Aurora of Statesville, LLC

Pros

• Great staff, they are very personable and take great care of my grandmother.
• They help in any way possible.
• The administrative staff have been responsive to my questions and concerns.
• The director's interview was very impressive.

Cons

• Reviewers report that the care of residents is way below standards.
• Reviewers report that the facility smells of urine.
• Reviewers report that most staff are unproductive and unprofessional.
• Reviewers report that the owners are withholding funds belonging to a resident.
• Reviewers report that residents' clothes and bedding are frequently lost and not properly handled.
• Reviewers report that the 3rd shift steals from residents while they sleep.
• Reviewers report that residents are not bathed regularly and clothing is not washed as needed.
• Reviewers report that the transportation van was dangerous and safety restraints did not hold.
• Reviewers report that residents have suffered neglect, including bed sores and unattended medical issues.
• Reviewers report that bed bugs are present and the facility is dirty.

Review

Mill Creek Manor Assisted Care Facility, formerly known as Aurora, sits at a crossroads of transition and lived experience. A 77-year-old resident who arrived after a health odyssey - hip fracture in May 2019, surgery at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, hospitalization at Iredell Memorial, rehab there, followed by months in a SNF - offers a long, professionally informed perspective. With decades of nursing and clinic management experience in San Francisco, this resident brings a clear voice about both the potential and the peril in Mill Creek Manor. The author emphasizes that the facility is navigating a period of change, and that the leadership they encountered - director Diann Matthews - made a powerful impression during a lengthy interview that laid out a philosophy of care aimed at a broader, more engaged approach to resident needs. The resident notes that while they cannot speak to every regulatory nuance or corporate demand, the administrative staff have generally been responsive to questions and concerns, though clearly the facility serves a challenging and diverse resident population.

In this personal account, the author stresses that the house is clearly "in transition," a characterization that rings through other respondents as well: a community trying to harmonize ambitious care ideals with the realities of a population that includes many patients with varied disabilities and medical histories. The author distinguishes the administrative core - staff who listen and respond - from the daily experiences of residents, who confront a range of needs that can stretch resources. The overarching sentiment is that there is movement toward improvement, even as the facility grapples with the practical demands of caregiving at a higher level.

Yet the volume of resident and family feedback paints a complex picture. One poster cautions readers that "Dont count on anyone to answer the phone," capturing a recurring complaint about communication hurdles and slow or inconsistent responsiveness. Another voice focuses on serious concerns about core operations, warning that "the owners of this company is withholding funds that belong to a resident," alleging misappropriation and claiming that such actions jeopardize a resident's status at Mill Creek Manor or placement elsewhere. The tone here is unequivocally accusatory, with the writer vowing to pursue legal action to correct what they describe as a grave misdeed.

Despite the disruptive, troubling notes, there is at least one explicitly positive voice within the same set of comments. A resident praises "great staff," describing them as personable and capable of helping in a wide range of ways and expressing gratitude for the care their grandmother receives. This balanced strand - praises for individual caregivers and the daily warmth they offer - appears alongside harsher judgments about the facility's overall performance, illustrating the uneven, sometimes contradictory experiences that families and residents report.

Many reviews converge on a harsher assessment: care that falls short of acceptable standards. Phrases like "the care of the residents is way below Standards," "90 percent of the staff is highly unproductive and unprofessional," and "the care is way below Standards" recur in these voices. Complaints span multiple domains: cleanliness, smell, and overall hygiene; the quality and nutritional value of meals described as "slop" by some; and a sense that some residents are not clean or are not receiving adequate personal care. The tenor across these posts is persistent concern about the daily attentiveness of staff, with critics arguing that only a small fraction of workers exhibit genuine caregiving qualities.

Safety and accountability emerge as particularly troubling threads. A number of posters describe environments where important protections appear compromised: "3rd shift steals from the residents while they are asleep," clothing and personal items are alleged to be lost, and "the clothes don't get washed when needed." One account even suggests a prevailing culture where items are mismanaged or misappropriated, with parents and families feeling unable to trust that belongings or medications are handled correctly. There are also alarming depictions of physical safety issues, including the facility's transport vans being "dangerous," with straps that fail to secure wheelchairs, raising concerns about medical appointments and mobility safety.

Several narratives recount deeply distressing personal experiences that frame the facility as a place where neglect could have dire consequences. One reviewer recalls a loved one who had a blood pressure event and "no way of calling for help," forcing a dangerous crawl down a hallway in a wheelchair. Transportation hazards, such as an unreliable van with unsafe restraints, compound the anxiety for families who must entrust their loved ones to Mill Creek Manor's care. These anecdotes underscore a fear that routine emergencies may not be met with timely, competent responses, a perception that can erode trust even when some staff members are described as caring and efficient.

