Cottages of Madison - Applewood

Pros

• The new management and staff have turned the Cottages around.
• Some staff members are nice and caring.
• Most of the employees are decent.
• The Cottages have a refreshed look with new leadership.

Cons

• They describe the Cottages as terrible and not as advertised.
• They claim residents were left sitting in urine and feces and developed bed sores.
• They note the facility frequently ran out of toilet paper, coffee, and food, with meals described as tasteless.
• They report rooms were freezing cold and not heated, with promised repairs never completed and no reimbursement for provided electric blankets.
• They say bathrooms were not cleaned and the overall environment smelled.
• They state staff were rude, uncaring, often on their phones, or sleeping on duty at night.
• They allege neglect and abuse, including a caregiver's inappropriate behavior and a manager's lack of accountability.
• They claim medications were mishandled or discarded, with residents sometimes not receiving meds as ordered.
• They describe theft of food by workers and a lack of resident activities.
• They report no call buttons for residents, requiring shouting for help, and delays in staff response.
• They describe a culture of apathy and a pattern of insufficient care and communication with families.
• They note extremely high room and board for poor-quality accommodations and services.

Review

A pattern emerges across many personal accounts of The Cottages of Madison that is hard to ignore. Despite headlines about new management, new staff, and a refreshed look, the experiences described by residents and their families suggest a facility mired in neglect, paperwork promises, and ongoing safety concerns. Several reviewers open with warnings that the place is nothing like what was advertised and that the changes in leadership have not translated into real improvements for those living there. The strongest current across these stories is a sense that residents were not protected, cared for, or respected, and that problems persisted or even intensified under different faces at the top.

Care quality, health, and daily living issues repeatedly surface as the most alarming concerns. Reviewers describe residents sitting in urine or feces for extended periods, sometimes with bedsores developing as a result. There are reports of rooms being freezing and unheated in the winter, despite promises to remedy heating problems. Food is a recurring complaint - tasteless meals, insufficient portions, and a broader sense that meal quality and caloric intake were not adequately addressed, even for residents with dietary restrictions. One account notes a vegetarian promise that was never fulfilled, with meals repeatedly including meat and no clear follow-through on dietary accommodations. In several stories, residents did not receive enough calories or proper nutrition, and some family members felt obliged to supplement with their own funds to help. The overall impression is of a facility where basic needs - food, warmth, and nourishment - were not consistently met, sometimes with serious consequences for residents' health and mood.

The staff experience is described in similarly mixed but frequently negative terms. A number of reviewers say most employees are decent, with a subset who are rude, uncaring, or inattentive. Reports include caregivers who are distracted by personal devices, on their phones while working, or who fail to perform essential duties. Night shifts are singled out for particular concern, with claims that some staff members sleep or fail to respond promptly when help is needed. There are also serious allegations of unsafe or inappropriate behavior: at least one reviewer describes a caregiver engaging in sexual gyrations in front of elderly residents, with a manager who allegedly did not take appropriate action. Theft, disruptively loud music, and dismissive attitudes toward residents' requests are other threads that appear in multiple reviews. Some reviewers note that while a portion of staff may be capable and caring, the inconsistent culture and staffing issues undermine the care residents receive.

Cleanliness, hygiene, and general facility conditions are another major theme. The environment is described as having a strong odor of urine, inconsistent room temperatures, and bathrooms that are not adequately cleaned or stocked. Several accounts report shortages of basic supplies - no toilet paper on multiple occasions, limited or delayed toiletries, and even problems with laundry services when washers were broken for extended periods. One reviewer recounts washing a filthy toilet themselves to be able to use it, highlighting a level of facility maintenance that feels far below acceptable standards. There are mentions of a lack of privacy - no private bathrooms in some rooms, requiring residents to request access to shared facilities or to carry keys - an arrangement that is particularly challenging for residents with urinary or cognitive issues. The failure to provide essential amenities, like functioning laundry and adequate cleaning, compounds the sense that residents are living in a space that does not consistently prioritize their well-being.

