Sc Baptist Ministries-Aging

Pros

• The facility is clean, cheerful, and bright, with engaging activities for residents.
• Martha Franks is a wonderful place to live, offering good friends, good food, good activities, and wonderful staff.
• The staff are friendly, polite, and genuinely care for residents, often becoming like family to their families.
• Families describe Martha Franks as a blessing, with staff who provide comprehensive physical and emotional care.
• Residents and families feel welcomed and supported by a caring community, including visits from local group members and various activities.
• The grounds are beautiful, and residents enjoy amenities such as an ice cream maker and a daily soup-and-salad bar.
• Administration improvements have created a positive atmosphere aligned with the founder's original intent.
• Martha Franks is depicted as a wonderful Christian community with friendly and professional staff.

Cons

• The staff do not perform their duties, failing to feed, bathe, or assist a resident, and leaving her on the toilet for an hour.
• A nurse named Brandy allegedly yells and curses at patients on the phone, with other nurses not addressing it.
• Administrators are described as nasty and selfish, and cross-contamination is reported as high.
• The facility cannot keep staff and relies on outside agencies to provide care.
• The environment is dirty and unclean, with stinky hallways, frequent supply shortages, and a lack of cleaning.
• There was a safety incident where a resident escaped, ran outside, and could have drowned due to inadequate supervision.

Review

Martha Franks Retirement Community comes across in many of these reflections as a place of warmth, beauty, and faith-driven care. Several reviewers describe it as a clean, inviting campus where the grounds are lovely, the buildings well maintained, and the atmosphere feels peaceful and uplifting. The community spirit is often tied to a long-standing vision - forty years in the making - styled around a strong, pastorally Christian identity that many residents and families say makes a meaningful difference in daily life. The repeated emphasis is not just on lodging, but on belonging: a place where residents feel seen, remembered, and treated with dignity.

A prevailing thread in the more positive reviews is the sense of personal attention and family-like care. Families describe the staff as consistently friendly, helpful, and patient, with a genuine willingness to go the extra mile. Parents and grandparents moving into Martha Franks are often welcomed as though part of a larger extended family, and the staff's willingness to engage in social and spiritual activities helps both residents and families feel at home. Many accounts highlight specific examples of kindness: staff who remember names, a chaplain who offers spiritual support, and a community that shares meals, prayers, and social events. There are notes about how the caregivers treat loved ones with compassion and patience, and how the facility becomes a place where memories are made and faith can be lived out daily.

The Independent Living experience and the broader continuum of care are also highlighted in positive terms. One long-time resident describes moving in and finding a community that feels like home, with the ability to come and go, three meals per day, housekeeping, and maintenance support, plus a nurse on call for emergencies. The message from several reviewers is that, as life changes, Martha Franks provides a clear path forward - whether staying independent, transitioning to assisted living, or moving into skilled care - within a community that feels supportive rather than transactional. Highlights cited across reviews include a rich calendar of activities, a focus on social connection, and amenities such as an abundant dining program (including options like an anytime ice cream machine and a soup-and-salad bar) along with attractive grounds and ample on-site services.

Several reviewers praise the staff not only for daily kindness but for professional competence. Names like Angela and Sheila in the caregiving and support roles surface as examples of patient, helpful teamwork. A traveling nurse recounts positive interactions with the staff and recognizes the CNA team as a crucial support system for patient care, underscoring the sense that the facility's team works well together, responds to needs, and maintains open lines of communication. The presence of a chaplain who speaks to residents and families about faith, hope, and community is repeatedly noted as an important element of the experience, reinforcing Martha Franks' identity as a faith-centered senior living environment.

Yet, alongside the many affirmations, there are pointed, negative experiences shared by a minority of reviewers that deserve attention. One account describes a rehab stay that the author views as a significant failure: the person's clothes were not managed appropriately, foundational cleanliness concerns were raised, and a hazardous moment occurred when the resident reportedly ran outside and nearly drowned, with a pond nearby and a delay in staff response. The reviewer contends that the facility's basic safety and cleanliness standards were not upheld, and they advise potential entrants to be vigilant and to conduct unexpected visits. This individual ultimately removed their loved one from the facility, stressing that appearances can be deceptive and that diligence is crucial when choosing a place for a loved one.

