The Rutherford Assisted Living & Memory Care in Murfreesboro, TN

Pros

• The Rutherford Memory Care has a homelike atmosphere, welcoming and warmhearted staff, and engaging activities that make transitions seamless and pleasant.
• The Rutherford's staff take great care of residents and treat them like family.
• The staff at The Rutherford are super nice and professional.
• Residents are happy in the memory care unit, reflecting the high quality of care.
• The Rutherford is clean and well maintained, with a kitchen staff that proactively prepares meals residents will enjoy.
• The Activities Director (Tamika) and the team regularly include residents in activities and plan creative programs.
• The Rutherford's leadership team is dedicated to making it an excellent choice for care.
• Joy Galland is an amazing director who welcomes families and leads the facility with care.
• The Rutherford is a wonderful place to call home for loved ones, with compassionate staff and a supportive environment.
• The staff bend over backwards to help residents and to support their families.

Cons

• They described the Rutherford as disorganized and under-staffed, with high staff turnover and residents cleaning their own rooms.
• They noted a poor communication system, with the intercom button pressed multiple times over 40 minutes without a response.
• They claimed residents were subjected to 13-minute ear-piercing emergency alarm tests, with the director reportedly absent.
• They observed poor organization and lack of follow-through for residents' special needs and preferences, and weak handoffs between shifts.
• They stated the facility should be investigated by the state due to extreme turnover and unresponsiveness from medical staff.
• They warned that the management is poorly run and that unnecessary fees are added without prior notification.
• They argued that care had worsened over time and that the facility is not worth the money.
• They described lazy and unprofessional staff who treat residents with disrespect and show favoritism.
• They alleged a bedbug and roach infestation and general neglect.
• They claimed the owner cares more about money than residents or staff.
• They recounted safety concerns like a resident not being checked after a fall and not being promptly attended to by ambulance services.
• They noted ongoing leadership turnover undermining consistent care.

Review

The Rutherford Assisted Living & Memory Care in Murfreesboro is best suited for families seeking a warm, home-like environment where residents, especially those in memory care, are surrounded by attentive staff and a visibly engaged leadership team. It works well for families who value daily activity, social engagement, and a sense of “family” in care, with on-site therapy partners and a programming calendar that keeps residents busy. This community can deliver meaningful, personalized attention when leadership is stable and staff are empowered to collaborate with families. Those who need ironclad consistency across all shifts, transparent, predictable billing, and faultless safety record-keeping may want to explore alternatives.

On the positive side, the strongest recurring strengths are the caregivers’ compassion and the sense of personal connection. Numerous families report staff treating residents like family, with a welcoming, homelike atmosphere and reliable, caring interactions. The memory care unit is frequently described as engaging, with creative activities and an activities director who makes conversations and participation a priority. Families also highlight accessible administrators and nursing leadership, who communicate changes and involve loved ones in planning. The facility’s cleanliness, dining experience, and the presence of on-site therapy (FOX Rehab) add practical value for residents aging in place, while front-desk and RA teams consistently receive praise for their responsiveness.

The most serious concerns run counter to those strengths and create meaningful risk for families weighing a move. Turnover at the top, administrators and medical leadership, paired with reported staffing gaps, has led to inconsistent communication, care handoffs, and variable follow-through on care plans. Several reviews describe under-staffing, reliance on temporary staff, and a sense that some shifts are not fully covered, which can affect response times to emergencies or call bells. A subset of former employees and residents allege issues with pest control, cleanliness, and care oversight, and there are persistent complaints about added fees or services not clearly acknowledged upfront. The breadth of experience suggests a real divide: when leadership is aligned and communicative, families feel confident; when turnover spikes or accountability wanes, frustration and risk become palpable.

Those tensions can be mitigated by leveraging the community’s apparent strengths, but they do not vanish on their own. The most credible offset is the combination of sincere caregiver engagement, a proactive memory care program, and a leadership team that remains accessible to families. When administrators maintain visibility, and when the therapy and activity teams stay integrated with daily resident life, families report settled residents and smoother transitions. The risk remains that ongoing turnover or fee surprises will undermine trust or lead to lapses in responsiveness. Prospective families should enter with a clear plan to confirm current leadership stability, staffing ratios, and a transparent fee structure before moving in.

