Covenant Village-The Great Lks

Pros

• The grounds are well kept and the facility is clean, with very nice staff.
• The Activities Director at CKGL is praised for coordinating wonderful outings and events.
• Grandmothers living there are described as loving it and feeling like part of a big family.
• The community offers amazing amenities, and residents feel that everyone cares for one another.
• The setting is described as wonderful retirement living.
• The community is presented as a kind, loving Christian environment with good food, fun, and faith.
• The facility is noted as nice and clean, contributing to a positive atmosphere.
• Residents and families enjoy a supportive, caring environment.

Cons

• Staffing is minimal and care is substandard.
• A resident was not given a walker and was told to walk unassisted.
• Night staff were so loud that the resident couldn't sleep.
• Three male staff members entered at night to change a roommate, making the resident feel unsafe.
• Requests for documentation were ignored; there was no response by phone or email.
• Management and leadership are described as unresponsive and unprofessional.
• There is severe understaffing (e.g., only one nurse for the entire floor) and care from staff is described as uncaring.
• Communication is poor; no return calls and paperwork allegedly not received, sometimes linked to Medicaid status.
• A resident fell and staff did not promptly assist; a CNA dismissed the incident as a dream.
• A resident on a soft diet was given foods they could not eat, and did not eat while there.
• The facility is accused of prioritizing new housing over resident care.
• Reviewers say the care is not worth recommending and urge others not to send loved ones.
• There are reported payroll/agency-pay miscommunications and unresolved HR issues.

Review

Covenant Living of Great Lakes in Grand Rapids, Michigan, elicits a spectrum of impressions from families and residents that runs from high praise to sharp concern. On the one hand, several reviews highlight a clean, well-kept campus with attractive grounds and a sense of community. People note that in some cases the atmosphere feels like a close-knit, caring environment and that there are staff members who are kind and capable. A few residents describe the place as a "big family" where neighbors support one another, and they speak positively about the Christian community, good food, and the opportunities for social and spiritual engagement. For some families, the facility's atmosphere and amenities translate into genuine comfort and peace of mind.

Yet beneath those positive notes there is a strong current of critique about the actual delivery of care, safety, and day-to-day operations. Several reviewers recount troubling experiences that center on staffing shortages and inconsistent caregiving. One recurring complaint is that residents who require assistance - such as those who use walkers or need help moving - do not always receive the help they need in a timely or reliable way. There are specific accusations that a resident who had a walker and a history of falls was admitted without a walker and was expected to walk to the bathroom unaided, raising questions about basic safety and risk management. Other accounts describe nights when the resident did not sleep due to loud staff activity and a sense that privacy and dignity were not consistently respected.

Safety concerns also extend to nighttime practices and general supervision. Reviewers describe situations where multiple staff members entered a room during the night to perform tasks that made a resident feel unsafe, and there are explicit warnings from families that they were uncomfortable with how changes in roommates were handled. The impression left is that understaffing translates into shortcuts or lapses in what should be standard, compassionate care, particularly for residents who are weak, recovering, or more vulnerable.

Communication and responsiveness appear as another major sticking point. Several families report difficulty obtaining timely information or pursuing documentation related to a stay. There are mentions of missed calls, unreturned emails, and delays in processing paperwork, sometimes tied to administrative hurdles or perceived bias in admissions decisions (for example, concerns about Medicaid being a secondary payer and how that affects outreach). Complaints about tenacious or inconsistent billing practices also surface, including references to charges for meals brought to rooms and other financial controversies that leave families feeling uncertain and frustrated about what their loved ones are experiencing and what they are paying for.

Management and leadership issues are another thread in the tapestry of reviews. Some families accuse leadership of being unavailable, inaccessible, or nonresponsive, and there are pointed remarks about a "Dean of Nurses" and others in supervisory roles who are perceived as unprofessional or lacking accountability. In one account, a staff member described being promised pay details that did not actually materialize, which further erodes trust in the administrative side of the operation. The recurring sentiment is that concerns are not being heard or addressed promptly, and that this lack of follow-through undermines the care residents receive.

