Deaconess Long Term Care in Cincinnati, OH

Pros

• The facility was neat, clean, and free of bad smells.
• The staff were great, smiling, and accommodating.
• The nursing staff is second to none; they address concerns and communicate well with families.
• Residents are friendly and sociable, making it feel like a family.
• The newly remodeled therapy gym is top notch.
• The Scarlet Oaks team provides a warm, family-like atmosphere.
• The environment and community are great, with staff who go above and beyond.
• The new administration shows love for patients, staff, and the facility.
• A variety of daily activities are available to appeal to all interests.

Cons

• The facility is dirty and outdated, with a strong smell of urine.
• Bed bugs and roaches infest the building.
• The building is falling apart and poorly maintained, with insufficient air conditioning and residents relying on fans.
• There have been hours-long water outages affecting basic utilities.
• Administration is deceitful and accused of insurance fraud.
• Staffing is severely understaffed, leading to slow response times and neglected care.
• Front-line staff are rude or unhelpful, and communication is inconsistent with phone lines often unanswered.
• Security is lax, with no functional cameras and no proper visitor sign-in procedures.

Review

This Cincinnati community is best suited for families seeking a campus with character and a lively resident life, where daily social engagement and a warm, home-like atmosphere can feel like a strong value. The strongest recurring positives are devoted, approachable staff who appear to care in day-to-day care, a variety of activities and programs, and an aesthetically impressive setting that makes visits feel welcoming. For families prioritizing companionship, social events, and a comfortable shared living environment, this facility can deliver on those fronts when operations run smoothly.

However, serious caveats emerge when considering alternatives. The reviews reveal a pattern of reliability problems that can undermine safety and comfort, including persistent cleanliness issues, pest concerns, and inconsistent communication. For families whose loved ones require reliable rehab services, tightly coordinated medical oversight, or rigorous infection control, these gaps can translate into unmet needs and frustrating experiences. If the priority is predictable clinical care and a consistently sanitary environment, exploring other options with stronger track records is prudent.

The core pros - caring aides and nurses when available, a family-like feel, and engaging activities - are meaningful but frequently offset by substantive cons. The warmth of frontline staff matters, yet reports of bed bugs or other sanitation problems, odors, and maintenance lapses frequently dilute those advantages. When resilience and independence are high in a resident, the social and personal attention may sustain satisfaction; for someone with significant rehab goals or medical complexity, the same positives lose tensile strength against the repeated reliability failures described by families.

Given these dynamics, a careful, pointed evaluation is essential before choosing. Prospective families should demand clarity on staffing levels and turnover, especially night and weekend coverage; inquire about response times to call bells; and request recent, verifiable records from state inspections and the facility's own quality assurance program. Tours should include in-depth checks of room cleanliness, bathroom and plumbing function, the presence of odors, evidence of pests, and the overall upkeep of common areas and the therapy gym. A transparent process for handling complaints and communicating with families is a critical signal of how the operation actually functions day-to-day.

Red flags in the reviews are specific and actionable: infestations, ongoing sanitation challenges, water outages, unresponsiveness, and reports of administrative or operational practices that cast doubt on safety and integrity. These concerns demand direct verification - through inspection reports, credentialed staff interviews during tours, and conversations with current residents or families about consistency of care. On the flip side, moments when staff are described as genuinely caring, the facility looks well-maintained, and programming is robust should be explored further, with an emphasis on whether those conditions are durable across shifts and weeks rather than episodic.

In the end, the decision for Deaconess Long Term Care hinges on risk tolerance and essential care needs. If the primary objective is social enrichment and a nurturing environment with adequate day-to-day assistance, and the family can tolerate potential fluctuations in service quality with ongoing oversight, this community may be a workable fit. If, however, reliability, hospital-level rehab, pristine sanitation, and uncompromised safety are non-negotiable, stronger alternatives deserve priority. A disciplined on-site assessment complemented by current inspection data will reveal whether the anticipated benefits truly align with the resident's medical needs, safety expectations, and the family's capacity to monitor care.

This area of Cincinnati, Ohio, offers convenient access to a variety of essential amenities for senior living. With multiple pharmacies nearby such as CVS and Walgreens, accessing medications and healthcare supplies is easy. In addition, the proximity to hospitals like Good Samaritan Hospital and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center ensures quality medical care is readily available. There are also several dining options ranging from fast food to more upscale restaurants like Murphy's Pub and Samuel Adams Cincinnati Taproom. For recreation, residents can enjoy parks like Ziegler Park and Washington Park, as well as nearby cafes for socializing. Places of worship such as St Vivian's Catholic Church and Lifespring Christian Church provide spiritual support for seniors in the community. Overall, this area offers a blend of convenience, healthcare services, dining options, recreational opportunities, and spiritual resources that cater to the needs of older adults looking for a comfortable living environment in Cincinnati.

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (0.9 miles)
• Walgreens (1.1 miles)
• Walgreens (2.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.1 miles)
• Walgreens (3.7 miles)
• Walgreens (3.8 miles)
• Walgreens (4 miles)

Restaurants

• Skyline Chili (1 miles)
• China Food (1.9 miles)
• Alabama Que (1.9 miles)
• McDonald's (2 miles)
• Murphy's Pub (2.2 miles)
• Samuel Adams Cincinnati Taproom (2.9 miles)
• Pepp & Dolores (3.1 miles)

Hospitals

• Good Samaritan Hospital (1.2 miles)
• Veterans Hospital (1.5 miles)
• Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (1.7 miles)
• University of Cincinnati Medical Center (1.8 miles)
• The Christ Hospital (2.6 miles)
• Cincinnati Children's (2.7 miles)
• Summit Behavioral Healthcare (4 miles)

Cafes

• The 86 Coffee Bar & Concert Venue (1.8 miles)
• Coffee Emporium (3.5 miles)
• Deeper Roots Coffee (4 miles)
• Panera Bread (4.4 miles)
• Starbucks (4.5 miles)

Physicians

• University Hospital Outpatient Building (1.8 miles)
• Hand Surgery Specialists (2.3 miles)
• The Urology Group (3.6 miles)
• Riverhills Neuroscience (3.8 miles)
• Seven Hills Women's Health Centers (4.2 miles)
• ESD Pediatric Group (4.3 miles)
• Western Family Physicians (4.5 miles)

Transportation

• Metro Bond Hill Garage (2.8 miles)
• Government Square (3.9 miles)

Parks

• Ziegler Park (3.3 miles)
• Washington Park (3.3 miles)
• Washington Dog Park (3.3 miles)
• John G & Phyllis W Smale Riverfront Park (4.3 miles)

Places of Worship

• St Vivian's Catholic Church (3.8 miles)
• Lifespring Christian Church (4.2 miles)
• White Oak Chapel (4.3 miles)
• St Mary Church (4.8 miles)