Covenant Shores

Pros

• The rehab directors Diana and Jean are extremely skilled and incredibly kind and patient.
• The nursing staff is fantastic and very attentive, including overnight care.
• Peggy and Josephine have prayed with residents when they feel anxious, showing compassionate support.
• Neke, Irene, and Mark have done a great job managing medications.
• Permanent nurses and nurse techs such as Mark, Josefina, Lisa, and Juan provide good care.
• Covenant Shores is described as a wonderful retirement community with loving, caring staff and residents.
• The campus is beautiful and offers opportunities to learn, exercise, and be entertained.
• The team from sales through refurbishment and maintenance is warm, helpful, and exceeded expectations.

Cons

• Residents report that the care is deeply lacking, with bedpans left full for days and call lights unanswered for hours.
• Weekend help is nearly impossible to obtain, indicating chronic understaffing.
• Some capable staff members are described as impatient or rude toward residents with limited mobility or cognitive function, often hiding behind office doors.
• Agency nurses are unsupervised, untrained, and unfamiliar with patients, leading to medication errors and delays.
• Night shifts are especially staffed by agency personnel, with no supervisor available to address concerns.
• There are accounts of medication being late or mishandled, including patients experiencing off effects from not receiving timely doses.
• The facility is accused of overbilling families and taking months to reimburse once errors are found.
• Move-in experiences suggest residents must supply almost everything themselves, with no staff help during the process.

Review

Covenant Shores and Covenant Living come across in these accounts as places of real warmth and potential, but also as facilities with troubling patterns that profoundly affect residents and their families. Several reviews center on the people who give care - the nurses, aides, therapists, and directors who show kindness, patience, and genuine concern. In particular, families repeatedly praise staff who go above and beyond: rehab directors Diana and Jean who bring skill and calm to stroke recovery; nurses who remain attentive through the night; aides who offer spiritual comfort when anxiety strikes; and medication managers like Neke, Irene, and Mark who handle prescriptions with care. For families juggling demanding careers and caregiving, these moments of connection and professional competence stand out as bright spots in otherwise challenging circumstances. The overarching message from these positive accounts is that when the people in the building do their jobs well, the experience can be profoundly reassuring and supportive.

But the flip side of those experiences is sharp and disquieting. Several reviewers describe an environment where staffing shortages loom large, especially on weekends and night shifts. The impression is that dedicated, capable staff are stretched thin, sometimes relegated to back-office doors or overburdened by a schedule that leaves residents waiting for help for hours. When residents have limited mobility or cognitive challenges, delays in assistance and unanswered call lights are not mere inconveniences - they're safety concerns that undermine trust and comfort. A recurring theme is the reliance on agency or temporary nurses, who are depicted as less familiar with residents, less supervised, and sometimes less reliable in administering medications or responding to urgent needs. In one account, a night shift staffed largely by agency personnel led to a direct failure to administer Parkinson's medication on time, with a nurse failing to show up after reminders and questions going unanswered. In another, a medication dose was found spilled on the floor, signaling a deeper problem with training, oversight, and accountability.

Financial and administrative frustrations appear prominently as well. One family narrates a troubling sequence of events around a lost item (pants) and a delayed reimbursement for the replacement, with months of calls yielding little resolution. More striking is the account of a substantial overbilling after moving a loved one to a new facility, followed by a drawn-out process to recover funds. Another reviewer describes the move-in experience as "ala carte" to the extreme - no basics provided upon move-in, and no staff help during the transition, leaving families to scramble for essential supplies. The sense conveyed is that, while the care on the floor may be compassionate, the administrative side can feel impersonal, opaque, and sometimes financially burdensome.

A parallel thread concerns the patient experience for those with Alzheimer's or advanced aging. One caregiver notes that despite a dedicated nursing staff, personalized care and programming can be extremely limited, and the resident's day might be spent largely alone in their room. The family's grief is mixed with concern that the community's best intentions are undermined by a lack of consistent, individualized attention and meaningful activity. For families facing the end-of-life journey or hospice transitions, there are additional disturbing undercurrents about space, privacy, and the handling of medical needs within the living areas.

There are also more universally positive notes that deserve acknowledgment. Several reviews celebrate the beauty of the campus and the overall quality of life: lovely views, good value, and a sense of community that includes opportunities to learn, exercise, and engage in meaningful activities. Some residents and families speak highly of the warm, welcoming atmosphere created by staff and fellow residents. In particular, long-standing staff members who provide steady, compassionate care are repeatedly highlighted as anchors of reliability and kindness. For many, Covenant Shores feels like a place where relationships matter and where, with the right support and a bit of luck, a resident can thrive and feel at home.

