Salemtowne the Moravian Comm

Pros

• The staff and therapy team are top-notch and outstanding.
• The facilities are state-of-the-art and thoughtfully designed.
• The dining options are excellent with a rotating menu and plentiful choices.
• The campus is warm, welcoming, and well maintained.
• Residents and families feel safe and cared for.
• The staff are hospitable, caring, and make residents feel welcome.
• Salemtowne offers extensive, engaging activities and programs.
• Constance is described as attentive, compassionate, and absolutely awesome.
• Salemtowne is regarded as a wonderful community to be part of.
• The environment is pet-friendly, adding therapeutic value for residents.

Cons

• The reviewer reported there was no working HVAC during the stay.
• The reviewer said there was no call button that could reach the chair.
• The reviewer described a day with no meal.
• The reviewer described an uncomfortable mattress that was replaced the next day.
• The reviewer characterized caregivers as indifferent.
• The reviewer reported no shower assistance.
• The reviewer described the administration as defensive and uninterested in feedback or making changes.
• The reviewer warned readers to stay away from the facility.
• The reviewer claimed the pacemaker/defibrillator was not removed when requested, causing pain in the last week of life.
• The reviewer alleged staff continued giving morphine despite family objections.
• The reviewer described a dementia patient banging against the walls in the hall with no one responding.
• The reviewer stated they were billed $360 per day after death for cleaning the room, which felt inappropriate.
• The reviewer implied the grandfather died in part due to perceived neglect by staff.
• The reviewer noted multiple falls that were not communicated to the family.

Review

Salemtowne is a multi-faceted retirement community that hosts independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing on a single campus. Across years and different neighborhoods within the campus, residents and their families tell a picture that is at once vibrant and complex: its grounds and amenities can be beautiful and inviting, its staff can be praised as warm and caring, and at the same time concerns about care quality, communication, and post-care practices can surface with alarming intensity. The reviews portray a community that can feel like a sanctuary to some and a source of distress to others, depending on the exact experience and the level of care needed at the moment.

A former resident recalls an October 2019 rehab stay after knee replacement that left a lasting positive impression. For nine days, this guest describes receiving "top notch care" in Salemtowne's rehab setting. The experience was marked by attentive staff, a supportive therapy team, and an environment that made the recovery process feel well-organized and professional. The reviewer highlights the quality of the rehab program itself and the sense that the care assumed a standard of excellence appropriate to such a significant surgical recovery. In that narrative, Salemtowne's rehab center is presented almost as a model of how skilled nursing rehab should function: structured, responsive, and focused on helping patients regain mobility and confidence.

By contrast, another thread from October 2024 paints a troubling and urgent picture of care that felt dangerously inadequate for a short, intense stay following gall bladder surgery. The reviewer reports 48 hours of care that fell drastically short of expectations: no working HVAC, a call button that could not reach staff, at least one missed meal, and an uncomfortable mattress that was only replaced the following day. Caregivers are described as indifferent, shower assistance was not provided, and administration is described as defensive and unresponsive to feedback. The stark contrast between the 2019 experience and this later stay culminates in a stark directive to others: "STAY AWAY!" The reviewer notes that after these events, in-home care proved to be far more satisfactory for the post-hospital recovery, underscoring how much conditions can differ within the same campus depending on the moment and the staff on hand.

A deeply personal and harrowing account follows, focusing on a loved one who had lived there since 2019. The family alleges a cascade of troubling issues surrounding end-of-life care for a grandparent with a defibrillator/pacemaker. The family's doctor - who is not a caregiver in the facility - told staff that the device was no longer needed, yet the device remained in place, and the pacemaker allegedly began to shock the patient in the final week of life. The account alleges that attempts to remove the device were ignored, contributing to distress and what the family describes as extreme pain, despite family instructions to avoid sedating or medicating with morphine during what was already an emotionally painful period. Dementia added to the volatility of the situation, with repeated episodes of the resident banging on walls and screaming in the hall, and the family contends that staff responses were insufficient. The medical costs also added to the strain after the resident's death - billing continued at a high daily rate to clear the room, with family members feeling overwhelmed and unsupported at a moment of profound grief. The family warns others away, promising to pursue legal action, and insisting that their loved one's death was the result of neglect rather than care.

Despite these severe, highly negative episodes, there are persistent threads of praise for Salemtowne's physical setting and the community culture that occur in other testimonials. One reviewer emphasizes the value of actually living in the community long-term: a gated campus with multiple entrances, offering standalone homes, apartments, and condos, plus an organized rehab building. The reviewer notes a broad calendar of activities designed to keep residents engaged, and describes the staff as hospitable and caring, helping residents feel welcome and comfortable in a well-kept environment. The portrayal here suggests a sense of security and belonging for many residents, and the reviewer even expresses a strong wish to live there in the future.

