Kendall At Hanover

Pros

• Kendal is beautiful, and the people and care residents received couldn't have been better.
• The care from Kendal's staff is consistently impressive.
• The food at Kendal is loved for its variety and quality.
• Families visiting Kendal are impressed by the care from the staff.
• Kendal provides attentive care across assisted living and nursing care.
• People would consider moving to Kendal themselves if they lived nearby.

Cons

• They described Kendal as toxic, with poor management and a politics-filled environment that led to high chef turnover.
• They criticized the Farm House experience as overpriced, with rules that change regularly, uncomfortable beds, and no meals provided.
• They alleged the kitchen was run with politics and mismanagement, noting that ServSafe tests were not reliably passed and that a chef replacement was chosen without a proper vote.
• They warned others to stay away from Kendal due to these issues.

Review

Kendal is described here as a retirement community that inspires deeply mixed feelings in its visitors and residents. For some families, it represents a haven where beauty, thoughtful care, and a sense of community come together to make aging a more manageable and even pleasant experience. For others, it feels like a place where organizational hiccups, political undercurrents, or gaps in service can overshadow the good intentions of a well-meaning staff. Taken together, the set of voices offers a complex portrait of a place that has clearly touched many lives in very different ways.

The most heartfelt praise comes from the Baldwin family. Jim and Harriet Baldwin spent more than 15 years at Kendal, and the writer still recalls making the train trip from the D.C. area to visit them as one of the best choices they could have made for retirement. The author uses words like "beautiful" and "the best place they could have retired to," highlighting the natural setting, the warmth of the people, and the quality of care their parents received. In this account, Kendal is not just a facility but a community that fostered friendships and a sense of belonging - so much so that the writer remains grateful for the experiences and the people who supported their parents during their time there.

Yet the atmosphere at Kendal is not uniformly glowing in every account. A separate reviewer is bluntly critical, painting Kendal as a place run by "poor management" and a culture infused with politics. The critique centers on the kitchen and the broader administrative climate, arguing that a toxic environment makes it a poor fit for anyone with real culinary skill or professional aspirations. The reviewer insists that this is not a lash-out from a bitter former employee but a genuine warning to prospective hires: if you can help it, you should stay away, because turnover and institutional issues have created a working atmosphere that undermines talent and morale.

Other stories offer a blend of praise and concern grounded in long-term experience with the community. One family describes arriving around Kendal two decades ago and finding a two-bedroom unit that became a home base as they embraced Kendal's activities and workshops. After the father's death, the mother received more intensive Assisted Living and Nursing care, and the family notes that staff consistently delivered care with warmth and competence. A particularly vivid note is struck about the quality of food, which the writers hold up as something they wish could be replicated at home - the kind of detail that signals Kendal's success in shaping a pleasant daily life for residents.

There are also sharply negative voices about specific services and facilities within Kendal. One reviewer explicitly calls out the Farm House, lamenting ever-changing rules, uncomfortable beds, and a sense of disappointment that a stay costing well over $200 a night should include meals that were promised but not delivered. The critique goes further, suggesting that guests were treated more like information sources than welcomed visitors, and that what they experienced did not justify the expense or expectations. The tensions between cost, comfort, and promised amenities are framed as a cautionary tale about lodging choices within the Kendal ecosystem.

A separate perspective zeroes in on kitchen operations and staff politics. While acknowledging decent pay and benefits, the writer emphasizes ongoing political dynamics as a major obstacle to a healthy work environment. The account details a specific incident around replacing a chef that turned into a larger debate about voting and qualifications, arguing that the process was not handled democratically and that the outcome reflected poorly on management. The sentiment is that, absent changes in governance and acknowledgment of staff contributions, the potential Kendal has to excel in culinary and hospitality may remain unrealized.

