Bonaventure

Pros

• From the moment one enters, Bonaventure feels like home.
• The staff are described as pleasant and friendly.
• They take good care of residents, including checking on them, giving medications, doing laundry, and keeping the place spotless.
• There are many activities, making Bonaventure a wonderful place to live.
• The manager, Kelly, is hardworking and engages well with residents.
• The Pub is praised for its menu and friendly wait staff.
• There is an evident effort to listen to residents and their feedback.
• Since management changes, the place has been a blessing, with Kelly, Hilary, and Angie held in high regard.
• The staff and executives are described as caring and welcoming.
• The on-site Pub & Caf? and its offerings are highlighted as positive features.
• The Walk for Alzheimer's event showcased helpful staff and pleasant interactions.

Cons

• The facility is described as filthy and unclean, with dirty dishes, soiled bedding, and moldy food in rooms.
• Understaffing leads to significantly reduced care for residents.
• Food quality is poor, with meals served cold or lacking flavor.
• Pull cord response times are long, averaging around 20 minutes and sometimes exceeding an hour.
• The agreed care plan is not followed, and issues with cleanliness and hygiene persist.
• Management is accused of being rude, disrespectful to families, and overly focused on money.
• Rates were raised for higher care levels without providing additional services, and funds were withdrawn without invoices or agreements.
• There are claims of racial discrimination in hiring and staffing practices.
• Some reviewers allege that five-star ratings are written by managers to manipulate the rating.
• Memory-care conditions are described as neglectful, with ongoing hygiene and cleanliness problems.

Review

Bonaventure of Salem presents itself as a community that many families remember fondly for its welcoming, home-like atmosphere. Several reviewers emphasize that from the moment you walk in, you feel like you're entering a place that could be the residents' actual home. The environment is described as spotless and well cared for, with caregivers who attend to daily needs - medication administration, laundry, and even routine upkeep of the living spaces. One reviewer notes the facility's strong sense of community, saying the staff are consistently pleasant and that the place embodies a warm, improving living experience rather than a sterile institution. The overall impression is of a place where residents are tended to with care and where family visits become part of a comfortable routine.

On the human side, multiple accounts highlight the management team as a key driver of the facility's daily atmosphere. Kelly, the manager, is repeatedly mentioned as a hardworking leader who interacts well with residents and families. Reviewers consistently describe staff as friendly and approachable, and there's a recurring sense that the leadership is listening to resident and family feedback. The dining room has seen improvements over time, and the on-site Pub and Caf? are praised for their offerings, including a short-order menu and friendly staff. The Pub's hours and the availability of crafted coffees add a sense of liveliness and social opportunity that many families appreciate, contributing to a feeling thatBonaventure offers more than just basic care - it provides a community where residents can socialize and enjoy regular activities.

Over time, perspectives about management have become more nuanced as changes occurred. Some reviews note a positive shift following management turnover, with particular appreciation for Kelly, Hilary, and Angie, who are described as supportive and responsive. Families who witnessed the previous administration describe a marked contrast: earlier problems included staff turnover and frequent management changes that disrupted continuity of care. In those voices, the current team is seen as stabilizing the experience, creating a more predictable routine for both residents and their families. Yet even among the positive voices, there is consistency in the call for sustained improvements - especially relating to staff retention and the consistency of care providers, acknowledging that turnover can still disrupt the level of service residents receive. Food quality is another area of mixed feedback, with some praise for improvements and some lingering concerns about taste and temperature.

The facility's physical setting and planned activities are also a frequent point of praise. A highlight for many is the breadth and variety of activities, alongside on-site amenities that invite social engagement. Reviews celebrate trips to places like the Columbia Gorge, bingo, on-site movie theater experiences, pool, board games, and family BBQs. The presence of a "full bar" and a small bar menu alongside crafted coffees contributes to a lively social calendar, including patio parties, happy hour socials in the Pub, and events like luau celebrations with dancers and roasted pig. For many families, these offerings reinforce a sense that Bonaventure is a thriving, engaging community where residents can maintain independence while receiving help when needed.