Further testimonials celebrate the day-to-day life at Salemtowne: many residents report loving their new homes, praising the supportive staff and the favorable social atmosphere. Stories describe a robust slate of daily and weekly activities - exercise classes daily on weekdays, a pool and fitness room open regularly, and a diverse array of artistic, intellectual, spiritual, and social offerings. Dining is repeatedly highlighted as a standout feature, with a main dining room offering a rotating menu that changes twice a year, as well as an always-available menu with a variety of entrees, sandwiches, and salads. A new Bistro was anticipated to open in February 2020, signaling ongoing investment in the community's dining options. Residents speak of aging in place across the different levels of care, reinforcing the sense that Salemtowne is designed to be a long-term home.

Several testimonials focus on staff members who leave lasting positive impressions. One resident singles out a young staff member named Constance, praising her attentiveness, compassion, patience, and courteousness, and expressing gratitude for the warmth she brings to the residents. Another set of voices emphasizes the overall friendliness and helpfulness of staff and residents alike, describing the community as welcoming, warm, and enriching. A particularly positive narrative centers on a family story of a wife requiring inpatient rehab after back surgery; Salemtowne's rehab experience is described as a standout: the care team treated the patient and the family as they would their own, with top-tier administration, nursing, and therapy teams. The reviewer even notes the appeal of Penny, an eight-year-old yellow lab, being allowed to spend time in the patient's room, highlighting how supportive, compassionate touches can contribute to a success story in recovery.

Taken together, the reviews sketch Salemtowne as a place of strong contrasts. For some families and residents, the campus provides a warm, activity-rich, and well-supported environment where care teams are capable, the amenities are abundant, and life in the community can feel deeply fulfilling. For others, particularly in moments of medical or end-of-life care, the experience can be marked by miscommunication, safety concerns, and care gaps that leave lasting hurt and anger. The repeated themes - extensive activity offerings and strong social networks; comprehensive living options and wooded, attractive grounds; a perception of high-quality rehab when it goes well; and, conversely, abrupt failures in care and communication that can have serious consequences - underline the complexity of long-term care environments. Prospective residents and families are reminded of the importance of comprehensive due diligence: touring, speaking with current residents, asking pointed questions about emergency procedures, staffing stability, and policies for sensitive health decisions, and gauging whether a given moment aligns with a family's expectations and the specific care needs of their loved one. In the end, Salemtowne emerges as a large, multi-faceted community that can be life-enriching and comforting for many, while presenting significant challenges for others when care quality, medical decisions, and family involvement intersect in stressful or emotionally charged circumstances.

Restaurants

• Ryan's Restaurant (2.6 miles)
• Bobby Boy Bakeshop (3.6 miles)
• West End Opera House (4 miles)
• Wise Man Brewing (4.3 miles)
• Mozelle's Fresh Southern Bistro (4.5 miles)
• Gatsby's Pub (4.6 miles)
• P.F. Chang's China Bistro (5 miles)

Hospitals

• Wake Forest Univ Bapt Med Center (4.5 miles)
• WFBH Ardmore Tower (4.7 miles)
• Bethany Cardiology (19.5 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Revco D.S. (4.6 miles)
• Walgreens (4.6 miles)
• Express Scripts Holding Co. (6.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (6.7 miles)
• South Park Family Pharmacy (8.1 miles)
• Walgreens (8.1 miles)
• Walgreens (11.2 miles)

Cafes

• Krankies Coffee (4.8 miles)
• Starbucks (5 miles)
• Starbucks (6.6 miles)
• Starbucks (6.6 miles)
• Panera Bread (19.8 miles)
• Starbucks (22.8 miles)
• Starbucks (22.8 miles)

Parks

• Miller Park (4.8 miles)
• Salem Lake Trail (6.8 miles)
• Union Cross Park (11.4 miles)

Physicians

• O'connor John J Cpo (5.3 miles)
• Urology Partners (6.6 miles)
• Brookview Hills Internal Medicine (6.6 miles)
• Nephrology Associates (6.7 miles)
• Cumadin Clinic (6.7 miles)
• Wake Forest Baptist Health - Internal Medicine - Highland Oaks (6.7 miles)
• Center For Clinical Research (6.7 miles)

Places of Worship

• St John's Lutheran School (6 miles)
• Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church (17.3 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Hanes 12 (6.7 miles)
• Regal Palladium & IMAX (20.1 miles)
• AMC CLASSIC Greensboro 18 (23.9 miles)