Amid the divergent experiences, there is a strongly affirmative note from another generation of residents. An aunt, Esther Morris, lived at Kendal for several years in the 2000s, and the family recalls how Kendal accommodated her husband's Alzheimer's care needs and how she herself contributed to the community as a docent who offered tours of the artwork hung in the halls. This story celebrates Kendal's flexibility in providing for multiple levels of care and its ability to engage residents in meaningful activities. The reviewer's closing sentiment is heartfelt: if a family member needed care near Kendal, they would consider moving there themselves, because of the warmth, the opportunities for social interaction, and the sense that Kendal could be a place where people still lead purposeful lives.

Taken together, these reviews sketch a community that excels in some dimensions - care quality, family involvement, and a sense of place and beauty - while stumbling in others - staff morale, governance, and consistency in certain services. The accounts of long-term residents and their families emphasize that Kendal can offer a supportive, engaging, and loving environment, especially when care needs evolve from independent living to assisted living and beyond. The counterpoints remind prospective residents and staff that any retirement community must continuously confront internal politics, cost considerations, and the practical realities of running diverse services for aging adults. In the end, Kendal appears to be a place that can provide genuine joy and meaningful community for many, while also posing challenges that some families choose to weigh carefully when considering it as a long-term home.

Hanover, New Hampshire offers a convenient and vibrant community for seniors looking to settle in a peaceful yet engaging environment. With several parks nearby such as Kendal Riverfront Park and Pine Park, residents can enjoy leisurely walks and outdoor activities. The area also boasts a variety of dining options including PINE Restaurant, Six South Main, and Murphy's On the Green, providing ample choices for delicious meals. For healthcare needs, there are reputable physicians like Hanover Continuity Clinic and Mt. Ascutney Hospital Eye Center within close proximity. Additionally, pharmacies such as Eastman's Pharmacy and CVS Pharmacy are easily accessible for medication needs. Places of worship like Church of Christ At Dartmouth College and St Denis Rectory cater to spiritual well-being. Overall, Hanover offers a well-rounded community with excellent amenities for seniors to enjoy their golden years in comfort.

Parks

• Kendal Riverfront Park (0.4 miles)
• Wilson's Landing (1.5 miles)
• Pine Park (1.6 miles)
• The Green (2 miles)
• College Green (2 miles)
• Norwich Green (2.2 miles)
• Kilowatt Park (4.1 miles)

Physicians

• Hanover Continuity Clinic (0.7 miles)
• Hanover Psychiatry (2.2 miles)
• Mt. Ascutney Hospital Eye Center (2.3 miles)
• Kristine A Karlson MD (2.8 miles)
• Isaps (3.1 miles)
• White River Family Practice (3.3 miles)
• Montshire Pediatrics (3.3 miles)

Cafes

• Cafe North (1.7 miles)
• Starbucks (2.2 miles)
• The Nest Kitchen (2.2 miles)
• King Arthur Flour (2.8 miles)
• Lucky's Coffee Garage (6 miles)
• Jake's Coffee Company (6.4 miles)

Places of Worship

• Church of Christ At Dartmouth College (1.8 miles)
• Rollins Chapel (1.9 miles)
• Aquinas House (2 miles)
• St Denis Rectory (2.2 miles)
• General Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists (2.3 miles)
• Unitarian Universalist (3.3 miles)
• First Baptist Church (3.4 miles)

Restaurants

• PINE Restaurant (2.1 miles)
• Six South Main (2.1 miles)
• Murphy's On the Green (2.1 miles)
• Jewel of India (2.1 miles)
• Lou's Restaurant (2.2 miles)
• Candela Tapas Lounge (2.2 miles)
• Carpenter & Main (2.2 miles)

Pharmacies

• Eastman's Pharmacy (2.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.3 miles)
• Corner Drug Co. (5.9 miles)

Hospitals

• Medical Specialties (3.6 miles)
• Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (3.6 miles)
• Hematology/Oncology Special care Unit 1-West (3.6 miles)
• 2 West Inpatient Surgery (3.6 miles)
• Iccu (3.6 miles)
• Office of Patient and Family Relations (3.7 miles)
• Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock (3.7 miles)

Transportation

• Dartmouth Coach Lebanon (5.4 miles)
• Gate 4 (5.4 miles)