Preferred Care at Home of WNY

Pros

• The staff provided excellent care and were professional and accommodating.
• The therapy team was top notch, easy to work with, and caring.
• The nursing staff were good, and aides and housekeeping were friendly and accommodating.
• The therapy team earned five stars for their excellence.
• The PT/OT/SLP therapists were wonderful and kept families informed about progress.
• The staff were very caring and created genuine relationships with residents.
• The leadership team was helpful in guiding next steps and providing resources.
• The facility was described as a loving home, with staff showing daily care for residents.
• The food was described as pretty good, with residents occasionally enjoying meals.

Cons

• The meals were of very poor quality and portions were so small they wouldn't sustain a child.
• Ants infested residents' rooms on multiple occasions.
• The facility is severely understaffed, with care that is inconsistent or delayed.
• Management is described as unable to properly oversee staffing and operations.
• Some staff were described as irresponsible, disrespectful, unprofessional, and deceitful.
• Residents experienced neglect or harm, including missed medications and unaddressed oxygen issues.
• There were safety incidents, including a resident being struck by an employee and families being asked to leave during a loved one's decline.
• The facility is labeled below substandard and not recommended for long-term care.
• Clothes sent for cleaning were lost or not returned promptly.
• Several reviewers strongly advised others not to send loved ones there.

Review

The collection of experiences at Elderwood facilities presents a highly mixed portrait. Across the board, several reviewers highlight genuine warmth, professionalism, and meaningful connections with caregivers, therapists, and support staff. In particular, the therapy teams - physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology - are repeatedly singled out as top-notch. Families describe therapists as easy to work with, attentive to progress, and proactive in coordinating next steps after rehab or surgery. Several accounts emphasize that the people who do hands-on care - from nurses to aides to housekeeping - can be caring, personable, and dedicated, and that strong relationships with residents are often a bright spot in what can otherwise feel like a challenging environment.

Yet alongside these positive reflections, the reviews reveal persistent and sometimes severe concerns about day-to-day operations. A common thread is inconsistent staffing and workload management, which many reviewers say translates into delayed or uneven assistance with showers, meals, changes, and other essential tasks. Several comments point to management as being unable or unwilling to address these gaps, sometimes citing a lack of staffing resources, poor communication, and an overall impression of underinvestment in resident care. The sentiment ranges from frustration to outright dissatisfaction, with some reviewers expressing a strong sense that the facility struggles to keep up with needs, especially during longer stays or for residents requiring more intensive support.

Food and dining appear as a frequent flashpoint in the narrative. While a few residents report meals that are acceptable or even good, a substantial number of reviews condemn both the quality and quantity of meals. Observations include meals that are described as tasteless, dried-out, or insufficient in portion size and nutrition. One reviewer even notes a mere two-ounce portion of chicken that wouldn't sustain a child, and another reports having to rely on food brought in from outside. Ants in the rooms - on multiple occasions in one location - also contribute to a sense of neglect in some reviews, underscoring how problems with basic comfort and sanitation can overshadow positive experiences in other areas.

Safety concerns and serious incidents are another recurring theme. Several comments recount alarming events or perceived neglect that affected residents' well-being, including reports of residents not receiving timely oxygen monitoring, being exposed to adverse events (such as a fall or an incident involving staff), or contracting infections like COVID-19 during a stay. There are stories of reported injuries and delayed responses, with family members noting that urgent questions about care or incident reporting often went unanswered or were met with delays. In a number of these accounts, families express fear for the safety of their loved ones and a sense that more proactive oversight and accountability were needed.

The experiences vary even within the same location over time. For example, at Amherst, some reviews speak highly of the care experience, praising caring staff, effective leadership, and supportive communication about next steps and recovery. One reviewer, for instance, describes a month-long rehab stay where staff treated her mother with kindness and kept her informed about progress and plans, and another emphasizes that the food quality was good in that specific experience. On the other hand, Amherst is also mentioned in harsher terms, with calls for avoiding long-term care there or even for avoiding the facility altogether due to overall quality concerns, staffing issues, and safety incidents. The Bailey and Eggert campuses are cited with similar contrasts - acknowledgments that some staff members are diamonds in the rough while others contribute to a sense of disorganization or neglect.