The mixed bag of praise and criticism culminates in a nuanced portrait: Covenant Shores and its sister Covenant Living location hold a genuine capacity for excellent, person-centered care, especially when the right staff are on shift and supervision is strong. Yet the experiences described also reveal systemic pressures - understaffing, reliance on agency personnel, inconsistent medication practices, and troubling billing and move-in/move-out processes - that can color every interaction and shape a family's sense of security. The difference between a moment of true care and a feeling of being overlooked often hinges on the availability of steady, well-trained permanent staff, robust supervisory structures, and transparent administrative processes.

For families considering this community, the takeaway is clear but complex. The care can be extraordinary at its best, with compassionate nurses, diligent medication management, and supportive rehab leadership. However, potential residents and their loved ones should inquire deeply about staffing levels, especially on evenings and weekends; the use of agency nurses and how supervision is maintained; the procedures for medication administration and safety checks; and the transparency and responsiveness of billing and move-in/out support. If you are seeking a place with a consistently quiet, well-supervised routine where residents are always the top priority, these reviews suggest you should press for concrete assurances about staffing and governance before making a decision. If you value warmth, kindness, and dedicated caregivers, Covenant Shores can deliver those strengths - yet the experiences described here also remind you to guard carefully against the risks that can arise when staffing and administration don't align with the high standard of care families hope to find.

This part of Mercer Island, Washington offers a diverse range of amenities and services that cater to the needs of seniors. With several parks nearby such as Luther Burbank Park, residents can enjoy outdoor activities and nature walks. There are also multiple theaters in the area for entertainment options. Access to pharmacies like CVS and Safeway make it convenient for seniors to fill their prescriptions. In terms of healthcare, there are reputable physicians in close proximity, including Allegro Pediatrics and Seattle Reproductive Medicine. Additionally, the presence of renowned hospitals like Overlake Hospital Medical Center ensures quality medical care. Transportation is easily accessible with various light rail stations nearby, providing convenience for seniors who may not drive. The selection of cafes and restaurants offer a variety of dining options for socializing or enjoying a meal out. Overall, this part of Mercer Island provides a well-rounded community with plenty of resources for senior living.

Parks

• Luther Burbank Park (0.9 miles)
• Bellevue Downtown Park (2.4 miles)
• Lake Washington Boulevard Park (2.7 miles)
• Seward Park (2.9 miles)
• Georgia Zumdieck Park (3.1 miles)
• Genesee Park & Playground (3.2 miles)
• Blue Dog Pond (4 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Factoria 8 (2.1 miles)
• Regal Meridian & 4DX (5.9 miles)
• AMC Pacific Place 11 (6.1 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (2.1 miles)
• Safeway Pharmacy (2.3 miles)
• Bartell Drugs (2.6 miles)
• Bartell Drugs (3 miles)
• Walgreens (3.6 miles)
• Bartell Drugs (3.6 miles)
• Rite Aid (3.6 miles)

Physicians

• Allegro Pediatrics (2.2 miles)
• Medical Arts Associates (3.4 miles)
• Evergreen Speech and Hearing Clinic (3.4 miles)
• Allegro Pediatrics (3.9 miles)
• Seattle Reproductive Medicine (4.1 miles)
• UW Medicine Sports Medicine Center at Eastside Specialty Center (4.1 miles)
• Advanced Family Medicine (4.8 miles)

Restaurants

• Kura Revolving Sushi Bar (2.6 miles)
• Din Tai Fung (2.6 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (2.8 miles)
• Uwajimaya (2.9 miles)
• Seattle Fish Guys (4.3 miles)
• McDonald's (4.3 miles)
• Burgermaster (4.3 miles)

Hospitals

• Dengda Tang MD | Kaiser Permanente (2.9 miles)
• Overlake Hospital Medical Center (3 miles)
• Swedish Medical Center (5.3 miles)
• Harborview Medical Center (5.3 miles)

Transportation

• Mount Baker Station (3.9 miles)
• Columbia City Station (3.9 miles)
• Link Light Rail - Rainier Beach Station (5.1 miles)
• Stadium Station (5.3 miles)
• King Street Station (5.5 miles)
• Capitol Hill LINK Station (5.6 miles)
• Renton Municipal Airport (RNT) (6.1 miles)

Cafes

• Mercurys Coffee (4 miles)
• Starbucks (4.1 miles)
• Squirrel Chops (4.7 miles)
• The Flora Bakehouse (4.9 miles)
• Oddfellows Cafe & Bar (5.4 miles)
• Starbucks Reserve SoDo (5.6 miles)
• Starbucks HQ (5.6 miles)