Hennis Care & Assisted Living

Pros

• Lauryn Martin consistently takes great care of residents.
• The staff - including aides, nurses, and therapy - were exceptional.
• The chefs and the food were exceptional.
• The facility is clean and the staff are very nice.
• The nurses and aides were attentive and sociable.
• Physical therapy was demanding but supportive and cooperative.
• The staff clearly wanted to see patients get better.
• The facility's commitment to friendly, professional, first-class service remains consistent.
• The food was surprisingly good with a varied menu.
• The facility has been updated and maintains a high standard of care.

Cons

• The grandmother is starving to death in the facility and cannot swallow medication for her rheumatoid arthritis.
• It is claimed that older people who are dying do not feel hunger, implying neglect.
• There is astonishment at the lack of compassion and understanding of bodies, causing suffering by forgoing surgery and a feeding tube.
• There is a report of no follow-up after a fall due to short staffing, with unresolved billing concerns.
• Phone lines are described as unresponsive after transfers, indicating poor communication.
• A hospice patient was found with blue fingertips and laboring to breathe, and staff did not pay attention.
• An elderly resident is alleged to be overmedicated with multiple prescriptions, with questions about the medications and a claim of poor communication and potential pharmaceutical influence.

Review

The collection of experiences and reflections shared about Hennis Care Center in Bolivar reveals a broad spectrum of care, touching on heartbreak, frustration, gratitude, and sporadic moments of relief. Taken together, these voices illustrate how families, patients, and staff navigate the realities of aging, chronic illness, and life in a care setting - sometimes with compassion and clarity, and other times amid confusion, miscommunication, and resource constraints.

One of the most urgent and wrenching accounts centers on an elderly grandmother who appears to have suffered a prolonged inability to swallow and to take in nourishment. The writer describes six days without food and uncertain access to water, with symptoms interpreted as a blockage in the esophagus rather than a natural decline. The narrative frames the staff's responses as troubling: statements such as that older people "do not feel hunger pains like we do," the claim that she wouldn't feel a stomach growl, and the offer to administer medications only "at your request" when the family sought clarity. The author voices a resolute concern that the staff's understanding of aging bodies and appetite is missing, and that there was a lack of thorough discussion about options - specifically, whether surgery or a feeding tube had been considered - and about the implications of foregoing these interventions. The core sorrow expressed is not only that the grandmother may be starving, but that the family did not feel adequately informed or supported in making what could be life-altering decisions.

Amid these distressing notes, there is a clear beacon of appreciation for Lauryn Martin, described as someone who "always takes great care of residents" and who is "excellent." This acknowledgement stands alongside the more troubling experiences, highlighting that care quality can be highly variable even within the same facility. Lauryn's competence and warmth are remembered as a bright spot in an otherwise challenging landscape, suggesting that individual caregivers can make a meaningful difference in a patient's emotional and daily life.

The reviews also recount practical and administrative frustrations that compound the emotional strain of caregiving. One account complains of a fall by the writer's mother and a lack of follow-up, citing short staffing as a factor. The reviewer explicitly notes dissatisfaction with the billing and insurance process, stating that an appeal with the carrier was not completed and leaving them with a high bill they feel unable to pay. The thread suggests a broader concern about the interplay between clinical care, financial counseling, and administrative support, especially when family members are trying to understand coverage, eligibility, and avenues for relief during a stressful period.

Phone communication and responsiveness emerge as another recurring theme. A separate entry describes a transfer of the mother-in-law on a specific date, followed by repeated calls with inconsistent information and, ultimately, no answer. The reviewer calls for better phone coverage and more reliable information flow so families can reach someone who can address urgent questions. This point echoes the broader call for dependable communication channels within the facility, especially during transitions of care or times of acute concern.

Hospice experiences within the facility are shared with a mix of tenderness and critique. One family recounts watching for signs of distress - blue fingertips, labored breathing - and feeling that staff minimized concerns by labeling observations as normal when they did not align with what the family was seeing. After the patient's death, hospice staff reportedly indicated only "a few hours" remained, prompting the author to feel that their loved one's comfort and the attention paid to him may not have been as vigilant as it could have been. This narrative underscores a tension that can exist in end-of-life care: the balance between professional medical judgment and family intuition, and the essential need for transparent, timely communication about prognosis, comfort measures, and what to expect as life draws to a close.