Smart due diligence can make the Rutherford a viable choice for the right family. Schedule a candid tour focused on staffing patterns, nighttime check-ins, and escalation procedures for medical issues; request the current leadership bios and a shadowed day with a family liaison to see how communication flows in practice. Ask for recent activity calendars and sample menus, and speak directly to current residents about their day-to-day experiences. Inquire about pest-control history and the facility’s most recent state or regulatory inspection outcomes. Confirm how onsite therapy and hospice coordination are integrated into care, and obtain a written outline of all fees and services that could incur additional charges. The answers will tell whether the community’s warmth and care alignment are a dependable fit or whether another option offers greater consistency and predictability.

Ultimately, Rutherford is a strong contender for families who prize a compassionate, community-forward setting with robust memory-care programming and real personal attention from leadership. It is not the best fit for those who require uncompromising staffing stability, flawless day-to-day execution, and pristine, predictable billing without surprises. If the family can align around stable, transparent governance and maintain open, ongoing dialogue with care teams, Rutherford can offer a meaningful home where a loved one not only lives, but truly feels cared for. For those prioritizing steadier operations and firmer guardrails, exploring other Murfreesboro options with proven maintenance of staffing and cost transparency may be the prudent path.

This part of Murfreesboro, Tennessee is a vibrant and convenient area for senior living. With several places of worship nearby such as St Marks United Methodist Church and Trinity United Methodist Church, residents can easily maintain their spiritual practices. There are also various restaurants like McDonald's and Chick-Fil-A, as well as pharmacies such as Terrace Pharmacy and CVS Pharmacy for easy access to essentials. In terms of healthcare, there are multiple physician offices and hospitals in close proximity, providing peace of mind for seniors. Additionally, the area offers recreational opportunities with parks like Cannonsburgh Village and Old Fort Park for leisurely walks or picnics. Overall, this neighborhood provides a comfortable and fulfilling environment for seniors looking to settle down in Murfreesboro.

Places of Worship

• St Marks United Methodist Church (0.4 miles)
• Trinity United Methodist Church (2.5 miles)
• Experience Community (2.6 miles)
• First United Methodist Church (3.5 miles)

Restaurants

• McDonald's (0.7 miles)
• Oscar's Taco Shop (1.5 miles)
• Sonic Drive-In (1.5 miles)
• Cook Out (1.5 miles)
• Boulevard Bar & Grille-Murfreesboro (1.6 miles)
• Sir Pizza (1.7 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (1.7 miles)

Physicians

• Total Family Health & Wellness (0.8 miles)
• Hearing Aid And Audiol (1 miles)
• Dr Michael MacQuarrie Office (1 miles)
• Radiology & Diagnostics Plc (1.2 miles)
• Middle Tennessee Plastic Surg (1.2 miles)
• Mid-State Gastroenterology (1.2 miles)
• Bradley Donald H MD (1.3 miles)

Hospitals

• Uspi Mid State Endoscopy Center (1.2 miles)
• Ecmo Advantage (2 miles)
• Allergy & Asthma Center PC (3.5 miles)

Pharmacies

• Terrace Pharmacy (1.2 miles)
• Black's Apothecary (1.4 miles)
• Reeves-Sain Drug Store (1.4 miles)
• Walgreens (1.5 miles)
• Reeves-Sain Extended Care (1.5 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.7 miles)
• Kroger Pharmacy (2 miles)

Transportation

• Murfreesboro Municipal Airport (MBT) (1.4 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.5 miles)
• Panera Bread (1.7 miles)
• Starbucks (2.3 miles)
• Just Love Coffee Cafe - The Fountains at Gateway (3.2 miles)
• Panera Bread (3.8 miles)

Parks

• Cannonsburgh Village (2.4 miles)
• Old Fort Park (2.9 miles)
• Kids' Castle At Old Fort Park (2.9 miles)
• Stones River National Battlefield (4.2 miles)
• Richard Siegel Park (4.4 miles)