Golden Villas of Massillon

Pros

• The administrative staff are extremely helpful and knowledgeable in their role.
• The service staff are caring and compassionate, and do an amazing job meeting the physical and emotional needs of residents.
• The facility is very clean and the rooms are nice.
• They did an awesome job accepting my mom to their facility and setting her up.
• The staff are compassionate and genuinely want to help residents get healthy and strong.
• Karla and Nicole are incredibly compassionate about the residents.
• The facility is amazing and clean, and the staff are great.
• Beautiful facility with kind and caring staff.

Cons

• There is a perceived lack of regard for the surrounding neighborhood.
• Traffic is described as a neighborhood nuisance due to semi trucks idling near homes and squeaking brakes.
• Garbage trucks are said to speed through at 2 a.m.
• They would not have agreed to expansion/rezoning if they had known the noise would be so large.
• Demolishing a historic home to build a driveway within inches of residential properties is condemned.
• Light trespassing from the parking lot into bedroom windows is reported.
• Staff drive down certain streets at unsafe speeds with no regard for speed.
• The food is described as tasting like poop.
• A family member's experience is described as disorganized with loss of belongings and a COVID infection, despite friendly staff.
• Nurses are described as rude and inattentive, spending more time in hallways gossiping than caring.

Review

The collection of notes about Amherst Meadows paints a dual portrait: a facility that many families and residents hold in high regard for its cleanliness, caring staff, and supportive care - and a surrounding neighborhood that experiences disruption and a sense that expansion has brought unwanted consequences. On the one hand, the comments consistently praise the administrative and service teams for their competence, compassion, and steadiness in difficult moments. On the other hand, a series of concerns about traffic, noise, privacy, and the effects of expansion suggest ongoing tensions between a strong elder-care operation and the impact it has on its neighbors.

Several reviews underscore the positive side of Amherst Meadows. Families repeatedly point to an administrative staff that is helpful and knowledgeable, paired with a service staff that is caring and deeply committed to the residents' physical and emotional well-being. The facility is described as clean, well-maintained, and homey, with residents treated as if they were family. Families recount experiences where staff introductions and explanations during admissions helped ease transitions, and where caregivers - nurses, aides, and office staff - deliver attentive, compassionate care. In particular, many reviewers highlight moments of genuine concern: nurses who listen, aides who respond quickly to questions, and administrators who are patient in answering inquiries. The care described extends across rehab journeys, daily living, meals, and activities, with multiple anecdotes about smooth admissions processes, a sense of safety, and staff who go above and beyond to support families during difficult health events.

There are especially vivid endorsements surrounding a mom's rehab and recovery. One reviewer recounts a traumatic fall and multiple injuries that required hospitalization, followed by a rehab stay at Amherst Meadows during which staff were consistently kind, patient, and dedicated to the healing process. Others name specific staff members - Karla, Nicole, and Amber - praising their compassion, responsiveness, and professional skill. The sentiment is that, for many families, Amherst Meadows offers a reassuring, respectful environment where residents feel cared for, even in challenging medical circumstances. The overall tone from these accounts is one of gratitude for care that feels like a real, supportive home - not merely a facility.

Alongside these positives, however, are persistent criticisms that point to a different experience for surrounding neighborhoods and some staff members. Several reviewers describe a pattern of traffic and noise that they believe detracts from the quality of life for nearby residents. Semi trucks idling near private homes, squeaking brakes at all hours, garbage vehicles speeding through the area at night, and light trespass from the facility's parking lot into nearby bedrooms are cited as specific grievances. There is a sense that the expansion and rezoning of Amherst Meadows has brought a substantial increase in noise and activity, to the point where some neighbors feel misled about the scale of the project and its footprint on the neighborhood. Commentators note that the main entrance and campus aesthetics appear to receive more attention than the houses and streets that surround them, contributing to a feeling of imbalance and frustration among residents who did not anticipate such changes.