Admissions and administrative processes emerge as an additional sore point for some reviewers. Difficulties contacting admissions personnel, delays in return calls, and a perception of inattentiveness or lack of accountability from the administrative side contribute to a sense that the "back office" problems spill over into the resident experience. One reviewer specifically mentions Latika, an admissions contact, as being unresponsive, a sentiment echoed by others who describe frustration with follow-through from leadership and administration. These administrative frictions can exacerbate the anxiety families feel when navigating transitions into rehabilitation or long-term care.

Taken together, the feedback paints a nuanced picture: Elderwood facilities can be places of excellent rehabilitative care and compassionate interaction, where dedicated therapists and some staff truly help residents regain mobility, independence, and confidence. At the same time, the same facilities can struggle with staffing consistency, food service quality, sanitation challenges, and occasional safety lapses or communication gaps that leave families worried and disillusioned. For families considering Elderwood, the takeaway is clear but complex: there can be standout moments of excellent care - especially within rehab teams and several staff members - yet there are also serious caveats about long-term care quality, reliability of day-to-day services, and the responsiveness of administration.

If you're evaluating Elderwood for a loved one, it may be wise to approach with a dual mindset. Ask specific questions about current staffing levels, the availability of PT/OT beyond standard care, and how meals and room maintenance are managed on a day-to-day basis. Inquire about incident reporting, safety checks, and the facility's approach to infection control, as well as how they handle concerns from families and how quickly they respond to calls or messages. Visiting in person, speaking with multiple staff members across shifts, and requesting any available references could help you gauge whether the care environment aligns with your expectations for safety, responsiveness, and the quality of rehabilitation - especially if a long-term stay is being considered. The reviews collectively underscore that excellent care can exist within Elderwood, but it requires careful diligence and a clear-eyed assessment of current conditions and local leadership.

This part of Amherst, New York offers a convenient location with a variety of amenities nearby that would be beneficial for senior living. There are numerous restaurants within a short distance, providing options for dining out or takeout. Pharmacies and medical facilities are also easily accessible, including Wegmans Pharmacy and several physician offices specializing in different fields. The area offers recreational opportunities with parks such as Ellicott Creek Park and cultural activities with the AMC Maple Ridge 8 theater close by. Additionally, there are places of worship for spiritual needs and hospitals like Degraff Memorial Hospital within a reasonable distance in case of emergencies. Overall, this neighborhood provides a well-rounded environment for seniors looking to live comfortably with access to essential services and recreational options.

Restaurants

• IHOP (0 miles)
• Carrabba's Italian Grill (0.7 miles)
• McDonald's (0.7 miles)
• Siena Restaurant (2.4 miles)
• Dandelions Restaurant (2.7 miles)
• Elmo's (2.8 miles)
• Sinatra's Restaurant (2.9 miles)

Pharmacies

• Wegmans (0.1 miles)
• Top's Markets (0.2 miles)
• Tops Pharmacy (0.2 miles)
• Walmart Pharmacy (0.5 miles)
• Rite Aid (0.7 miles)
• Walgreens (1 miles)
• Walgreens (1.3 miles)

Physicians

• Amherst Medical Associates (0.4 miles)
• Dr. Mark Rodman (0.6 miles)
• Gastroenterology Associates (1.4 miles)
• Excelsior Orthopaedics (1.5 miles)
• Dent Neurologic Institute (1.5 miles)
• Northtowns Cardiology (1.7 miles)
• University Orthopaedics (1.8 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Maple Ridge 8 (0.5 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (0.6 miles)
• Tim Hortons (0.7 miles)
• Panera Bread (0.7 miles)
• Starbucks (1.7 miles)
• Tim Hortons (1.7 miles)
• Tim Hortons (2.6 miles)
• Wegmans Food Markets (3.5 miles)

Places of Worship

• Newman Center at UB (1.9 miles)
• The Chapel (5.2 miles)

Parks

• Ellicott Creek Park (2.4 miles)
• South Long Park (3.7 miles)
• North Tonawanda Gateway Park (3.9 miles)
• Glen Park (3.9 miles)
• Island Park (3.9 miles)

Hospitals

• Degraff Memorial Hospital (3.5 miles)
• Millard Fillmore Suburban NICU (4.2 miles)
• Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital (4.2 miles)
• Erie County Medical Center (4.6 miles)