Amid the critique, there are also messages that acknowledge mixed experiences and emphasize the complexity of long-term care. A subset of reviewers shares deeply positive personal stories: a grandmother who felt comforted by a nurse staying with her, or a loved one who described a place where caregivers and activities staff created meaningful moments for residents; others recount moving praise for compassionate staff and for communities that rallied around a family emergency with transportation and support. Some reviewers even celebrate the overall excellence of activities programming, including outings to places like a Wild Animal Farm, and they express gratitude for staff who make an effort to foster engagement and a sense of belonging. A few residents and families throw their support behind the living environment, pointing to well-kept facilities, generous amenities, and a sense of faith and fellowship that matters deeply to them.

Overall, the collection of experiences paints Covenant Living of Great Lakes as a place of contrast. For some residents and families, it provides a dignified, welcoming home where cleanliness, security, and spiritual life are valued, and where certain staff members go above and beyond to make life comfortable and meaningful. For others, the facility represents a challenging landscape of understaffing, inconsistent care, communication gaps, and managerial friction that can leave loved ones vulnerable and families frustrated. The differences between these perspectives suggest that outcomes at the facility may depend heavily on individual staff availability, the specific shift and care team, and how responsive the administration is to concerns from residents and families.

For anyone considering Covenant Living of Great Lakes, these reviews suggest doing thorough due diligence: visit with a critical eye on staffing levels during different shifts, ask about how safety is managed for residents who use walkers or have a history of falls, and request clear lines of communication about admissions, documentation, and billing. It is possible to encounter a campus that feels warm, active, and spiritually affirming, but it is equally possible to encounter experiences that highlight significant gaps in care, responsive leadership, and reliable day-to-day operations. The range of experiences across the reviews underscores the importance of inspecting current conditions, speaking with staff and families, and ensuring that care plans align with the specific needs and safety expectations of each resident. The facility sits on Lake Michigan Drive, and for some, it remains a place of comfort and community; for others, it represents a call to seek alternatives where care and communication better meet their loved ones' critical needs.

Pharmacies

• Family Fare Supermarkets (0.4 miles)
• Walgreens (2.3 miles)
• Walgreens (2.4 miles)
• Meijer Pharmacy (2.5 miles)
• Meijer Pharmacy (3.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.8 miles)
• Family Fare Supermarkets (4.2 miles)

Physicians

• Lake Michigan Dental (0.5 miles)
• Spectrum Health (1.6 miles)
• Advantage Health Physician Network Northwest Locations (2.6 miles)
• Family & Pediatric Eye Care (3 miles)
• Area Wide Ob/Gyn Health Services (3.3 miles)
• Orthopaedic Associates Of Mi (3.4 miles)
• Hand & Plastic Surgery Center: Luce Paul A MD (3.5 miles)

Parks

• Millennium Park (2.2 miles)
• Belknap Park (3.3 miles)
• Riverside Park (4.3 miles)
• Chesebro Park (5.3 miles)
• Lemery Park (5.5 miles)
• Huff Park (5.6 miles)

Restaurants

• Turnstiles (2.3 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (2.3 miles)
• Steel Cat Bar (2.3 miles)
• Condado Tacos (2.5 miles)
• The Knickerbocker (2.6 miles)
• The Mitten Brewing Company (2.7 miles)
• Uccello's Ristorante (2.7 miles)

Cafes

• The Intersection (2.9 miles)
• Starbucks (3.4 miles)
• Rowster New American Coffee (4 miles)
• Starbucks (5.2 miles)
• Real Food Cafe (5.4 miles)

Theaters

• Studio Park (3.1 miles)
• Celebration Cinema Stu (3.1 miles)

Transportation

• Amtrak - Grand Rapids Vernon J. Ehlers Station (3.1 miles)

Hospitals

• Helen Devos Children Emergency Room (3.3 miles)
• Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion (3.3 miles)
• St Marys Hospital (3.5 miles)
• Trinity Health Birth Center - Grand Rapids Hospital (3.5 miles)
• Richard J. Lacks Sr. Cancer Center (3.5 miles)
• Blodgett Hospital (5.5 miles)

Places of Worship

• Madison Square Christian Reformed Church (4.2 miles)
• Temple Emanuel (5.2 miles)