Jewish Senior Life

Pros

• The rehab was great, with special praise for PT pros Liz and Phoenix.
• The OT and PT staff were fantastic and focused on the patients' goals.
• The doctors, nurses, aides, kitchen staff, and cleaners were polite, respectful, and efficient.
• The facility hosted events that left attendees feeling well cared for, with excellent food.
• The Neurobehavioral and memory care units were described as unparalleled, with staff showing gentleness and dignity toward residents.
• The cottages were praised for excellent care and communication, with reports of no infectious disease during COVID in one family's experience.
• Several reviewers described the community as one of the best senior care facilities in Rochester.

Cons

• The facility is described as crooked and money-driven, extorting money from vulnerable elders.
• Administrators allegedly kept a grandmother in the hospital for months, inventing new reasons to extend the stay after she was deemed healthy and independent.
• A nurse reportedly confessed to lying to the family about her care.
• The center allegedly pressured signing up for iCircle, causing thousands in charges for services not used.
• Nurses and staff are accused of disrespect toward residents with dementia or Alzheimer's, with at least one patient claiming financial exploitation.
• Safety concerns are raised, including no hot water in showers during the first week, cluttered hallways, and utensils not cleaned.
• A relative reported hard beds, slow bathroom assistance, and insufficient therapy, leading to accidents and poor rehabilitation.
• Critics describe the facility as a "house of horrors" focused on money rather than care and call for it to be shut down.

Review

Reviewers recount a kaleidoscope of experiences at the Jewish Home in Rochester, NY, painting a picture that swings from exceptionally positive to troublingly negative. On one end, families praise the rehab programs, the warmth and competence of individual therapists, and the degree of care seen in memory care. On the other, they describe alarming episodes of neglect, alleged manipulation, unsafe conditions, and financial practices that feel exploitative. Taken together, the collection of comments suggests a facility with strong variability in outcomes, likely depending on unit, staff, and perhaps the specific moment in time.

Several reviews center on rehab and post-surgery care, with many praising the clinical teams and their effectiveness. A visitor who watched a relative recover from a hip fracture described the rehab experience as "great," specifically highlighting the physical therapy staff. Names like Liz and Phoenix stood out as particularly capable in their roles, and other accounts echoed this praise: the OT/PT staff were described as intelligent and uplifting, focused on patient goals, with a rotation of staff that made the experience constructive and helpful. One guest expressed sincere gratitude after a two-week stay, noting that the doctors, nurses, aides, kitchen staff, and cleaners were all polite, respectful, and efficient, and that the rehab team helped with safe transfers and strength-building exercises. Elsewhere, the memory-care and neurobehavioral units earned glowing testimonials about the quality of care, with a daughter writing that the care for her mother was "unparalleled" and that the staff's gentle manner was evident in every interaction. A piece of testimony from a daughter underscored the sense that her mother received grace and dignity from admission onward.

Counterbalancing these positive rehab and memory-care stories are serious accusations that cannot be ignored. One reviewer described a "crooked two-faced" feel to the place, alleging systemic manipulation aimed at extracting money from vulnerable residents. The account claimed a grandmother was held for several months despite being labeled healthy and independent after an initial two-week assessment; new reasons to justify continued stay were allegedly conjured, and a nurse later confessed to misrepresenting the situation. The reviewer also claimed the facility pressed the grandmother to sign up for a service called iCircle, which supposedly charged thousands for a benefit that was never used. The same post alleged a pattern of disrespect toward residents with dementia or Alzheimer's and alleged encounters with staff who lied or concealed the truth, prompting the family to question why the facility would avoid addressing a broad flood of one-star reviews while replying to higher-rated ones.

Other reviews highlight unsafe conditions and poor bedside manners that undermined trust in the facility. A dedicated critic described experiences of rude nursing staff, a cluttered environment with equipment in hallways, and a basic lack of hot water in showers for much of the first week. There were reports that rehab patients and other elderly residents did not receive timely assistance, with claims that when help came, it was too late or insufficient - contributing to accidents or discomfort. A sister recounting a rehab aftermath described a patient who could barely sleep due to a hard, plastic bed and a lack of adequate air mattresses, with scarce help available for bathroom needs. In another case, a patient in a wheelchair needed help to get to meals but could not receive consistent assistance, forcing them to navigate dining areas and corridors largely on their own. Across these narratives, the common thread was a perception that safety, responsiveness, and basic comforts were not adequately prioritized in some units.

