St Francis Home in Williamsville, NY

Pros

• The staff were very pleasant, willing to help, and compassionate and competent, which put visitors at ease.
• The staff and PT services were pleasing, with caregivers who were caring and kind to residents.
• The rehab team helped residents recover and return to daily activities, and the residents were happy with the food and company.
• The facility did an amazing job caring for loved ones, with some reviewers saying no other facility would take their family member.
• The facility has been remodeled and the staff are hard-working, helpful, and knowledgeable.
• The staff become like family, making residents comfortable and well cared for, and many reviewers would recommend the facility to others.

Cons

• The facility is described as abysmal and dangerous, with reviewers giving zero or very negative ratings.
• The staff are frequently negligent and unresponsive, ignoring call bells and delaying medications.
• The building is dirty and poorly maintained, with broken furniture and outdated, depressing decor.
• Residents are left in soiled conditions and neglected baths, sometimes for hours.
• Belongings are stolen or lost, and communication with families is poor or unreturned.
• Food is often served cold, meals are late, and basic comforts are not consistently provided.
• Supervision is inadequate, leading to falls, injuries, and even deaths attributed to neglect.
• Management is unprofessional and hard to reach, with multiple mentions of state investigations or calls to shut the facility down.

Review

St Francis Home in Williamsville is best suited for families pursuing short-term, rehab-focused stays where the core value is high-quality physical, occupational, and speech therapy and where vigilant oversight by family or a trusted advocate is expected. When therapy teams are at their best, residents can make meaningful progress, and some staff members are praised for kindness and competence. However, this advantage hinges on reliable daily care and responsive governance, which are not consistently present across reviews. For families whose priority is recovery outcomes driven by strong therapy services, this community can deliver, but only with active involvement and detailed questions upfront.

Not everyone should consider this facility without caveats. Those needing steady, 24/7 custodial care with consistently attentive staff should look elsewhere, as numerous reports cite medication delays, ignored call bells, and routine lapses in basic daily tasks. Families who cannot monitor care closely or who expect seamless communication with administration may find the experience frustrating and stressful. Long-term residents, memory-care needs, or anyone seeking a consistently clean, well-maintained living environment may want to compare other options where staffing and housekeeping have stronger, verifiable records.

The strongest positives lie in the rehab domain. Multiple reviews highlight capable PT/OT and dedicated therapy staff who enable real improvements, sometimes accompanied by compassionate aides who form meaningful relationships with residents. When therapy teams are engaged, residents describe better mobility and function, and some families feel reassured by reports of attentive nursing leadership and responsive therapy coordinators. The recent remodeling in portions of the facility also contributes to a more welcoming atmosphere, which can support mood and participation in therapy.

Yet the cons are granular and persistent, and they shape the risk calculus. Repeated accounts describe missed medications, delayed pain control, and call lights that go unanswered for extended periods. Cleanliness and room maintenance are repeatedly flagged as substandard, with complaints about dirty furnishings, pests, and inconsistent housekeeping. Communication with leadership and front-office staff is frequently described as difficult or unreturned, and incidents of theft or misplacement of personal belongings appear in several reviews. These patterns undermine trust, especially for families considering a longer-term stay or a highly vulnerable resident.

The key dynamic is clear: the therapy-driven upside can deliver tangible recovery, but it is only as strong as the daily care structure that surrounds it. For residents who come in primarily for rehab and have families prepared to advocate, the facility can be a workable choice, provided diligence is exercised about staffing levels, medication routines, and home-like conditions. For anyone prioritizing stable, predictable day-to-day care and a consistently respectful, responsive environment, the cons likely outweigh the pros. Pros offset cons only for narrowly defined rehab goals, not for broad, long-term custodial needs.

Practical guidance for families weighing this option is essential. Plan a thorough, multiple-visit tour and speak directly with the therapy director about current caseloads, therapist availability, and what constitutes timely discharge planning. Request recent state inspection reports or citations and verify medication administration processes, including how missed doses are tracked and corrected. Ask to see current staffing rosters during day and night shifts, observe the cleanliness of several resident rooms, and inquire about how belongings are managed and safeguarded. If those elements do not align with the family’s expectations and safety standards, it is prudent to explore alternatives that offer stronger consistency and fewer red flags, even if the rehab potential appears promising on paper.

Pharmacies

• Rite Aid (0.3 miles)
• Walgreens (0.4 miles)
• Top's Markets (0.4 miles)
• Rite Aid (0.9 miles)
• Wegmans (1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.9 miles)
• CVS Speciality (2.1 miles)

Restaurants

• Glen Park Tavern (0.3 miles)
• The Irishman Pub & Eatery (0.4 miles)
• Creekview Restaurant (0.4 miles)
• Siena Restaurant (1.6 miles)
• Dandelions Restaurant (1.9 miles)
• Libation Station (2.5 miles)
• McDonald's (2.6 miles)

Parks

• Glen Park (0.3 miles)
• Island Park (0.4 miles)
• South Long Park (0.5 miles)
• Meadowlakes (5.3 miles)
• Ellicott Creek Park (5.5 miles)

Physicians

• Town & Village Pediatrics (1.1 miles)
• Brain and Spine Center (1.2 miles)
• Windsong Radiology Group (1.7 miles)
• University Orthopaedics (1.8 miles)
• Western New York Dermatology (1.9 miles)
• Dent Neurologic Institute (2 miles)
• Excelsior Orthopaedics (2.1 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.2 miles)
• Starbucks (2.6 miles)
• Starbucks (3 miles)
• Tim Hortons (3.1 miles)
• Starbucks (3.1 miles)
• Panera Bread (3.2 miles)
• Wegmans Food Markets (3.2 miles)

Hospitals

• Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital (2.2 miles)
• Millard Fillmore Suburban NICU (2.2 miles)
• Erie County Medical Center (5 miles)

Transportation

• TSA Pre-️Lane (2.4 miles)
• Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) (2.4 miles)
• Southwest Airlines Co. (2.4 miles)
• Amtrak - Buffalo, NY Depew Station (BUF) (4.2 miles)

Theaters

• Regal Transit Center & IMAX (3 miles)
• AMC Maple Ridge 8 (3.3 miles)
• Regal Walden Galleria 4Dx & RPX (3.6 miles)

Places of Worship

• Newman Center at UB (3.9 miles)
• Saint John Gualbert Catholic Church & Diocesan Shrine (4.5 miles)