Management practices and accountability are central to many of these narratives. Several reviewers describe broken promises, inconsistent communication, and a sense that management does not follow through on commitments. There are mentions of "mind games" or hollow promises that frustrate families who feel ignored even after raising concerns. Specific accusations include mismanagement of medications - claims that prescriptions were not administered properly or that controlled substances were mishandled or discarded without proper process. An eviction-like notice was described by one reviewer, with a list of violations that they felt were unfounded. Families report that outreach channels and private contacts offered by the administration often did not yield tangible results, leaving them without timely resolution. In one extended account tied to Care Wisconsin, the reviewer details a cascade of problems over weeks that culminated in a decision to move the resident to a higher-quality facility, with the patient enduring dehydration, bedsores, and severe pain, despite ongoing communication with staff.

In the most devastating and comprehensive story, a resident with end-stage cancer is portrayed as having endured a sequence of neglectful episodes that trips alarms about patient safety and humane care. The reviewer describes repeated dehydration, poor nourishment, inconsistent monitoring, and a frightening lack of adequate pain management. They recount no call buttons in some circumstances, forcing residents to yell for attention and sometimes receiving no timely assistance. The situation is portrayed as escalating from unsatisfactory to dangerous, with the hospice and family members noting gaps in communication, follow-through on orders, and appropriate escalation of care. The family ultimately decided to relocate, perceiving the remaining days as unsafe and unsupportive, casting a long shadow over what should have been a time of comfort and dignity.

Taken together, these accounts sketch a troubling picture: a facility whose leadership changes have not anchored a reliable, compassionate standard of care; whose staff mix ranges from genuinely caring to visibly disengaged or inappropriate; and whose physical environment, resources, and policies sometimes fail to meet residents' basic needs. The recurrent themes - bedsores and incontinence, food and caloric insufficiency, lack of heat and basic supplies, inconsistent staffing, apparent neglect of safety protocols, and management that appears unresponsive - contribute to a climate of fear and dissatisfaction among families. Some reviewers acknowledge occasional positives - staff members who do try to help, moments of kindness - but they are overshadowed by the breadth and severity of the reported problems.

For anyone considering The Cottages of Madison, these accounts argue for caution and thorough due diligence. Prospective families should seek multiple, verifiable references, scrutinize the facility's current staffing and policies, and verify the availability of essential services (nutritional planning, heating, laundry, medication administration, call systems, and consistent nursing oversight). It is prudent to investigate how the administration responds to complaints, what steps are taken to address violations, and whether recent improvements have been implemented and sustained. While every facility can experience challenges, the breadth and intensity of concerns raised here - a persistent pattern of neglect, safety risks, and unaddressed basic needs - suggest that care should be carefully weighed against other available options to protect loved ones' health, safety, and dignity.

Physicians

• TLC Laser Eye Centers (0.4 miles)
• Accuear Professional Hearing & Audiology Clinics (0.7 miles)
• UW Health East Clinic (0.8 miles)
• Group Health Cooperative (0.8 miles)
• U W Health-Spine Center - Daniel K Resnick MD (0.8 miles)
• Aesthetic Artistry MedSpa (2.3 miles)
• Robertson Plastic Surgery (3 miles)

Restaurants

• Hooters (0.9 miles)
• Qdoba Mexican Eats (1.1 miles)
• Chipotle Mexican Grill (1.2 miles)
• McDonald's (1.3 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (1.6 miles)
• Taco Bell (1.6 miles)
• The Boneyard (2 miles)

Cafes

• Panera Bread (0.9 miles)
• Starbucks (1.6 miles)
• Starbucks (5.2 miles)

Theaters

• Flix Brewhouse (1.2 miles)

Places of Worship

• Eastside Evangelical Lutheran (1.4 miles)
• Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Catholic Church (5.1 miles)

Pharmacies

• Target Pharmacy (1.6 miles)
• UW Health at The American Center Pharmacy (1.7 miles)
• Walgreens (2.3 miles)
• Metro Market (3.4 miles)
• Metro Market Pharmacy (3.4 miles)
• Walgreens (3.6 miles)
• Walgreens (3.6 miles)

Transportation

• Dane County Regional Airport (MSN) (3.2 miles)

Parks

• Hunter's Ridge Park (3.2 miles)
• Kingston Onyx Park (3.2 miles)
• Door Creek Park (3.3 miles)
• Sunny Valley Park (3.3 miles)
• Olbrich Park (3.9 miles)
• Pheasant Run Park (4 miles)
• Ravenwood Park (4.2 miles)

Hospitals

• Spay Me (3.7 miles)