Other critiques focus on the physical changes connected to expansion - like tearing down a historic home to construct a driveway that sits inches from private residences - along with concerns about how the new layout affects privacy and daytime and nighttime noise levels. A sense of "municipal lessons learned" appears in some statements, signaling that some observers believe these issues require formal redress or policy action to reconcile the needs of the facility with the wellbeing of the neighborhood. Within this broader narrative, there are also mentions of light, speed, and safety concerns along certain streets, where residents feel that the pace and behavior of Amherst Meadows' traffic do not reflect a shared commitment to neighborly respect and safety.

Within the same broader conversation, there are occasional critical notes about the staff environment from an employee perspective. One reviewer - clearly speaking from the experience of working at the facility - describes a highly negative work climate and a culture of distrust, where nursing staff are perceived as cliquey, overbearing, or unhelpful to frontline workers. The account includes allegations of sleep at night at the nurse's station, unresponsive agency aides, and a work culture of gossip and friction that makes it hard for new staff to fit in or feel supported. This perspective emphasizes not only concerns about resident care but also about job satisfaction, morale, and the overall managerial environment, painting a stark contrast to the family-centered, compassionate narratives about patient care.

Taken together, the reviews present Amherst Meadows as a place of strong, people-first care for residents who need rehab and ongoing support, while also being part of a community grappling with the consequences of expansion. The facility earns praise for cleanliness, compassionate care, responsive admissions, and staff professionalism, with particular gratitude expressed toward several caregivers for their empathy and competence. At the same time, the neighborhood impact - noise, traffic, privacy intrusions, and structural decisions tied to expansion - draws considerable criticism and calls for attention from local authorities and the facility's management. The overall impression is of a facility with much to celebrate in terms of resident care, balanced by legitimate concerns about how to harmonize that care with the needs and expectations of the surrounding community.

This part of Massillon, Ohio, offers a convenient and accessible location for seniors looking to settle down. With a variety of pharmacies nearby such as Marc's Stores, Walgreens, CVS Pharmacy, and Rite Aid, accessing medications and healthcare services is made easy. In terms of medical care, there are reputable physicians like Affinity Family Physicians and West Medical in close proximity. There are also plenty of dining options available ranging from fast food at McDonald's and KFC to more casual dining establishments like Joey's Kendal Tavern and Bob Evans. For recreational activities, residents can visit parks like North Park or Lake Cable Village for leisurely walks or outdoor picnics. Overall, this area provides a mix of essential services and amenities that cater to the needs of seniors looking for a comfortable lifestyle in Massillon.

Pharmacies

• Marc's Stores (0.5 miles)
• Walgreens (1.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.3 miles)
• Walgreens (1.3 miles)
• Rite Aid (1.3 miles)
• Rite Aid (3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.7 miles)

Physicians

• Affinity Family Physicians (0.8 miles)
• Fresenius Medical Care (1.2 miles)
• West Medical (1.2 miles)
• Massillon Family Care (1.5 miles)
• Breastfeeding Center (2.6 miles)
• Family Practice Center (2.7 miles)
• Scott W Blumer (3.5 miles)

Restaurants

• Joey's Kendal Tavern (1.2 miles)
• McDonald's (1.4 miles)
• KFC (1.4 miles)
• Bob Evans (1.4 miles)
• Menches Bros of Massillon (1.4 miles)
• Top of the Viaduct Restaurant (1.5 miles)
• Old Timers Bar and Griddle (1.9 miles)

Hospitals

• Aultman West Immediate Care (1.2 miles)
• Jackson Mercy Statcare (4.3 miles)
• Summa Health System (5.6 miles)
• Altercare (6.2 miles)

Cafes

• Tremont Coffee (1.3 miles)
• Starbucks (3.8 miles)
• Ohio Roasting Company (5 miles)

Parks

• North Park (3.5 miles)
• Lake Cable Village (4.4 miles)
• Arboretum Park (6.3 miles)

Places of Worship

• First Baptist Church Of Canton (5.8 miles)

Theaters

• Tinseltown (6 miles)