A separate account raises alarm about medication management, describing a situation where an elderly family member was given multiple prescription drugs - "5 different prescription drugs out of 13 pills total" - and questioning the appropriateness of a medication (Mirtazapine) prescribed for depression and sleep, particularly when the individual had no prior history of depression or sleep trouble. The reviewer asserts the medication should not be given to someone elderly and characterizes the experience as an opaque, difficult-to-access dialogue with doctors. The impression left is that the staff culture could resemble "drug pushing," with minimal opportunities for meaningful conversation about the necessity and risks of each medication, especially for vulnerable older adults.

In contrast to the more critical notes, there are consistently positive mentions of care quality in other contexts. A reviewer who recovered from hip surgeries twice at the facility paints a picture of exceptional care from aides, nurses, and therapy staff. They commend the supportiveness and cooperative effort of the rehabilitation team and highlight the quality of the food as surprisingly good for a hospital-type setting, with variety and generally decent options. This repeated positive impression suggests that when the environment is staffed with engaged, skilled professionals who communicate well and prioritize patient-centered care, the experience can be markedly better.

Further affirming this mixed picture, another review - also highlighting the facility's long-term strengths - describes a second stay at Hennis Care Center as meeting or exceeding prior expectations. The commenter notes that while the facility has undergone updates and some changes in personnel, the overarching commitment to friendly, professional, first-class service remains intact. Nurses, aides, and physical therapy are described as attentive and collaborative, with therapy that is demanding yet supportive on the path to recovery. The review also praises the culinary staff for continuing to prepare healthy, appetizing meals, reinforcing the idea that the center can deliver high-quality care across multiple dimensions when resources and morale align.

Taken together, the messages present a care environment that can be deeply responsive and deeply fragile at the same time. They reveal a facility capable of extraordinary compassion, as seen in individual caregivers like Lauryn Martin and in the consistently positive reports of rehab, nursing, and dining staff. They also reveal real concerns about communication, staffing levels, pain management, medication practices, and end-of-life care - areas where families clearly need more reliable information, more proactive family involvement, and more transparent conversations about choices and comfort. The thread that runs through these voices is the fundamental request for dignity, clarity, and sustained attention to the person at the center of every page: the resident whose health, comfort, and humanity deserve unwavering respect.

Restaurants

• Campesino's Grill (5.1 miles)
• McDonald's (5.6 miles)
• Manor Restaurant (5.7 miles)
• Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers (7.3 miles)
• Pulp Juice And Smoothie Bar (7.4 miles)
• Grinders Above & Beyond (7.4 miles)
• Blazin' Burgers (8.6 miles)

Pharmacies

• Strasburg Pharmacy (5.1 miles)
• Discount Drug Mart (7.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (9.4 miles)
• Walgreens (9.6 miles)
• Marc's (9.6 miles)
• Marc's Stores (9.8 miles)
• Rite Aid (9.9 miles)

Places of Worship

• Lakeview Baptist Church (5.8 miles)
• Grass Roots Ministries (8.3 miles)
• Dover Faith United Methodist (9 miles)
• Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church (9.1 miles)
• Dundee United Methodist Church (9.3 miles)
• New Life Church Of God (9.8 miles)

Hospitals

• Altercare (6.3 miles)
• Tuscarawas Ambulatory Surgery (9.4 miles)
• Cleveland Clinic - Union Hospital (9.6 miles)
• Aultman Hospital (10.3 miles)
• Case Manager At Mansard Med (10.4 miles)

Physicians

• UPS Family Health Center North (7.4 miles)
• Tuscarawas Open Mri (9.3 miles)
• Ent Allergy & Sinus Center (9.3 miles)
• Fine Arts Skin & Laser (9.3 miles)
• Internal Medicine Clinic (9.3 miles)
• Omni Orthopedics (9.4 miles)
• Regional Surgical Specialists (9.4 miles)

Cafes

• Peet's Coffee and Tea (7.4 miles)
• Pit Stop Classic Care & Cream (10.2 miles)

Parks

• Dundee Falls (9.3 miles)
• Whitacer Greer Horseback Riding Park (9.9 miles)
• Tuscora Park (10.5 miles)