However, the picture is not uniformly positive. A substantial thread of criticism runs through several reviews, centering on funding, care quality, and perceived value. One reviewer notes the critical barrier that the facility does not accept Medicaid, which means residents can be asked to leave once resources are exhausted - an issue that matters deeply to families planning long-term care options and transitions. Another reviewer describes neglectful practices: a combination of dirty clothes, soiled bedding, unclean environments, and inadequate housekeeping and care plan execution. Allegations include long pull-cord response times, unfed residents, and untrained staff, with comments about cleaning and hygiene standards that fall short of expectations. There are troubling claims about financial management too - unexpected rate increases with insufficient added services, and the withdrawal of funds without clear invoicing or authorization. The experience of one family specifically points to a lack of accountability from the management team, citing a named assistant manager who allegedly deflected responsibility for past neglect and a broader sense that business priorities sometimes eclipsed resident well-being.

Compounding these concerns are criticisms that touch on inclusivity and staff composition. A reviewer accuses the facility of racial discrimination, claiming they would hire anyone but people of color and noting a lack of people of color living or working there. This perspective underscores concerns about culture and representation within the community. When combined with reports of short-staffing and inconsistent care, including memories of a time when memory-care residents reportedly faced subpar meals and insufficient monitoring, the negative reviews paint a portrait of a facility that can be exceptional in spirit and program, yet falter under pressure in staffing, oversight, and financial practices.

Taken together, this array of experiences suggests a complex picture. Bonaventure of Salem clearly has much to offer: a warm, home-like atmosphere; engaged and friendly staff; a strong program of activities and on-site social spaces; and an emphasis on listening to residents' needs. Families repeatedly note improvements in dining and the overall culture when the current management team is engaged and present. At the same time, there are serious concerns that cannot be ignored: inconsistent staffing levels, gaps in care and cleanliness, questions about how money is managed and charged, and, in some accounts, perceived discriminatory practices. For families weighing options, the decision often hinges on personal priorities - whether the appeal of a lively, connected community with attentive leadership outweighs the risks associated with staffing variability and the facility's financial and administrative practices. In the end, Bonaventure of Salem embodies both the warmth of a small, neighborly community and the challenging realities that can accompany elder care in a busy, complex facility.

Physicians

• Oregon Heart Center, PC (0.3 miles)
• Joel Kenneth Hopkin (1 miles)
• Medical Center Eye Clinic | U. John Berzins, MD (1.1 miles)
• Dermatology Clinic PC (1.1 miles)
• Will Vision & Laser Center (1.1 miles)
• Childhood Health Associates of Salem (1.2 miles)
• Willamette Surgery Center (1.5 miles)

Restaurants

• Denny's (0.5 miles)
• Sonic Drive-In (0.7 miles)
• Taco Bell (0.8 miles)
• Michelangelo's Italian Restaurant (0.8 miles)
• Original Roadhouse Grill (0.9 miles)
• Kkoki Korean BBQ (0.9 miles)
• Hawaiian Time (0.9 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.7 miles)
• Genoa Pharmacy (0.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (0.9 miles)
• Walmart Pharmacy (0.9 miles)
• Rite Aid (1 miles)
• Medicine Shoppe (2.2 miles)
• Quisenberry Pharmacies Center Street Store (2.2 miles)

Hospitals

• Oregon State Hospital (0.8 miles)
• Department of Human Service (0.9 miles)
• Willamette Family Medical Center (1.1 miles)
• DaVita Salem North Dialysis (2.5 miles)

Transportation

• Hertz Rent A Car (0.8 miles)
• Amtrak (1.6 miles)

Cafes

• Dutch Bros Coffee (1 miles)
• Dutch Bros Coffee (1 miles)
• Black Rock Coffee Bar (1.4 miles)
• Ike Box (2 miles)
• Starbucks (2.1 miles)
• Dutch Bros Coffee (2.3 miles)
• Panera Bread (2.6 miles)

Theaters

• Regal Willamette Town Center (1.1 miles)
• Regal Cinebarre Movieland (2.2 miles)

Parks

• Aldrich Park (1.4 miles)
• Englewood Park (1.5 miles)
• Lower Bush Playground (1.8 miles)
• Pringle City Park (2 miles)
• McKinley School City Park (2.3 miles)
• Riverfront Park (2.5 miles)
• Fairmont City Park (2.7 miles)

Places of Worship

• First Christian Church (2.1 miles)