There are also accounts that concentrate on internal dynamics and management issues. A reviewavaounced that a lack of respect for employees by management created a hostile environment, with claims that staff morale and the corporate attitude affected patient care. One detailed post included an accusation of a nurse lying on a patient and a nursing-manager response that was later followed by allegations of retaliation or suppression against family members who spoke up. The reviewer claimed that administrators and supervisors appeared to be unsympathetic to complaints and that the family's concerns were not adequately addressed, prompting further escalation to state authorities. In a separate thread, a family member charged that staff neglected a night-shift nurse's alleged misconduct and that management was slow to respond to concerns, which they believed affected patient safety and well-being.

Amid these strongly opposing viewpoints, there is also a thread of nuanced, time-shifted narratives. A positive update from 2024 presented the Cottages - the more assisted-living-like environment - as offering stellar care, with the family member who lived there for years reporting excellent health status and lack of infectious disease, suggesting a much more favorable experience than earlier posts in the same location. The same message from 2021 spoke of sustained engagement with the organization, consistently strong communications, and deep appreciation from residents and their families. Even as some families lauded the care their loved ones received, others shared a harsher verdict, with one parent describing a rough discharge and a death that followed hospitalizations after poor early-life care, a memory that continued to haunt the family and fed calls for accountability.

Taken together, the collection reveals a facility where experiences are far from uniform. For some residents and families, the Jewish Home in Rochester provided highly effective rehabilitation, attentive memory care, and a supportive environment that allowed loved ones to feel seen and respected. For others, the same walls held a troubling contrast: stories of manipulation, neglect, unsafe conditions, and disputes with management over perceived financial and ethical boundaries. The result is a complex mosaic that invites careful, case-by-case consideration - especially for families evaluating long-term or short-term care options. If you're exploring this facility, it may be wise to seek firsthand updates from multiple units, talk with current families about the specific program or unit you're considering, and verify current practices and staff stability, given the reports of wide-ranging experiences.

This part of Rochester, New York, offers a convenient and bustling location with a variety of amenities nearby. There are several physicians' offices and hospitals within a short distance, providing easy access to healthcare services. Additionally, there are plenty of parks in the area for leisurely walks or picnics, and a selection of restaurants offering diverse dining options. Pharmacies are also easily accessible for any medication needs. Places of worship are available for spiritual support, and cafes like Starbucks offer social opportunities and a place to relax with a cup of coffee. Overall, this area provides a well-rounded environment for senior living with essential services close by.

Physicians

• Westfall Cardiology (0.3 miles)
• Clinton Crossings (0.9 miles)
• Doctors Office (1 miles)
• Urology Associates of Rochester (1 miles)
• Sanders James O MD (1 miles)
• Aair (1.1 miles)
• Haben Practice for Voice & Laryngeal Laser Surgery (1.1 miles)

Parks

• French Road School Playground (0.6 miles)
• Highland Park (2.4 miles)
• Cobbs Hill Park (2.4 miles)
• Genesee Valley Park (3.2 miles)

Restaurants

• Wendy's (0.9 miles)
• Adelita’s Mexican Cocina & Tequila (1.8 miles)
• Jeremiah's Tavern (1.9 miles)
• The Cheesecake Factory (1.9 miles)
• The King and I Restaurant (2 miles)
• Jeremiah's Tavern (2.3 miles)
• McDonald's (2.4 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (1.4 miles)
• Southside Apothecary (1.5 miles)
• Walgreens (1.6 miles)
• Wegmans (1.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.4 miles)
• Highland Hospital Pharmacy (2.6 miles)
• Highland South Wedge Pharmacy (2.7 miles)

Hospitals

• United Cerbral Palsey (1.6 miles)
• URMC Sawgrass Surgical Center (1.7 miles)
• Highland Hospital (2.5 miles)
• James P Wilmot Cancer Center (2.6 miles)
• Strong Memorial Hospital - Cardiology (2.6 miles)
• SMH Nicu (2.6 miles)
• Neuro ICU 8-1200 (2.7 miles)

Places of Worship

• Artisan Church (2.1 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (2.4 miles)
• Kung Fu Tea (2.9 miles)
• Starbucks (3 miles)
• Starbucks (3.4 miles)