Another set of reviews centers on severe concerns about care and behavior. One commenter alleges neglect and a decline in a relative's health, claiming the staff did not provide adequate feeding, bathing, or assistance, leaving a loved one in distress and worse off than when they arrived. A separate remark accuses a nurse of harsh and unprofessional behavior and suggests a broader culture of silence among other staff. A few entries describe the facility as having declined in overall quality, with administrative personnel perceived as unkind or unresponsive, cross-contamination issues, staffing shortages, reliance on external agencies, and deteriorating cleanliness. Complaints of lingering odors, empty or under-supplied conditions, and even smoking in areas where it was not expected are cited by some. One reviewer even questions the financial viability of the organization, implying that the facility may be at risk of bankruptcy amid ongoing concerns about management and operations.

In response to the wide range of experiences, several reviewers point to improvements tied to changes in administration. One account notes that the current administration is markedly better than the prior leadership and that the improvements align more closely with the mission that many associate with Miss Martha Franks. This perspective acknowledges a shift toward a more positive, resident-centered atmosphere and a sense of renewed alignment with the community's original intent, even as it recognizes that not every experience is uniformly positive and that ongoing attention to care quality and safety remains essential.

Ultimately, Martha Franks Retirement Community emerges in these writings as a place of real contrast: it is praised for its beauty, spiritual emphasis, caregiving warmth, and sense of family; it is also scrutinized by those who report serious concerns about safety, cleanliness, staffing, and administrative conduct. The majority of positive testimonials celebrate a welcoming Christian community that treats residents with respect, offers engaging activities, and provides meaningful companionship. The more critical voices urge prospective residents and their families to conduct thorough, perhaps even unannounced, visits and to seek firsthand impressions of day-to-day operations, to ensure that the care environment matches the high hopes set by the community's strongest advocates.

This section of Laurens, South Carolina offers a convenient location with a variety of amenities nearby. There are several parks for leisurely walks and outdoor activities, as well as places of worship for spiritual fulfillment. A selection of restaurants provides dining options, ranging from fast food to sit-down meals. Pharmacies and physicians are easily accessible for healthcare needs, and hospitals are within a short drive for more serious medical assistance. Transportation services are also available in the area. Additionally, there are cafes where seniors can socialize and enjoy a cup of coffee or a meal. Overall, this part of Laurens offers a mix of services and facilities that cater to the needs of senior residents looking for a comfortable and convenient living environment.

Parks

• Laurens County Administrator (0.2 miles)
• Pine Street Park (8.8 miles)

Places of Worship

• First Presbyterian Church (0.4 miles)
• Second Baptist Church (1.4 miles)
• Southern Baptist Convention (1.4 miles)
• Southern Baptist Convention (2.4 miles)
• Chestnut Ridge Baptist Church (3.6 miles)
• Rocky Springs Presbyterian Church (3.7 miles)
• New Prospect Baptist Church (4.1 miles)

Restaurants

• Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits (0.6 miles)
• Roma (0.6 miles)
• Little Caesars Pizza (0.7 miles)
• Whiteford's Giant Burger (0.8 miles)
• KFC (0.9 miles)
• China Star (0.9 miles)
• A Taste of Home (1.1 miles)

Pharmacies

• Adair Apothecary (0.7 miles)
• Drug-Lo Discount Drugs (0.7 miles)
• Laurens Drug Co. (0.7 miles)
• Fleetwood Pharmacy Of Laurens (1 miles)
• Wattsville Drugs (1.9 miles)
• Walgreens (2.4 miles)
• Ingles Market (2.5 miles)

Physicians

• Laurens Family Practice (0.9 miles)
• Laurens County Communi (5 miles)
• Piedmont Pediatrics (5.1 miles)
• Greenville Kidney Center PA (5.2 miles)
• Carolina Women's Center (5.2 miles)
• Laurens County Mental Health (5.3 miles)
• The Family Healthcare Center (5.4 miles)

Hospitals

• Self Medical Center-Laurens (4.9 miles)
• Laurens County Health Care System (5.1 miles)
• Laurens County Hospital (5.1 miles)

Transportation

• U-Haul (6.5 miles)
• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (8.4 miles)

Cafes

• Main Street Bake Shoppe (8.5 miles)
• Steamers Cafe & Catering (8.5 miles)
• Tavern Cafe (8.8 miles)
• Joanna Cafe (13.6 miles)