Preferred Care at Home of WNY in Amherst, NY

Pros

• The staff provide excellent care and genuinely care about residents.
• The staff are professional and accommodating, making stays comfortable.
• The therapy team is top notch, easy to work with, and genuinely caring.
• The nursing staff, aides, and housekeeping are friendly and accommodating.
• The staff are friendly, courteous, helpful, and very professional.
• The therapists stay in close contact about progress and what families can do to help recovery.
• The food is good and residents often enjoy their meals.
• The overall atmosphere is a loving, caring home where residents are consistently cared for by dedicated staff.

Cons

• The food was barely edible and portions would literally starve a child.
• The room was reportedly infested with ants on three separate occasions.
• The facility is described as understaffed, with inconsistent or delayed care and management unable to handle workloads.
• A number of staff are described as not dedicated, with slackers outnumbering the caring workers.
• The Amherst/Elderwood facility is described as awful and substandard, with warnings not to send a loved one.
• Nurses allegedly ignored dangerously low oxygen levels and other urgent needs, putting residents at risk.
• Medications were not administered as prescribed, and communication about care was lacking.
• The admissions process is described as a nightmare, with unresponsive staff.
• Clothes sent out for cleaning were not found, with little information about when they would be returned.
• There are reports of injuries and even death linked to care issues, including a resident being mishandled and a husband dying after admission.
• The discharge planner is said to need to learn her job.

Review

This community is best suited for families seeking rehabilitative care where the therapy teams are the primary asset. When a resident’s goal is to regain function after surgery, stroke, or a fall, and the priority is access to motivated PT/OT/SLP professionals who can chart progress and push toward measurable improvement, this Amherst facility can deliver. It is less reliable as a long-term housing solution, however, and the care environment varies enough that ongoing custodial support and daily operations should be scrutinized before committing to a prolonged stay.

Alternatives should be considered by families whose priority is dependable day-to-day functioning, consistent staffing, and a consistently high level of safety and oversight. For residents who require steady, predictable care, or who have complex medical needs beyond rehab, the inconsistencies cited in multiple reviews, staffing shortages, delays in assistance, and management gaps, make long-term placement risky. Families worried about reliable daily amenities, prompt response times, and strict safety protocols should look at other options with more uniform staffing and clearer accountability.

On the upside, the strongest pros center on the therapy staff. Reviewers repeatedly praise the PT/OT/SLP teams for their competence, communication, and genuine engagement with residents. When the focus is rehabilitation, these therapists often become the standout part of the experience, capable of coordinating with families and delivering progress that can feel transformative. Some frontline staff, nurses, aides, and even kitchen staff in favorable reports, are described as caring and personable, contributing to moments of positive connection during a difficult rehab journey.

Yet the main cons are consistently echoed across many reviews and cannot be overlooked in a decision. Staffing appears inconsistent, with reports of delayed assistance, unfulfilled requests, and dissatisfaction with leadership’s ability to manage workloads. Medical administration and safety oversight are flagged in several accounts as problematic, including instances of medication gaps, delayed care, and even serious safety incidents. Ants in rooms, long delays in attention, and complaints about the admissions process point to a systems-level fragility that affects daily quality of life and perceived safety.

In practical terms, these pros and cons translate into a clear decision framework. For short-term rehab where the primary objective is functional recovery and the family is actively involved in care planning, the therapy team’s strengths can offset many imperfect aspects of daily operations. However, for any resident requiring reliable long-term supervision, stable routines, and uncompromised safety, the risks documented in numerous reviews are too consequential to ignore. Food quality and house-keeping may improve in favorable shifts, but critical issues around staffing consistency and care responsiveness often persist.

Families weighing this community should insist on concrete assurances before admission. Request up-to-date staffing ratios for each shift, probe the therapy schedule and the ability to extend therapy time if private pay is available, and obtain a clear, written plan for medication administration and fall prevention. Tour the rehab units with a discerning eye for how residents are assisted, how often gowns and clothes are returned after laundry, and how quickly calls for help are answered. Also compare concrete options, noting recommendations that other families have offered, such as Park Creek or Harris Hill, as potential alternatives that may deliver more stable daily care and a more reassuring long-term environment. The bottom line is practical: rehab quality may be strong enough to justify consideration, but long-term care hinges on faster, more reliable operations and safer, more consistent staffing.

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)