The most gut-wrenching accounts center on severe, preventable suffering and loss. A niece or nephew describes a beloved aunt who was in the facility and eventually died after what they describe as "bed sores, multiple infections" and "unattended" care, with vivid recollections of missed medications, hospitalizations, and even the neglect of belongings during a move to hospice. The narrative blames the facility and its care team for a decline that culminated in an untimely death, with the family contending that their loved one's dignity and health were neglected in the final stages. In another stark entry, a family claims their relative's clothes and bedding disappear and insists that the facility is not responsible for missing items, painting a picture of disorganization and insufficient accountability.

The reviews close with a sense that this is a place where negative experiences can dominate the narrative for families and residents, particularly for those dealing with progressive cognitive conditions like Alzheimer's disease. One warning - "if your loved one has Alzheimer's, DO NOT BRING THEM HERE" - appears alongside comments about the physical state of rooms, including references to odors, scratched walls, and deteriorating furniture. Some residents reportedly witnessed or experienced unsanitary conditions and what is described as "bed bugs," fueling concerns that infection control and basic cleanliness are not reliably maintained. Taken together, these accounts contribute to a potent, if troubling, image of a facility struggling to reconcile a care philosophy with the harsh realities of staffing, funding, safety, and accountability.

In sum, the full spectrum of voices surrounding Mill Creek Manor presents a facility at a critical juncture. There are indications that leadership under Diann Matthews has sparked a thoughtful, philosophy-driven approach to care, and some residents attest to responsive administrative support and compassionate staff members who go above and beyond. However, a chorus of other residents and family members reports systemic problems that threaten patient safety and wellbeing: inconsistent communication, alleged misallocation of funds, sanitation and hygiene failures, unsafe transportation, medication and belongings mismanagement, and, in the most devastating accounts, neglect that contributed to severe health declines or death. The narrative is not one-note; it is a mosaic of hope, frustration, and fear - a signal that Mill Creek Manor is in need of substantial, transparent improvements to honor the care standards residents deserve and to restore trust among families who rely on this facility for their loved ones' well-being.

This part of Statesville, North Carolina offers a variety of amenities and services that cater to the needs of seniors. With several restaurants including Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits, Duckworth's Grill & Taphouse, and Cracker Barrel nearby, there are plenty of dining options to choose from. Additionally, there are numerous parks such as Lake Norman State Park and Glen Oak Green Park for outdoor recreational activities. Medical care is easily accessible with Tall Oaks Family Practice, Northshore Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, and other physician offices in the vicinity. Pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy provide convenient medication services. For leisure activities, seniors can visit cafes like Clutch Coffee Bar or Urban Grind Roasters - Artisan Coffee. The AmStar 14 theater and various places of worship such as First Presbyterian Church and St Therese Catholic Church offer additional entertainment and spiritual opportunities. Public transportation is also available through Amtrak for easy access to surrounding areas. This part of Statesville provides a well-rounded environment for senior living with a range of conveniences within reach.

Restaurants

• Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits (7.7 miles)
• Kickback Jack's (12.8 miles)
• Duckworth's Grill & Taphouse Mooresville (12.8 miles)
• Cracker Barrel (12.8 miles)
• Hickory Tavern (12.9 miles)
• McDonald's (12.9 miles)
• Joel's Asian Grill (13.5 miles)

Parks

• Lake Norman State Park (9.3 miles)
• Glen Oak Green Park (21.9 miles)

Physicians

• Tall Oaks Family Practice (12.3 miles)
• Northshore Orthopedics & Sports Medicine (13.2 miles)
• Novant Health Lakeside Family Physicians (13.3 miles)
• PHC Sailview Family Medicine (13.3 miles)
• Southern Family Medicine (13.7 miles)
• Piedmont Healthcare (13.8 miles)
• Shuping George DDS MS PA (14.1 miles)

Pharmacies

• Crp USA (12.4 miles)
• Walgreens (12.8 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (12.9 miles)
• Healthsmart Pharmacy (13.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (13.8 miles)
• Walgreens (14.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (19.3 miles)

Cafes

• Clutch Coffee Bar (13.2 miles)
• Urban Grind Roasters - Artisan Coffee (13.8 miles)
• Starbucks (15.7 miles)
• Starbucks (22.8 miles)

Theaters

• AmStar 14 - Mooresville Theatre (13.4 miles)

Places of Worship

• First Presbyterian Church (13.8 miles)
• St Therese Catholic Church (14.1 miles)
• Cove Church (17.2 miles)
• Liberty Baptist Church (17.9 miles)

Transportation

• Amtrak (23.1 miles)