nothing less than life and death, dignity or disgrace, and the future of people who deserve far better than what they describe.

This area of Worcester, Massachusetts, offers a convenient and diverse range of amenities for senior living. With multiple dining options including McDonald's, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, and Nancy Chang, seniors can enjoy a variety of cuisines just a short distance away. Nearby places of worship such as St Andrew the Apostle Mission and St Spyridon Cathedral provide opportunities for spiritual fulfillment. Access to transportation at Webster Square Station and medical facilities like Family Health Center of Worcester and Fallon May Street ensure convenient healthcare services. Parks like Beaver Brook Park and Elm Park offer tranquil outdoor spaces for relaxation. Additionally, various pharmacies and cafes are easily accessible for everyday needs. Hospitals such as St Vincent Hospital and Worcester Recovery Center And Hospital are within a short drive for any medical emergencies. Overall, this area provides a well-rounded environment with essential amenities for seniors looking to settle in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Restaurants

• McDonald's (0.1 miles)
• Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (0.4 miles)
• Wendy's (0.9 miles)
• Nancy Chang (1 miles)
• Coney Island Lunch (1.3 miles)
• 110 Grill (1.7 miles)
• The Boynton (1.8 miles)

Places of Worship

• St Andrew the Apostle Mission (0.3 miles)
• St Spyridon Cathedral Special Events Committee (1.4 miles)

Transportation

• Webster Square Station (0.4 miles)

Physicians

• Family Health Center of Worcester (0.6 miles)
• Fallon May Street (0.9 miles)
• Courtland Yard Pediatrics (1 miles)
• Eyes on Worcester (1.1 miles)
• Haelen medical Dr Zamansky (1.1 miles)
• Chandler Pediatrics (1.2 miles)
• Crompton Park Professional Building (1.2 miles)

Parks

• Beaver Brook Park (0.8 miles)
• Hadwen Park (1.2 miles)
• Elm Park (1.6 miles)
• Green Hill Park (3.1 miles)
• Lake Park (3.7 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.1 miles)
• Orachrom (1.3 miles)
• Walgreens (2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.1 miles)
• AbbVie Bioresearch Center (3.4 miles)

Cafes

• NU Cafe (1 miles)
• Fuel America (1.7 miles)
• Starbucks (2.1 miles)
• Fuel America (2.3 miles)
• Bean Counter (2.5 miles)
• In House Coffee (2.6 miles)
• Redemption Rock Brewing (2.9 miles)

Hospitals

• St Vincent Hospital (1.9 miles)
• Saint Vincent Hospital (1.9 miles)
• Nahtm (2.4 miles)
• UMass Interventional Radiology (2.5 miles)
• Worcester Recovery Center And Hospital (3.6 miles)
• UMass ACC (3.8 miles)
• U Mass Hospital (4 miles)

Theaters

• Blackstone Valley 14 Cinema de Lux (4.2 miles)